Startups Mars Habitat Challenge

Winner 2024

RoBoa, Zurich, Switzerland - The robotic revolution to go where nothing else can go!

Disaster relief efforts, for example, after earthquakes, lack technological solutions to quickly find and save victims trapped under debris. Existing solutions are not able to move in very confined, harsh, and dangerous unknown environments. In industrial inspection, human entry for inspection and maintenance is dangerous, while existing solutions struggle in winding, cluttered, sharp, or slippery environments.RoBoa overcomes these limitations with its cutting-edge, snake-like robot and goes where no humans or other robots can go! The modular robot combines growing-based locomotion with remarkable maneuverability, environment perception, and the possibility to supply liquids. RoBoa’s robotic innovation will transform disaster relief missions to save lives, explore unknown environments, and safely inspect industrial process pipes, sewers, and tanks.

Algorized, Etoy, Switzerland - Sensing and perception AI

Backed by years of academic research, Algorized enables a new world of sensing and positioning applications through a software-only upgrade to existing commodity sensors. Algorized platform uses proprietary algorithms to unlock a massive amount of data, enabling wearables-free positioning and people detection, capturing vital signs such as breathing and heart-rate anywhere, even through walls. Algorized software can be deployed on any Ultra-Wideband (UWB) radar chip with applications ranging from automotive, to security, to entertainment, to home health and beyond.

BTRY AG, Dübendorf, Switzerland - Solid-state Li-ion battery

BTRY aims to redefine the energy storage sector with its solid-state battery technology. Focusing on the IoT, consumer electronics, and aerospace sectors, our approach combines high energy density, superior temperature stability, and the ability to fast charge within one minute. By using a customizable monolithic thin-film stack, we offer unparalleled tunability of battery properties and form factors, while focusing on sustainability through our solvent-free manufacturing process.

irmos technologies AG, Zurich, Switzerland - Monitoring Infrastructure Health

Irmos Technologies is an award-winning ETH Spin-off aiming to maximize the safe operational life of existing buildings, bridges and critical infrastructure, based on sensor data and intelligent analytics. We enable owners of large portfolios of buildings and bridges to optimize maintenance costs and minimize risks of downtimes and collapses. Our solution translates vibrations generated by wind or traffic into structural health metrics for predictive maintenance planning. Our product is already applied in multiple real buildings and bridges and we collaborate with the best engineering offices in Switzerland. We foresee a profound application in extraterrestrial environments, where infrastructure is exposed to multiple hazards and its structural integrity is vital for the survival of humans, plants, and critical machinery. Getting the chance to test our system at the Hagerbach Test Gallery will provide us the chance to validate and improve performance under extreme excitation conditions.

Neology Hydrogen SA, Lutry, Switzerland - Revolutionizing Hydrogen Supply

Neology Hydrogen SA, co-founded by Aris Maroonian and Ruben Feldman, revolutionizes the hydrogen energy sector with our groundbreaking green ammonia cracking technology. Our innovation lies in efficiently converting ammonia into high-purity hydrogen, crucial for applications in transportation, including heavy-duty vehicles, and industrial processes. By cracking ammonia (NH3) into hydrogen (H2) and nitrogen (N2), and then purifying H2 through advanced separation techniques, we offer a sustainable, emission-free hydrogen supply. This process specifically caters to the transportation and heavy industries, addressing challenges in hydrogen storage and distribution, and paving the way for a cleaner, greener future.

Winner 2023

Aura System srl, Milan, Italy - Italy's first breathing green wall

Aura specializes in developing "breathing" green walls that effectively eliminate a wide range of unhealthy and dangerous pollutants commonly found in closed environments. With a commitment to using natural elements, Aura's walls ensure high sustainability and circularity throughout the product's entire life cycle. Designed to seamlessly integrate with indoor environments, Aura's walls provide many physical and mental benefits to occupants, including CO2 and volatile organic compound absorption, noise reduction, and positive interactions with plants. This energy-efficient solution also holds immense potential for reducing emissions in large buildings as Aura believes that biotechnologies are essential tools for environmental transition, offering greater efficiency than mechanical solutions with the potential for zero environmental impact. The company's vision is to bring greenery to urban areas and harness the potential of biological systems which also have a natural connection with human beings.

Hexem SA, Le Châble, Switzerland - High performance biogas

Hexem has minaturized wastewater treatment. Our technology allows the recovery of biogas and clean water. It is at least 20x smaller than traditional technologies, which allows deployment on Mars. Hexem's technology does not require oxygen, a scarce resource on Mars.On Earth, industries producing high strength wastewater have an incentive to treat their wastewater by saving treatment costs and producing carbon neutral biogas. Hexem’s main users are in the food and beverage industries such as dairies, breweries, wineries and others.Hexem has developed a TRL 5 prototype which removes organic matter from wastewater up to 20 kg/m³/day while producing pure biogas. Five potential clients, engineering firms and dairy companies, have signed letters of interest. Hexem is incorporated in Valais, Switzerland. The co-founders Michael Siegert (CEO) and Miroslava Varničić (CTO) are currently scaling the technology with the help of the team of professor Jan van Herle at the EPFL. Our long term vision is to rent out mobile Hexem Systems.

