ETH News

Working in a greenhouse is both strenuous and time-consuming. The picking robot from ETH spin-off Floating Robotics takes on particularly repetitive tasks, thereby alleviating the strain on human pickers. It is currently undergoing testing at Beerstecher AG in Hinwil.

For her doctoral project at ETH Zurich, Sabrina Badir developed a device that determines the risk of premature birth. Today she is the CEO of spin-off Pregnolia, and her certified measuring device is being used in more than 20 clinics and medical practices.

Sparkling water on the go at the touch of a button and entirely plastic-free. The new water bottle by ETH spin-off bottleplus makes this possible.

ETH Zurich is present at the Olma trade fair in St Gallen. Using spin-offs and games, the ETH booth illustrates how research can contribute to making Swiss food and agriculture sustainable.

Four students at ETH Zurich¡¯s Student Project House have launched ¡°Generai¡±, a platform that uses artificial intelligence to create works of art.

ETH postdoc Olivier Gr?ninger is improving the drinking water supply for people in rural areas of South America with his Openversum project. This benefits not only the families but also the local economy and the climate

Being able to try on an outfit virtually to see if it fits would result in fewer returns. Two ETH students are working on making this possible.

ETH Zurich is at the Olma trade fair in St. Gallen until 23 October. Its exhibition ¡°Where the future begins ¨C research for sustainable agriculture¡± presents exciting ETH spin-offs and provides playful insights into modern agricultural sciences.

Materials scientists Nicole Kleger and Simona Fehlmann have developed a 3D printing process for creating salt templates that they can fill with other materials. One area of application is the creation of highly porous lightweight metal components. The two Pioneer Fellows are now trying to transfer this process to industry.

ETH Zurich biologist Daniel Richter has developed a method that enables proteins to be linked to a drug molecule or biomarker with a high level of stability. He plans to use this method in the future to identify tumour cells and open the door to more effective cancer drugs.

Five ETH spin-offs are displaying the kind of innovative thinking that will determine the success of the energy transition.

In many chemical laboratories, routine chemical syntheses are performed on a daily basis, which takes up a lot of time. ETH spin-off Synple Chem wants to simplify this with a device that is almost as easy to use as a capsule coffee machine.

ETH Industry Day on 7 September offers exciting insights into applied research, industry partnerships and entrepreneurial activities at ETH Zurich. A unique opportunity to engage with ETH researchers and young entrepreneurs.

ETH Pioneer Fellow Alexandre Anthis has developed a patch that seals surgical sutures on the intestines or the stomach. The material designed can also detect any leakage at an early stage ¨C thus preventing serious complications.

The growth in demand for fish and seafood is harming stocks and valuable ecosystems. In response, food technologist Lukas B?cker and food chemist Severin Eder are developing microalgae-based seafood substitutes in their joint Pioneer Fellowship project.

The Venture Awards for Swiss start-ups were presented yesterday evening for the 25th time. In addition to the three certified ETH spin-offs DeepJudge, Kaspar& and Versics, the 15 winners included five other start-ups founded by ETH students and alumni.

Philippe Kahn, a technology innovator and entrepreneur who studied mathematics at ETH Zurich, is credited with creating the first camera phone solution.

ETH alumna Paulina Grnarova wants to use artificial intelligence to revolutionise the way the legal industry works. Her recent appearance on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list has catapulted her into the spotlight.

Researchers have developed a wearable device that plays specific sounds to enhance deep sleep. The first clinical study has now shown that the device is effective, but not at the same level of effectiveness for everyone.

ETH spin-off Climeworks is specialised in technology that filters CO? directly from the air. The company secured CHF 600 million in investment in its latest equity round, allowing it to invest in new large-?scale air capture facilities.

ETH Pioneer Fellow Martin Hofmann has developed a method to produce high-quality plant-based meat alternatives. His research on the flow properties of soft materials enables him to imitate the marbling of real steaks. ?

