The TOP Swiss Robotics Startups 2021

Robots and drones combine science and engineering to automate many of our tasks. Learn more about the eight TOP 100 startups that impressed the TOP 100 Jury and the public with their innovative robotics solutions that make workplace processes safer and more efficient and provide more accurate results.

The TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award showcases the most promising Swiss startups. The annual ranking 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 less than five years old and show the greatest commercial potential. The first-placed company gets 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 can cast one vote and choose the most promising startup per vertical.
 
In 2021, eight robotics startups impressed the TOP 100 Jury and the public the most and were among the TOP 100 Swiss Startups:



7. Wingtra 
Wingtra is an ETH spin-off that develops vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) mapping drones with high-resolution cameras for surveying applications. The drones of the Zurich-based startup are used in over 80 countries on all continents and result in survey times up to 80% faster than ground methods or quadcopter drones. Industries such as mining, construction, research, agriculture, urban, and spatial planning benefit from the powerful surveying robots to measure and evaluate large areas. 

15. ANYbotics 
The four-legged walking robot from ANYbotics moves autonomously and can also overcome steps and stairs. The target markets are the energy, raw materials, and chemical industries. Last December, lead investor Swisscom Ventures, together with international partners, invested CHF 20 million in the ETH spin-off as part of a Series A financing round.

46. Tinamu Labs 
The ETH spin-off’s turnkey solution for drone-based inspections consists of a dashboard, analysis software, and a hardware-independent navigation system. A year ago, the Tinamu Labs founding team secured CHF 1.1 million in a seed round. Since then, the well-known Swiss-American serial founder Alex Fries has joined the board of directors.

49. Dufour Aerospace 
Valais startup Dufour Aerospace develops vertical take-off and landing tilt-wing aircraft with electric or hybrid propulsion. The Aero-2 cargo drones, which can transport loads of up to 40 kg, should be ready for the market by 2023. The second product—the crewed Aero-3 drone taxi—is scheduled to enter the market in 2025.

60. Auterion 
Three out of four flying robots take off, fly, and land with the open-source software from Zurich-based Auterion. The PX4 operating system is considered as Android for drones and is also used by the American armed forces: The Pentagon decided last autumn that the US Army’s unarmed camera drones must run on PX4. CEO Lorenz Meier spoke to Handelszeitung of a breakthrough.

68. Voliro 
Thanks to a unique rotor system, the drone from ETH spin-off Voliro not only flies and sees but can also manipulate its surroundings. In addition, the 360° design of the Voliro platform enables the inspection of flat, curved, and inclined surfaces for the first time. To accelerate the development to market readiness, the finalist of the Swiss Technology Award 2020 collected CHF 2 million in a seed round.

78. Flybotix 
The EPFL spin-off builds inspection drones that operate within industrial facilities and areas that are difficult to access. Thanks to an electromagnetic drive system with only two propellers, the Flybotix drone can stay in the air for twice as long as its competitors. Customers come from the construction, energy, chemical, and raw materials industries. In April, Flybotix received milestone financing of CHF 1 million from its existing investors.

87. Fixposition 
Fixposition produces centimeter-accurate real-time navigation systems for drones, autonomous cars, and robots. The ETH spin-off links signals from satellite-based positioning systems with image-recognition algorithms. The technology from Schlieren is used in many applications, including Adore, the new, self-driving delivery shuttle for goods and meals on the EPFL campus in Ecublens.

Public Voting: Voliro 
Voliro was flying extra high at the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2021: The Zurich-based startup was chosen as a TOP 100 Swiss Startup by both the expert jury and the public! For more information, see the description above.