Three Geneva startups including a sustainable mobility project granted FIF Funding

Sustainable mobility company Miloo (pictured), as part of DNA Mobile SA, was granted a Growth Loan for their state-of-the-art electric bicycles. Independent of the FONGIT-Modus partnership, the FIF committee awarded life sciences startup Immitra Bio GmbH a FIF Seed Loan, and life sciences project “Patient-specific post-operative orthoses for hallux valgus” won a FIF Grant.

FIF funding includes Grants, Seed Loans, and a Growth Loan to support these projects in addressing critical societal and industry challenges.

FIF Growth Loan in a 50-50 Modus-FONGIT collaboration awarded to DNA Mobile SA: Revolutionizing Urban Mobility with High-Performance Miloo E-Bikes

As the first beneficiary of the Modus-FONGIT agreement, DNA Mobile SA (trade name Miloo) has been awarded with a FIF Growth loan, with the Modus Foundation providing 50% of the loan.

Miloo is a Geneva-based company that develops high-performance electric bicycles designed for urban commuting. The company integrates advanced engineering with digital tools to enhance functionality and user experience while prioritizing responsible sourcing and local assembly. Led by co-founders Anna Bory and Daniel van den Berg Sanchez, Miloo leverages expertise in innovative design and technology to create e-bikes for sustainable city mobility.

The FIF Growth Loan will finance the commercial expansion of Miloo with the opening of new stores in Switzerland. The company will also be able to scale up production through an innovative collaboration with the Pro Foundation in Geneva.

CHF 100,000 FIF Seed Loan awarded to Immitra Bio GmbH: Advancing Genetic Therapies for Rare Diseases

ETHZ spin-off Immitra Bio is pioneering genetic medicine to develop transformative treatments for rare diseases by combining hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) with CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. Their proprietary HematoGen platform enables precise and durable gene modifications within blood stem cells, addressing the root causes of genetic disorders. Immitra Bio is led by CEO and co-founder Jan Nelis, with a team dedicated to unlocking the potential of genetic cures. The company plans to move their headquarters to Geneva.

The FIF Seed Loan will support this startup in advancing its efforts to treat rare diseases while also fostering new collaborations with Geneva’s world-class research institutes in this field.

CHF 50,000 FIF Grant awarded to "Patient-specific post-operative orthoses for hallux valgus" project

Led by engineer Alexandre Saconney-Pfister in collaboration with the Centre Assal research team, the project "Patient-specific post-operative orthoses for hallux valgus," initiated by Dr. Victor Dubois-Ferrière, aims to optimize post-operative care to improve clinical outcomes.

Thanks to 3D printing, these orthoses simplify hospital care while ensuring better patient comfort throughout the healing process. The project is supported by the Forte Foundation, and the FIF grant will enable the project to further advance in its development.

About the FONGIT Innovation Fund (FIF)

The FIF supports innovative startups and scale-ups in the Canton of Geneva that are actively working towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Entrepreneurs can apply for three types of financing: the FIF Grant (up to CHF 50,000), the FIF Seed Loan (up to CHF 100,000), and the FIF Growth Loan (up to CHF 400,000).

The FIF is supported by the State of Geneva, the Fondation Genevoise pour l’Innovation Technologique (FONGIT), the Modus Foundation, the United Nations International Trade Center (ITC) and the United Nations Environment Agency.

The next FIF application deadline is March 12th. Learn more and apply here.

(PR)

From left to right: Guillaume Drevon, Modus Foundation Director; Antonio Gambardella, FONGIT Director; Anna Bory, Miloo co-founder (DNA Mobile SA); Daniel van den Berg Sanchez, Miloo co-founder (DNA Mobile SA)