ETH-Spin-off RTDT Laboratories is addressing the critical gap in providing accurate, real-time insights into turbine structural health and aerodynamic performance. With the CHF 150’000 from Venture Kick, the startup is set to advance the next generation of intelligent and autonomous wind turbine design, control, operation, and maintenance.
Wind turbines have the potential to be significantly more profitable than they are today, with improved turbine design, higher annual energy production, and increased reliability. However, to achieve this, a deep understanding of the aero-structural properties of a turbine is required. Existing monitoring technologies do not provide the necessary insights to make such information available at scale.
Imad Abdallah (CEO), Konstantinos Tatsis (CSO), and Aris Mukherjee (CCO) founded RTDT Laboratories to tackle this challenge relying on their deep expertise in wind energy, structural mechanics, monitoring, and Venture Capital. Imad notably spent seven years as a lead engineer at Vestas, designing wind turbines.
The founding trio developed a hardware-software solution, Aerosense, gathers aerodynamic, acoustic, and structural data from turbine blades, which is then analyzed using RTDT’s advanced methods to provide comprehensive aero-acoustic and structural assessments of wind turbines. These insights enable better turbine control, improved design, and more efficient maintenance, ultimately boosting the performance and profitability of both individual turbines and entire fleets.
With the global push for renewable energy, the timing is extremely favorable for RTDT. The wind energy sector is growing quickly, with an expected annual growth of 13 %, reaching a market size of more than CHF 5 billion by 2031. RTDT is already partnering with major players like Siemens Gamesa, Suzlon, Enercon, and Eologix-Ping.
RTDT will employ the 150’000 CHF from Venture Kick to grow its team, improve its hardware design and manufacturing process, and expand its patent portfolio. “The support from Venture Kick has been instrumental in refining our business model, strategy, and value proposition. In particular, the Kicker’s camps have been incredibly useful in detecting where our weaknesses lie and how to tackle them,” highlighted CCO Aris Mukherjee. “We are very happy to have won stage III and to receive further support from Venture Kick.”
The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
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