ETH: Venture 2010 – ten first round winners announced

Six of the ten winning entries in the first round of the Venture 2010 competition have come from ETH Zurich. The winners, chosen from a total of 25 teams nominated, received an award of CHF 2,500 (€1,700) at a ceremony last week.

One of the ETH winners is compliant concept, which is developing a bed that does not cause pressure sores. Another ETH company, MARMOTA is developing a system for carrying out site investigations before building, which merges geotechnical knowledge with fibre optic sensor technology. Meanwhile PRÄZOPLAN is developing a high-precision milling machine with a novel guidance mechanism and ProteoMediX is discovering novel biomarkers for the early detection and personalised treatment of cancer.

Presenting the prizes, Doris Leuthard, the head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, praised the spirit of innovation. “I am excited about the ideas, and even more enthusiastic to see if the ideas will be implemented,” she said.

It remains uncertain whether the recession will end this year. The time should therefore be used for innovation and for thinking ahead, said Leuthard. She identified weaknesses in the financing of start-ups, noting that the role of the state is not to fund companies but to give young people a good education and saying, “I would like banks to use the capital in the right place.”

ETH President Ralph Eichler noted that in 2009 ETH spun out 24 companies. “If every university and college in the country produced 10 companies a year, I would have no concern for Switzerland”, he said.

The ten winners have until 31 March to prepare detailed plans. The top five, to be selected by a judging panel, will be invited to make a final presentation, with the winner being awarded CHF 60,000 (€40,700) in seed finance.