Technology Transfer News

With its extraordinary X-ray optics, XRNanotech GmbH, PSI's latest spin-off, was able to convince the jury of the "Business Incubation Centre (BIC) of CERN Technologies" programme of Park Innovaare and prevail over the other finalists. As the winner of this programme, the start-up will receive CHF 50,000 as well as further support from the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, CERN and PSI.

Araris, one of PSIs youngest spin-offs, today announced that they have successfully closed a CHF 15.2M seed round with a group of previous and new investors. The funds raised will allow the further development of the ADC linker technology licensed out by PSI and hopefully identify potent drug candidates.

Dr. Philipp Spycher, CEO of Araris Biotech AG began his entrepreneurial endeavors with the PSI Founder Fellowship that helped kick-start his ideas of building a business around the technology that he helped to develop at PSI.

PSI applauds this development and looks forward to a bright future for Araris.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020, from 13:30 to 18:00

Empa, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf  (Participation possible on site OR via Zoom)

Online registration: www.empa-akademie.ch/technology

The conference series aims at informing our industry and business partners about pressing issues of practical relevance. Speakers representing CSEM, Empa, PSI and industry will cover a well-balanced and practice-oriented overview of the latest technologies. The event also provides a platform for knowledge sharing and exchange of experiences, allowing the identification of potential cooperation and further innovation.

Several months have now passed since the new technology transfer centre "ANAXAM" was founded. Under the management of Dr. Christian Grünzweig and in close cooperation with PSI, ANAXAM is on the road to success for industry - time for a brief review.

Debio 1124 - a compound developed at PSI and out-licensed to the Swiss company Debiopharm - is being tested in a clinical phase I study in patients with small cell lung cancer, as Debiopharm has published in a press release. The peptide binds highly specifically to proteins found on tumour cells in this type of cancer. If Debio 1124 is coupled to a nuclide, it can be used both to detect the tumour with imaging procedures and therapeutically to destroy the tumour cells bound in this way.

Since the ground-breaking ceremony for the Park Innovaare last November, the construction of the new Innovation Park has been progressing at a rapid pace. Research and industry will work closely together there to bring innovations to market. The new building should be ready for occupancy by the end of 2023.

Although Switzerland is championed as a world leader at innovation, it is less celebrated for its start-up culture. Does the country have what it takes to produce, finance and nurture the technology of the future? A new documentary explores that question. Our spin-off Gaia Membranes talks about their experiences as a swiss startup.

One year following its incorporation, ELDICO Scientific, benefitting from research and development cooperations with the PSI, has successfully closed a seed funding round. The company raised almost CHF 1.5 million from private and institutional investors, BERNINA BioInvest, several industry-savvy private investors, the Aargauische Kantonalbank (AKB) and Venture Kick. ELDICO will be launching the first electron diffractometer specially designed for nano-crystallographic research.

The PSI Fellow Florian Döring (PostDoc in the «Photon Science» Division) receives Venture Kick's second stage of pre-seed funding, network support, and entrepreneurial training.