Blog Overview

FINAL CANDIDATES AT SWITZERLAND’S 2019 BIC OF CERN INCUBATOR

16.10.19
Final Candidates BIC of CERN Technologies 2019 ©
Final Candidates BIC of CERN Technologies 2019 ©

Did you like this article? Please share it.

Tags

Switzerland's Business Incubation Centre (BIC) of CERN Technologies is looking ahead to next week’s pitch event, at which the 2019 incubatee will be announced. 


On Wednesday 16 October, the five final candidates, pre-selected from an initial round of approximately 20 competitors, will have 10 minutes each to pitch their idea and business plan to both a Selection Committee and an audience of invited guests (VCs, investors, IP and technology experts). 

Following the pitch, the finalists will take part in a Q/A session with the Selection Committee, who will subsequently determine the winning candidate(s).

Currently based in three countries (Switzerland, Germany and Poland), the teams participating on Wednesday represent the following technologies: radiation sensors, real-time imaging, power electronics, quantum computing, drones and automation. Each innovative idea presents a variety of possible applications.

Below is a synopsis of the projects competing for the award:

Arc Power GmbH (www.arc-power.com)

Based in Switzerland, Arc Power GmbH was incorporated in 2016 and co-founded by Mattia Vecchiarelli and Alessandro Contissa. 

The product they have designed is the first European hybrid DC/DC converter for space utilization. Radiation-resistant, it is composed of European components only and complies with European Space Agency (ESA) standards. This converter would be designed and manufactured within Europe and under ESA supervision.

BAQ – Better Air Quality (www.baqlab.com)

Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. A natural radioactive gas developing from decaying uranium (an element naturally present in soil and rocks), radon easily penetrates houses and buildings as it attaches to dust and air particles.

As of January 2018, EU Directive 2013/59/Euratom has entered into force in all European countries, including Switzerland. This directive legally obliges home and building owners to measure radon levels and take necessary action when legal limits are exceeded.

With its detectors relaying data to an IoT platform, BAQ not only aims to monitor traces of radioactive radon in real time but also to neutralize exposure through ventilation system control.

Based in Switzerland and co-founded by Alessandro Curioni, Stefano Romano and Marco Silari, BAQ was recently incorporated this year.

Dronhub Innovations (https://dronhub.eu)

Founded by Vadym Melnyk and incorporated in 2018, Dronhub Innovationsis based in Poland. The company’s aim is to automate surveillance drones using artificial intelligence algorithms. Robotic arms installed in docking stations can automate battery replacement, readying drones to take off again within two minutes. The aim of this solution would be to reduce equipment and labor costs.

JoS QUANTUM GmbH (www.jos-quantum.de) 

Located in Germany and founded by Markus C. Braun, the business plan of JoS QUANTUMGmbHis to provide research-as-a-service and calculation-as-a-service to the worlds of finance, insurance and energy. Thanks to quantum and quantum-inspired computing and algorithms, their platform will offer enhanced data input/output transmission capabilities compared to the ones existing today.

TERAPET (www.terapet.ch) 

TERAPET aims to play a key role in advancing the development and future growth of proton therapy. The non-invasive medical device they have created is able to trace the applied dose of proton therapy and measure its precise location in 3D, in real time and in vivo, thus decimating the risk of side effects and secondary cancers while also enabling faster treatment at reduced cost. 

The company, based in Switzerland, was founded by Dr. Christina Vallgren, Dr. Marcus Palm and Prof. Raymond Miralbell in July of this year.

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Launched in 2018, the Swiss BIC of CERN Technologies, operated by PARK INNOVAARE, is a high-tech incubator focused on accelerator-based technologies. Its aim is to bridge the gap between basic science and industry by supporting start-ups, spin-offs, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to implement innovative technologies, transforming them from technical concepts into ground-breaking products or services.

The winner(s) of the program will receive a one-time cash grant of CHF 50,000 and non-monetary benefits such as licensing agreements with CERN and the PSI, continuous business and technical support, and an awareness boost. 

All four partners of the Swiss BIC of CERN Technologies are represented in the Selection Committee: CERNPARK INNOVAARE, the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW). Additionally, three independent experts from the fields of Intellectual Property (IP), finance and industry sit on the committee.