The past year has brought challenges on three fronts: coronavirus, climate change and links with Europe. While new variants of Sars-CoV-2 were the main concern during the second year of the pandemic, governments meeting at COP21 sought commitments for more coordinated efforts in combatting climate change. For Swiss universities, 2021 also marked a turning point, as they were shut out of the EU research programme Horizon Europe.

No sooner had David Shapira and Kordian Caplazi finished their studies than they set about creating a start-up. Rimon develops virtual user manuals for industrial companies, enabling users to quickly and intuitively learn how to operate complex machines with the aid of AR glasses.

ETH Zurich researchers led by Marco Hutter have developed a new control approach that enables a legged robot, called ANYmal, to move quickly and robustly over difficult terrain. Thanks to machine learning, the robot can combine its visual perception of the environment with its sense of touch for the first time.

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.

"Where the future begins" is the name of ETH Zurich's new image film. Based on six projects, it provides a look behind the scenes and highlights how ETH Zurich is tackling the big questions. The new film was produced by Seed, the same agency that realised the successful ETH trailer "Ready?" five years ago.

Following the pilot project at the H?nggerberg campus, ETH Zurich is opening a Student Project House on its Zentrum campus. Students can now make their ideas a reality, in the heart of Zurich, and away from the pressure of grades. At their disposal are 1,200 square metres of renovated space, distributed across five floors.

Tom Edwardson modified a tiny artificial protein structure so it could be used as a vehicle for RNA molecules and other active substances. He now aims to create a spin-off to bring his development to market.

Which mental state do we need to be in to perform at our best? ETH Pioneer Fellow Marc B?chinger is working with Sarah Meissner to come up with the answer. Their technology, MyFlow, helps build mental strength. Together, they are about to launch their own start-up.

From the factory hall and not the field: ETH spin-off YASAI should soon be harvesting 20 tonnes of herbs a year from an indoor facility. Their ¡°vertical farming¡± method offers ecological benefits in particular, as more can be produced with fewer resources.

ETH spin-off Restor aims to increase the success rate of ecosystem restoration and conservation projects by connecting people with better data and ecological transparency. To do this, it combines practical knowledge on the ground with data from ecosystem researchers and satellite imagery. ?

Researchers at ETH Zurich are developing a new filter membrane that is highly efficient at filtering and inactivating a wide variety of air-borne and water-borne viruses. Made from ecologically sound materials, the membrane has an appropriately good environmental footprint.

Which researchers excelled? What were the milestones in the development of our teaching? And what was the most innovative research? The annual report 2020 describes ETH's achievements and performance in a challenging year.

Cognitive motor training helps in the fight against Alzheimer¡¯s and dementia, as demonstrated for the first time in a study by an international team of researchers with ETH Zurich involvement. The training platform used was developed by an ETH Zurich spin-off.

Seervision¡¯s software operates cameras as if it were a human and facilitates video productions. The start-up has its roots at ETH Zurich, where students once developed a clunky prototype for recording lectures.

The technology developed by the ETH spin-off Mithras Technology wouldn¡¯t be out of place in a science fiction movie: the user¡¯s own body heat powers what is known as a thermoelectric generator to charge wearables and other electronic devices.

ESA BIC Switzerland aims to support space start-ups in Switzerland. Representatives decided today to extend the program by five years.

The ETH researchers behind LatticeFlow are aiming to facilitate a new generation of trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI).

In 2020, 34 spin-offs were founded at ETH Zurich, with a striking proportion in the areas of AI and sustainability. Financing rounds totalling more than CHF 400 million and HeiQ's public listing bear witness to the market success of existing ETH spin-offs.

Shares in ETH spin-off HeiQ have been traded on the London Stock Exchange since Monday morning in the first ever listing of an ETH spin-off on a stock exchange outside Switzerland.

As well as generating more jobs on average than other Swiss start-ups, ETH spin-offs?are also acquired more frequently. A decisive factor, according to University of St.Gallen¡¯s comprehensive analysis, comes from the institutional support for entrepreneurship.

