Spin-off

EPFL spin-off nu glass has successfully tested a portable system that makes the window panes on railcars permeable to mobile communications. This can bring significant environmental and cost benefits to railway companies and mobile-phone operators, since they’ll no longer have to install signal boosters to provide wireless connectivity for passengers.

As businesses grow increasingly reliant on data to make strategic decisions, more and more companies and organizations decide to collaborate and share information with each other. EPFL spin-off Tune Insight has developed a software program that allows users to process and analyze encrypted data from multiple sources, while keeping sensitive and confidential information protected against theft.

Whether for squats or sit-ups, the software created by the start-up VAY alerts exercisers about incorrect movements via a smartphone screen. Now the ETH spin-off has been acquired by connected fitness equipment manufacturer Nautilus.

The breakdown for spin-offs in 2021: 25 new start-ups and about CHF 390 million in capital raised. Faster coronavirus tests, artificial coral reefs and automated insect breeding have found their place in the economy. The proportion of female entrepreneurs has increased significantly.

Switzerland Innovation, a nationwide network of technology parks, continues to grow: Park Innovaare located next to PSI is flourishing as it pursues its mission to help cutting-edge Swiss research transition to concrete applications and profitable companies.