SEPARATIC, Fribourg, Switzerland

SEPARATIC develops a novel membrane design where adsorbent material is incorporated into the membrane. One of the gases in the mixture will interact with an adsorbent and stick to it while the other one(s) will pass through. This design can be used for direct capture of CO2 from the air or the emissions sources. The concept has already been tested this concept on the lab scale and has obtained initial successful results. The idea is to put these membranes in a module in series and run air (or any potential gas) through it. For instance, CO2 in the air will stick to the adsorbent material while N2 and O2 will pass freely. After capacity has been reached, the CO2 can be released back by simple heating under a vacuum, and the system can be reused again. Captured CO2 will be put back into the economy to contribute carbon cycle and possess an additional value.

Stat Peel, Glarus, Switzerland - Material Selective Detection System

Stat Peel is a Swiss manufacturer of a material-selective aerosol detection system which uses the latest sensor, wireless and data analytics technology to protect people and facilities from potentially harmful contamination. Our easy-to-use system monitors human exposure to airborne particles so companies can use novel nanomaterials with peace of mind. Though originally designed to monitor CNTs and graphene, the Identifier system is also able to detect different types of minerals, metal oxides and polymer particles specifically among harmless background particles.

UMAMI, Zurich, Switzerland - Inspired by Nature

Changing climate, land and water scarcity pose an incremental challenge to feeding a continuously growing world population. At Umami, we are determined that food can be sustainably produced, even in non-conducive or extreme environments. To this end, we built an aquaponic, vertical farm located in the heart of Zürich. With a permacultural approach, we created an ecosystem with a diverse set of organisms living in synergy, while utilizing all advantages of traditional vertical farming. Each of these organisms contributes to the ecosystem by transforming waste products into a resource for other species. As a result, we created a well-balanced environment so abundant in nutrients that we do not need to add external resources such as fertilizers, artificial pesticides, or antibiotics.

Winner 2022

SoHHytec SA, Lausanne, Switzerland - Solar Fuel, the smarter way.

SoHHytec provides onsite renewable Fuel (Hydrogen), Electricity and Heat production and storage systems which is cost-effective, cleaner and greener. SoHHytec's Technology is based on a concentrated integrated-photoelectrochemical approach. The "Arb's Pod" is an advanced system which utilizes the incoming concentrated sunlight to produce fuel, electricity and heat at the same time, achieving system efficiency as high as 70%. 

We look forward to working together on the proof of concept.

Swoxid, Lausanne, Switzerland

SWOXID developed a gravitational solar-thermal water purifier, which filters and sterilizes contaminated water with sunlight. It does not require electricity, nor dosage of chemical agents to provide the sterilization effect.

Open-ATS, Zurich, Switzerland

Efficient autonomous local transport solutions by offering a scalable 3D printed ground vehicle by Open-ATS.

Mixteresting GmbH, Leonding, Austria

Mixteresting AI designs and optimizes concrete mixtures for special use cases. Through their  discoveries you can develop better mixtures in a fast and simple way.

LYS Technologies, Copenhagen, Denmark

Enabling healthier living with light and making it available for everyone. Created by LYS Technologies.

Winner 2021

ANYbotics AG, Zurich, Switzerland

Autonomous robots for industrial inspection. ANYbotics end-to-end robotic solution automates industrial inspections. The robots provide plant operators the information to maximize equipment uptime and improve safety while reducing costs.

Medusoil SA, Lausanne, Switzerland

Mineralizing carbon underground. Medusoil developed a containerised, patented, technology to produce high-quality, environmentally friendly liquid solution, for minimally invasive soil injections.

MOBBOT SA, Fribourg, Switzerland

Digitalization of shotcrete processes. MOBBBOT have demonstrated that collecting data during spraying operations allow to optimize the process and the quality of the shotcrete, thanks to the monitoring of the time sessions, the consumption of concrete, accelerator and air, and the evaluation of the operators’ performance.

NEMATX AG, Zurich, Switzerland

Industrial 3D Printing Beyond Limits. NematX developt an industrial 3DP platform based on their proprietary “Nematic 3DP Technology”. They are pioneering the use of liquid crystal polymers for additive manufacturing. In combination with proprietary part design algorithms and high-precision 3DP hardware, NematX can offer the combination of part performance & manufacturing precision required for industrial production.

YASAI, Zurich, Switzerland

THE FUTURE IS VERTICAL. GROW MORE WITH LESS. YASAI build and manage vertical farms based on circular economy to transform food systems.