ETH students should have opportunities to realise their ideas. To meet this need, ETH Zurich is building a new centre for student initiatives and entrepreneurial talent at its H?nggerberg campus. The winner of the architectural competition is the EQUILIBRES project designed by ARGE Buchner Br¨¹ndler Planer / Rapp Architekten.

DeepCode, an ETH spin-off that built the first AI platform for code is to be acquired by Snyk, a world leader in developer-first security code analysis. ?

Making tumours visible so that surgeons can cut only as much as necessary: this is the goal of an invention by chemical biologists Helma Wennemers and Matthew Aronoff. For their achievement they have received the Spark Award, with which ETH recognises the most innovative invention with the most commercial potential of the past year.

The technology pioneered by the ETH spin-off incon.ai allows blocks to be positioned with pinpoint accuracy, creating structures with aesthetic designs and augmented acoustics.

People suffering from COVID-19 need air enriched with oxygen, as SARS-CoV-2 attacks the lungs. Presenting new ideas and prototypes for oxygen concentrators, researchers at ETH Zurich hope to avoid a worldwide oxygen shortage.

Right now, the 3D printers at the ETH spin-off Spectroplast are working at full capacity as never before: the young company has started producing silicone attachments for breathing masks on behalf of medical companies.

An ETH spin-off has developed a new treatment for textiles that reduces viral infectivity on treated surfaces. The technology can be used for face masks and other textile products.

Researchers at ETH have produced a gel from cellulose fibres and biodegradable nanoparticles that liquifies when pressed through the nozzle of a 3D printer, but then quickly returns to its original shape. Their invention paves the way for personalised biomaterial implants.

They should be fast, portable and easy to use: blood tests that can be done at home. Having already come up with a prototype, ETH Pioneer Fellow Alexander Tanno is working with doctoral student Yves Blickenstorfer to bring the idea to market.

The health care system places a greater emphasis on the treatment of diseases than the root causes of health. On the invitation of the Life Science Zurich (LSZ) Business Network, science, business and society recently discussed this challenge.

Pioneer Fellows Cyrill Hess and Melanie Binggeli want to market duckweed as a healthy food that¡¯s good for the environment.

In 2019, 30 new spin-offs have been founded at ETH Zurich. The predominant topic of this year climate change also reflected in the new spin-offs. A remarkable number is dedicated to the development of sustainable materials.

The year 2019 has certainly been a busy one at ETH. A new president took office and the second Sci-Tech Oscar was awarded, along with other major prizes, but there were also plenty of inventions and topics for discussion.

Researchers in Zurich have reproduced Michelangelo¡¯s David as a miniature in metal. Their achievement highlights the potential of a special 3D printing method developed at ETH.

Florian Emaury, CEO and co-founder of Menhir Photonics, has a dream: to shake up the market with ultrafast lasers. The company¡¯s approach is based on reliable, robust, high-precision lasers ¨C and a strong presence both in the markets and on social media.

Anyone who wants to open a bank account or buy a mobile phone plan has to identify themselves to the respective service provider. The ETH spin-off PXL Vision has a simpler solution: just use an ID scan and a selfie video. Several companies are already using the new technology.

ETH researchers used a 3D printing process to produce complex and highly porous glass objects. The basis for this is a special resin that can be cured with UV light.

ETH spinoff FenX transforms industrial waste into a porous foam suitable for building insulation. Unlike other sustainable materials used for the purpose, this type of insulation is non-flammable and inexpensive to produce.

Self-driving cars, the automatic detection of cancer cells, online translation: deep learning makes it all possible. The ETH spin-off Mirage Technologies has developed a deep learning platform that aims to help start-ups and companies more quickly develop and optimise their products.

ETH spin-off Spectroplast has developed a method to make silicone products using a 3D printer. The young company now plans to bring to market customised medical products such as hearing aids, breast prosthesis for breast cancer patients and eventually even artificial heart valves.

Modern medicine is looking for markers that provide early warning of complex diseases. In its quest to discover these ¡°biomarkers¡±, the ETH spinoff Scailyte has developed software capable of analysing millions of single cells very efficiently.

