The 6 most promising Swiss robotics startups of 2023, according to investors

The 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups are picked by a panel of 100 leading investors and industry experts and are revealed at the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award. This year, Robotics has 6 representative startups in the TOP 100. From streamlining manufacturing processes to redefining robot reprogramming, their innovative solutions aim to revolutionize industries such as inspection, surveillance, and automation by deploying advanced technologies. Let's find out together who they are.

The annual ranking of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups has become a benchmark in Switzerland’s startup ecosystem — and beyond. Every year, a panel of 100 leading investors and startup experts chooses the 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups. Each jury member nominates 10 Swiss startups that are fewer than five years old and show the greatest commercial potential. The first-placed company receives 10 points, the second nine points, and so on. The individual rankings are compiled to generate the final TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award ranking. In parallel, the TOP 100 Public Voting allows everyone with a LinkedIn account to cast one vote and choose the most promising startup per vertical.


Discover the 6 robotics startups that impressed the TOP 100 Jury and the public the most with their innovative solutions.





Flybotix, #16
There are places where people do not want to be sent on a patrol – or space does not allow it. Flybotix’s drone, which measures just 39 cm, allows sewers, silos, mines, or ship areas to be inspected without endangering human life. The world’s first indoor inspection drone with magnetic levitation propulsion and only two rotors is complemented by an app and software. The EPFL startup raised new capital of CHF 5.5 million at the end of 2022.

Tinamu Labs, #33
Founded in 2018, the ETH spin-off sells remote-controlled inspection systems for interior and exterior use. At the start of 2023, the Zurich company entered a partnership with Geneva-based Cotecna, a global player in the inspection industry, with the joint goal of digitalising raw material warehouses. Today, inventories in bulk storage facilities, such as metal ores, rice, and fertilisers, are estimated manually; in future, this data will be collected by sensor-equipped drones. Market entry is planned in the Benelux countries.

Ascento, #41 + Public Voting winner
The surveillance of large company premises is personnel-intensive and since there is a lack of skilled workers in the security industry, robots are a sought-after alternative. Startup Ascento has deployed its first two-wheeled, extremely all-terrain electronic monitor at security company Securitas as a robot-as-a-service (RaaS). The device detects security issues, generates reports and communicates with a backup operator via a live feed.

Sevensense Robotics, #46
Sevensense’s navigation solution is based on more than 15 years of research and aims to make service robots autonomous. The control software lets robots collect and evaluate data about the environment in real-time, so, for example, they can make decisions about overcoming obstacles themselves. The ETH spin-off’s technology will be integrated into ABB’s latest generation of autonomous mobile robots from Q3 2023.

Voliro, #49
Following the launch of its acrobatic drones in Europe and North America in the autumn of 2022, Voliro has signed RaaS contracts with three major US inspection providers, which use drones for the maintenance of infrastructure at height. In addition to visual measurements, the flight inspection robot can also take thermal and contact-based measurements. Production of the ETH spin-off’s drones is in full swing.

AICA, #74
AICA’s software simplifies the reprogramming of robots. Reinforcement learning and close-loop force control give the robots the ability to adapt independently to new tasks. Target markets are the automotive, medical technology and food processing sectors. In March, the Vaud-based company closed a financing round of CHF 1.2 million, with investors including German automotive supplier Schaeffler.

The 13th edition of the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2023 celebrated Switzerland's best startups. Discover the cleantech startups and all the details in the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Magazine 2023 or follow the hashtag #TOP100SSU on Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram for impressions.