A start-up based in Valais has achieved the highest ranking in the Top 100 most promising Swiss start-ups for the first time. DePoly, based on the Energypolis Campus and supported by Economic Promotion Valais and its partners, won over the judges with its innovative plastic recycling process. Three other start-ups in Valais – Qaptis, WattAnyWhere and Urbio – also made the list, putting the canton in fourth place. This outstanding result recognises not only the entrepreneurship of the start-ups’ founders but also the groundwork done by Economic Promotion Valais and its partners since 2004.
A judging panel made up of 100 investors and technology experts has selected the 100 most promising start-ups in Switzerland. The TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award was handed to winner DePoly in Lausanne on Wednesday evening. The company has developed a solution that breaks down plastic waste and transforms it into raw materials that can be reused by the plastics manufacturing industry. Formed in 2020 by researchers from EPFL, DePoly is currently building an industrial demonstration plant on the Monthey chemical site. The panel of experts recognised the significant potential offered by DePoly.
This year’s second place in the ranking was awarded to the young Vaud-based start-up Corintis, which has developed a cooling system for semi-conductors. Third place went to Zurich firm Yokoy, which uses artificial intelligence to manage companies’ expense claims and expenditure.
Valais ranked in fourth place
The canton ranked highest was Zurich, with 44 start-ups, ahead of Vaud (24) and Geneva (7). Valais came in at fourth place, with four start-ups, on a par with Berne and Basel-City. Valais has consistently ranked between third and fifth in recent years.
Three other firms, also based on the Energypolis Campus in Sion, joined DePoly in the ranking. These were Qaptis (20th place, making a first appearance in the ranking), WattAnyWhere (22nd) and Urbio (88th). The four Valais-based start-ups are all active in the cleantech or proptech sectors. Qaptis markets a system for capturing CO2 from heavy goods vehicles, while WattAnyWhere develops bioethanol-based charging points. Urbio is involved in urban planning, particularly in relation to heating networks. All four firms are supported by Economic Promotion Valais.
Laying the foundations since 2004
This excellent overall result is further evidence of the work done by Economic Promotion Valais since 2004 to support technological developments in Valais. This achievement is, of course, a joint effort, made possible by the partners of Economic Promotion Valais, including the Office for the Economy, Tourism and Innovation, the financial services provider Centre de cautionnement et de financement (CCF), The Ark Foundation and CimArk, not forgetting the partners of the Energypolis Campus (Valais Canton, City of Sion, EPFL Valais and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO Valais).
This ranking is only the tip of the iceberg, with several dozen other start-ups developing in Valais on a daily basis, particularly at The Ark technology sites. This groundwork is essential for the emergence of successful start-ups such as DePoly.
20,000 new jobs in Switzerland
Organised for the 14th time by Venturelab, the national platform providing support for start-ups, whose main sponsor is UBS, the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award ceremony was held in Lausanne for the second time since it was launched. Some 350 guests from the worlds of business, science and politics met at the Palais de Beaulieu for the event on Wednesday evening.
The TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award has recognised almost 600 start-ups since its creation, 14 years ago. “These firms have attracted CHF 14 billion in venture capital and created 20,000 new jobs,” explains Stefan Steiner, joint CEO of Venturelab. Several former winners have since become unicorns, including Climeworks, GetYourGuide, MindMaze, On, Scandit and Sophia Genetics.
Source : Top100 Swiss Startup Award press release