Scientists at ETH Zurich and oil and gas company Total have developed a new catalyst that converts CO₂ and hydrogen into methanol. Offering realistic market potential, the technology paves the way for the sustainable production of fuels and chemicals.

To meet the soaring demand for sustainable protein, Lukas B?ni and his start-up company Planted are developing a plant-based meat substitute. Their first product is ¡®chicken¡¯ made from peas ¨C with both the texture and taste of poultry.

He was Switzerland¡¯s junior champion in Super-G and dreamed of becoming a professional skier. Today he no longer regrets after that shattered dream: as an ETH Pioneer Fellow, Thomas Zumbrunn develops a new method to fix bone fractures.

After completing a new round of capital investment on Thursday, the ETH spin-off GetYourGuide has now reached an estimated value of two billion Swiss francs. The travel guide platform is the university¡¯s first spin-off to gain the celebrated status of a unicorn.

About ten percent of all cancer patients suffer from lymphoedema, which produces swelling in the legs, arms and breasts. The ETH start-up Dicronis has developed an instrument for simple and early diagnosis of this medical condition. The young entrepreneurs behind the concept have been nominated for the ZKB Pioneer Prize.

ETH spin-off Archilyse promises nothing less than the ¡°world¡¯s most comprehensive architecture analysis¡± on its website. The young entrepreneurs are attracting a lot of interest in the real estate sector.

Raffaele Mezzenga, Sreenath Bolisetty and Qingrui Zhang have been awarded the Spark Award 2019 for their filter, which removes harmful fluoride from drinking water. Their invention gives people all over the world access to clean drinking water.

What makes an ETH education so good ¨C and what could make it even better? Rector Sarah Springman chatted to alumni Lorenz Meier and Kevin Sartori, founders of a drone software company.

As part of his master¡¯s project, the chemical engineer Mario Stucki developed a breathable, environmentally friendly membrane for rain jackets. With his colleague Anna Beltzung, he has since founded the spin-off Dimpora to market the membrane commercially.

He grew up in a clay house in West Africa. With his ETH spin-off Oxara, Gnanli Landrou is now developing a cement-free concrete made from clay-based excavation material. His goal is to help Africa and the rest of the world build affordable, sustainable houses.

ETH Zurich rethinks design in Davos during the World Economic Forum¡¯s Annual Meeting. Exhibiting cutting-edge materials and technologies, researchers show how innovative design can shape industries, economies, and ultimately the future.

Oskari Vinko and Maximilian Schulz produce software to automate life science laboratory processes, enabling machines to take over the laborious and time-consuming work so bioscientists can focus on the bigger challenges.

ETH Zurich can look back on an exceptionally good year for spin-offs: 27 companies were founded in 2018, more than any year previously. Financing rounds totalling over CHF 170 million and the listing of Sensirion on the stock exchange bear witness to the market success of ETH spin-offs.

Concern over the influence of machine learning in architecture is exaggerated, argues Adam Jasper. The challenge is not to oppose quantification, but to take charge of what is quantified.

Fixposition is an ETH spin-off specialising in real-time navigation systems for use in self-driving vehicles, robots or industrial drones. Using a combination of satellite-based positioning systems such as GPS with computer vision technologies, the young entrepreneurs have managed to achieve an unparalleled degree of precision.

Programming a robot: something most kids would love to do. ¡°RosieReality¡± makes it possible ¨C even if it¡¯s only in augmented reality. The ETH spin-off plans to use the new technology to teach young kids about programming and robotics.

ETH Alumni Lorenz Meier and Kevin Sartori, founders of drone software company, Auterion exceed even Silicon Valley¡¯s expectations for early investment ¡°seed¡± funding to prove initial business model.

A building made entirely of timber ¨C without playing with fire. How this works was demonstrated by one of the case studies at the ETH Industry Day 2018, the major annual exchange platform featuring industry and the university. The event attracted more than 500 attendees from the business community.

