Startup programme HSG START Accelerator shows first results

Heavy-duty drones, biological materials that replace plastic, quickly digitised working knowledge and improved respirators for premature babies: these business ideas were presented by five start-ups on Friday, 15 November, at the Startfeld premises in St.Gallen. The young companies had previously completed a five-week coaching programme, the HSG START Accelerator. The five start-ups were the first to complete the accelerator.

St.Gallen aims to become a strong start-up destination

The new support programme is designed to strengthen the growth of technology-driven start-ups that already have products and customers, and to prepare them for attracting investment capital. ‘In the long term, we want to become the top start-up destination in Europe,’ said Dietmar Grichnik, HSG Professor of Entrepreneurship, at Startfeld on Friday. Andreas Göldi, one of the initiators of the programme and a graduate of the University of St. Gallen, multiple founder and investor, added: ‘There is a vibrant start-up ecosystem in the Alpine region between Lausanne and Munich. However, there is a financing gap in the growth and internationalisation phase.’ This is another reason why the HSG START Accelerator has been launched.

For the accelerator, the HSG, START Global and the Swiss Innovation Park East (SiP-Ost) are combining their expertise and networks in start-up funding. The programme is largely financed by the Canton of St. Gallen, but in the long term it should be self-sustaining.

From drones to bioplastics to medical technology

On Friday, each start-up was able to briefly present its business idea to a five-member jury at the start field. The jury included HSG graduate and multiple founder Bettina Hein, HSG lecturer and founder Torben Antretter, German entrepreneur Joachim Schoss, entrepreneur Gioia Deucher and Google manager and angel investor Paul Hoffmann. After the pitches, the jury asked questions – at the end of the evening, the best start-up was awarded a prize money of 25,000 Swiss francs, free of participation.

The pitches – the startups' presentations to investors – showed that all five startups rely on highly technology-driven solutions in a wide range of industries.

ETH spin-off Rimon uses artificial intelligence (AI) to digitise years of accumulated knowledge in a short period of time. To do this, employees wear a body camera while they work. An AI evaluates these videos and creates a text-based reference work. For individual work steps, it also refers to exact points in the videos. 

Vira Drones develops drones that can transport loads of up to 1000 kilograms. The hybrid-powered, autonomously flying drones have a range of up to 1200 kilometres. According to the founders, they are significantly cheaper than helicopter transport and are to be used for transporting goods as well as rescuing people. 

Kuori develops industrially applicable materials from biological raw materials such as walnut shells or olive stones. The compostable materials are elastic and produce significantly less CO2 during production than conventional plastic. In addition, no microplastic is produced during their further processing. 

Inhale+ has developed a device that significantly improves the ventilation of premature babies: the babies receive medication via the air they breathe in the form of aerosols. However, the concentration of the active ingredients is often too low in previous systems. Inhale+'s solution is designed to increase this concentration by 320 per cent, thus reducing the mortality rate of premature babies. 

Gaudio is a start-up by HSG graduates. The platforms created by means of AI provide guided tours for tourists through cultural institutions or cities. These tours are interactive and personalised, which means that users can, for example, ask questions and choose a character to guide them. Institutions such as the Verkehrshaus in Lucerne, the National Museum in Zurich or St.Gallen Bodensee Tourism already use the AI solution.

Accelerator to start in spring 2025

This ‘cohort 0’ shows the great diversity and potential of the start-ups, said Professor Grichnik. The accelerator will start regular operations in spring 2025: 10 start-ups will participate in each cohort, with the prospect of an investment of 200,000 Swiss francs at the end. This is then linked to a share in the company.
After intensive deliberations, the jury decided to award the prize money to Kuori. ‘All the start-ups have the potential to achieve great things,’ said Bettina Hein, speaking for the jury. They chose the start-up that, if successful, would have a major ecological and social impact. In addition, the fact that Kuori is already generating solid sales and working with several customers also speaks in its favour.