The most promising Swiss Engineering startups and scale-ups of 2024, 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, the Engineering sector has 15 representative startups in the TOP 100 Swiss startup ranking (including 1 in the TOP 10 and 4 in the scale-up ranking). We have also talked with investment expert Hervé Liboureau about the sector insights. Learn more about these Engineering companies on the frontline of technological advancements.

 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. They assign 10 points for the first place and one point for the tenth place. The companies with the most points make it into the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Ranking.

Startup Microcaps has developed a technology that enables active ingredients to be packaged in microscopically small capsules with precise release control. The push into ever smaller dimensions is one of the megatrends in engineering, alongside additive manufacturing, digitalization and the circular economy. Corintis is working on cooling systems for high-performance chips, and Seprify focuses on the use of natural raw materials: the Fribourg-based company extracts ingredients such as pigments and texturisers from cellulose. “For an engineering startup to breakthrough, it must have a very good knowledge of the needs of the target market,” comments investment expert Hervé Liboureau from Alpana Ventures. This requires a team with experienced managers and VCs with good networks.



Discover the 15 Engineering startups that impressed the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award Jury in 2024:

Corintis, #2
Corintis provides silicon-based microfluidic cooling solutions that extract heat from chips 10x more effectively and with 50x higher energy efficiency than traditional methods. Its technology channels liquid through microscopic passages, significantly enhancing performance and efficiency, crucial for future high-performance computing.

Microcaps, #21
today’s industrial microencapsulation techniques do not allow any control over the capsule size, leading to uncontrolled release profiles. Microcaps' unique technique enables the industrial production of size-controlled microcapsules while offering precise dosing, controlled release properties, and increased stability, all of which are 1000x faster than state-of-the-art processes.

Seprify, #25
Seprify provides businesses with plant-based ingredients to enable them to make safe and sustainable product formulations and work towards a circular economy. 

Isochronic, #30
Isochronic develops software-driven pick & place robots, which enable simultaneous parts transports for the first time. Its multiple award-winning technology multiplies the throughput, increases flexibility, lowers factory floorspace and enables significant energy savings for global manufacturers.

Synthara, #38
Synthara's mission is to enable a future where artificial intelligence is ubiquitous by developing next-generation processing systems that are orders of magnitude faster and energy efficient while ensuring they are easy to use and integrate for its customers.

BTRY, #52
The Engineering startup BRTRY aims to redefine the world of energy storage by developing an energy-dense solid-state battery that can be charged in one minute.

Antefil Composite Tech, #54
Antefil Composite Tech offers a more cost-efficient and cleaner way to produce lightweight components for applications in mobility, transport, energy and sports goods. Its patented technology allows the production of glass fibres that are individually coated with a meltable, recyclable plastic.

apheros, #58
apheros provides metal foam cooling solutions. It has a patent-pending, easily scalable manufacturing route for metal foams with unique cooling properties. Its foams have excellent wicking and bubble transport properties, they are mechanically stable and pleasing to touch - not a given for metal foams.

Noriware, #65
As a material science company, Noriware leverages advanced processing technologies to develop innovative seaweed-based solutions for packaging and a multitude of plastic products.

Nu Glass, #66
By structuring the metallic coating with a laser, Nu Glass' solution makes the glazing transparent to mobile phone frequencies. The Engineering startup offers an onsite service of laser treatment to railway companies and building owners to solve poor mobile phone coverage.

Almer Technologies, #69
To increase worker productivity by 10% (e.g. for documentation and processing of checklists), the Engineering startup Almer has developed AR glasses which allow hands-free operation, long-wearing times personal eyeglass correction, and foldable temples.

OceanSafe, #73
OceanSafe is a textile technology company for circular, biodegradable and toxin-free textiles. It helps brands and retailers develop and manufacture fully circular textiles.

DPhi Space, #78
DPhi Space is on a mission to extend Earth's capabilities beyond its limits by developing the infrastructure for a spacefaring civilization.

qCella, #91
qCella disrupts the well-established and high-potential market of electrically powered heated products with easily shape-customizable, flexible and paper-thin heating mats.

irmos technologies, #92
The Engineering startup aims to maximize the safe operational life of existing buildings and bridges through democratizing structural health monitoring.

Winner of the public voting

The TOP 100 Public Voting runs parallel to the expert jury rankings and highlights 1 outstanding Swiss startup in the Engineering sector. All startups that are no older than five years and listed on startup.ch are eligible to participate. Each person with a LinkedIn profile has one vote, and the company with the most votes win. The TOP 100 Public Voting Engineering winner in 2024 is Onocoy Services.

Swiss engineering scale-up ranking 2024

The TOP 100 Swiss Scale-up Ranking includes companies that are between 5 and 10 years old and have the greatest potential to become future Swiss unicorns. A growth jury of 25 investors selects the TOP 100 Swiss Scale-ups: Each jury member names five scale-ups and awards points similar to the startup ranking. Companies with the most points secure a spot in the TOP 100 Scale-up Ranking. Discover the 4 engineering startups that impressed the scale-up jury in 2024:

• ecorobotix
• 9T Labs
• CREAL
• Nexxiot

The 14th edition of the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2024 celebrated Switzerland's most promising startups. Discover the engineering startups and all other startups in the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Magazine 2024 or follow the hashtag #TOP100SSU on Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram for insights.