An adjustable shading system that adapts itself independently over the course of the day, without sensors or motors and largely maintenance-free? It really is possible: an ETH doctoral student at the Institute for Building Materials has developed an alternative to motor-driven sunshades.

Three ETH alumni have developed a 3D printer capable of manufacturing components from carbon fiber composites. Their ETH spin-off, 9T Labs, could bring a breakthrough for the manufacturing and utilization of extremely lightweight and strong parts.

The development economist Adina Rom is studying solar lighting in rural Kenya as part of her doctoral thesis at the Center for Development and Cooperation (NADEL) at ETH Zurich. She is also the founder of an ETH spin-off, Policy Analytics, whose goal is to assess the impact of social and environmental policies.

ETH Zurich archives cultural assets and makes them available to the public. At the same time, it makes an impact on Swiss culture like almost no other institution. ?

Cyberattacks pose a major risk for companies. ETH spin-off Exeon Analytics has developed a piece of software that uses big data to help companies protect themselves against data theft. The first licenses are expected to be sold in the coming weeks.

A research team led by microbiologist Tomas de Wouters has won the Spark Award 2018 for the development of artificial intestinal flora. With their ETH spin-off Pharmabiome, the scientists want to further develop their invention so that it can be used in the treatment of inflammatory intestinal diseases and infections.

Battery lifetime is an important issue in wearable devices. Ideally, they should always be ready to receive control signals without consuming a lot of power. Researchers at ETH Zurich have now developed a zero-power receiver for touch communication that harvests its energy directly from the signal.

ETH researchers have used a new approach to discover previously unknown interactions between proteins and small metabolic molecules in bacterial cells. The technique can also be used to test the effect of medications.

ETH engineers Vincent Martinez and Luca Hirt are on a mission: to make cables more durable and reliable. This could potentially lead to unbreakable headphone cables, shaking up an industry known for its slow pace of innovation.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new type of health-monitoring electrode that exhibits optimum adhesion to skin and can record high quality signals. Two young spin-off founders want to turn it into a marketable product as early as this year.

25 spin-offs were founded at ETH Zurich last year. This equals the previous year¡¯s record level for new ETH spin-offs. Digital transformation is a prominent factor in these new enterprises, with many spin-offs emerging from the area of digital technology and data science.

Digital fabrication techniques for buildings and breathtaking concrete roofs, a heart made of silicone, and a new degree programme in medicine; in 2017, teaching and research at ETH Zurich were characterised by new ventures and a pioneering spirit.

The ETH spin-off GratXray is working to improve precision in mammography. With the help of an innovative new device, breast cancer detection might not only become more accurate, but also painless. This is a revolutionary step in breast screening.

When he was young, Basil Weibel wanted to understand the world and solve problems. He went on to complete three degrees and to design an innovative drone. Today, he is CEO of ETH spin-off Wingtra ¨C and, according to Forbes, one of Europe¡¯s 30 most influential entrepreneurs under the age of 30 this year.

A new procedure simplifies wind tunnel tests and makes the results visible immediately. Athletes have gone up against the wind at ETH to test the new method.

In future, patients will be able to see the outcome of dental treatment even before the dentist starts working on their teeth. This is made possible by a ¡°virtual mirror¡± developed by Kapanu, an ETH spin-off.

The ETH spin-off SpinningBytes programs software that uses machine learning not only to analyse but also to understand huge amounts of data. It enables customised solutions to be developed for numerous IT problems, and allows new insights to be gained from previously unused data.

Neophytes ¨C invasive plants that are alien to the region ¨C are a huge burden on the public purse. The ETH spin-off ¡°In-Finitude¡± has set up a new online platform right on time for the growing season. This displays the locations of the invasive neophytes across Switzerland and offers support to landowners and local authorities in combatting them.

ETH spin-off Adaptricity has developed a piece of software that can be used to analyse the increasingly intelligent power grids. It will soon be put to the entrepreneurial test, with sales of software licences set to begin this autumn.