May 31, 2013
Swiss founders are serial innovators
Dear reader
With the help of Hocoma’s rehabilitation robot, patients can learn to walk again after an accident or stroke. The Zurich-based company has sold 500 such ‘Lokomaten’ around the world. Despite the success, Hocoma is not resting on its laurels. Three other products from the spin-off of Balgrist University Hospital are already on the market. As a result of constant innovation, in just 10 years Hocoma has become a globally active SME with more than CHF30 million in sales.
Hocoma shows how Swiss companies can succeed, despite a strong franc and intense global competition that is not always guided by fair means. Although serial entrepreneurs in Switzerland are still scarce, serial innovators are numerous. Several examples can be found in our report on the CTI Micro/Nanoevent. And news this week provides an example of an innovative company advancing into new markets with new developments: Aargau-based coresystems has launched its spin-off Mila, a location-based marketplace for services.
Successful companies are also aiming to provide new services, not least with the help of start-ups; these include SBB, which operates a co-working space in Zurich and today launched a web platform for emerging companies, and Swisscom, which has committed a total of CHF10 million to an early stage fund.
And several start-ups from various industries were able to attract investors this week, including Sensima, arviem and Squirro.
The choice of Swiss start-ups looking for investment is especially impressive at the upcoming CTI Invest Swiss Venture Day on 11 June. No fewer than 10 companies will present themselves to venture capitalists and business angels. In the morning, in turn, an Angel Day on the topic of Valuation will take place.
Next week CTI Invest and IBM will hold a joint round table on the theme of Business Analytics. Discussion will centre around the available opportunities, and nine start-ups from the industry will present themselves.
It is also good to know that two courses of the CTI Entrepreneurship Program are taking place in June, with several other founder courses starting from mid-August. Interested parties would do well to register at an early stage.
Have an inspiring weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor, startupticker.ch
News
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". 
