Start-up boom thriving
In 2024, 37 new spin-offs were founded at ETH Zurich, a large proportion of them in the fields of AI and biotechnology.
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With 37 new spin-offs, ETH Zurich continues its long-term upward trend in the launch of new companies from its research. start-ups in the fields of artificial intelligence and biotechnology were particularly well represented.
Artificial Intelligence and machine learning led the list with ten spin-offs, followed closely by biotechnology and pharmaceuticals with eight. Terensis is one of the 37 companies on the list that focuses on artificial intelligence in agriculture, using satellites to assess the condition of crops and predict the expected yield. CellX Biosolutions is a biotech spin-off that aims to fight chemical pollution of the environment caused by PFAS, pharmaceuticals and microplastics. The company cultivates special strains of bacteria that can dispose of chemical waste in the environment.
Strong growth in investments
Rising investments also bear witness to the attractiveness of ETH spin-offs, with the total amount invested having increased tenfold in the past decade. In 2024, almost CHF 425 million (~470 million USD) was invested in ETH spin-offs in 42 published financing rounds, an increase of 25 percent over the previous year. Neustark was particularly successful, raising a total of USD 69 million. The company is engaged in the battle against climate change, working on a process that captures CO2 from the atmosphere in recycled concrete with a view to reducing carbon emissions. Bright Peak Therapeutics, a biotech company from Allschwil, specialises in the development of advanced immunotherapies using its proprietary chemical protein synthesis platform. It managed to raise an impressive sum of USD 90 million.
Foreign entrepreneurs, but here to stay
The founders of ETH spin-offs created between 2017 and 2024 come from 46 different countries, primarily Switzerland (45%), Germany (18%), and Italy (6%). While the founders themselves may come from all over the world, an overwhelming amount of the spin-offs stay in Switzerland. Of the 530 spin-offs created at ETH Zurich since 1973 who are still active today 519 are operating in Switzerland and make a significant contribution to society. The survival rate of the spin-offs is also impressive, with 93 percent of companies still active five years after they were established. “These figures make it clear how Switzerland benefits from ETH Zurich bringing in the brightest minds from all over the world. They develop new products, establish new companies, and create added value for Swiss society and the country’s economy,” says Vanessa Wood, Vice President for Knowledge Transfer and Corporate Relations.
More women in founding teams
At 14 percent, the proportion of female company founders in 2024 was in line with the average for the previous four years, although there has been a long-term upward trend. A positive development is the increase in mixed gender founding teams – together with the all-female teams they account for around 35 percent of all spin-offs, with the remaining 65 percent founded by men.
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