Venture Kick

Venture Kick is a private philanthropic initiative based in Zurich, Switzerland, founded in 2007 to support Swiss startups at the pre-seed stage. It provides up to 150,000 Swiss francs in funding and offers structured entrepreneurial training aimed at developing sustainable businesses. Entrepreneurs participate in a competitive process, pitching their ideas up to three times for increasing funding amounts, while receiving valuable feedback from expert juries. To date, Venture Kick has supported 600 startup projects with a total of 24.9 million francs, leading to the incorporation of 454 active companies that have created over 6,000 jobs and attracted approximately 2.49 billion francs in subsequent investments. Companies founded by Venture Kick alumni have notably achieved significant recognition, with 55 percent of the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award in 2018 represented by these ventures. In 2019, the initiative aimed to allocate 4.35 million francs to support idea-stage projects, facilitating the transition of Swiss scientific innovations to global markets.

Beat Schillig

Founder

Past deals in Chemical

CellX Biosolutions

Pre Seed Round in 2025
CellX Biosolutions specializes in sustainable chemical waste management. It offers services such as custom bacterial community biodiscovery and optimization, biodegradability studies, and deployment using microfluidic devices. The company helps industries treat pollutants like PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics, and enables chemical and pharmaceutical producers to manage their waste efficiently and sustainably.

CellX Biosolutions

Grant in 2024
CellX Biosolutions specializes in sustainable chemical waste management. It offers services such as custom bacterial community biodiscovery and optimization, biodegradability studies, and deployment using microfluidic devices. The company helps industries treat pollutants like PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics, and enables chemical and pharmaceutical producers to manage their waste efficiently and sustainably.

plasNifix

Grant in 2023
PlasNifix is a technology company that has developed a novel process for nitrogen fixation, using plasma assistance to enable the production of ammonia and other nitrogen-containing compounds at lower temperatures and with significantly less energy. This innovative method relies on proprietary catalysts and plasma generators, facilitating a more efficient and sustainable production process that can help agricultural and fertilizer industries reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

Biosimo Chemicals

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Biosimo is a chemical engineering start-up focused on producing bio-based platform chemicals through innovative processes. The company aims to develop sustainable chemicals by utilizing advanced catalytic reactions and purification techniques. Its flagship technology replaces traditional production methods of acetic acid, which typically rely on coal and gas, with a novel approach that uses ethanol derived from biomass and waste. This shift not only supports the chemical, pharmaceutical, and material industries but also provides a direct alternative to fossil-based resources, promoting a more sustainable chemical production landscape.

Biosimo Chemicals

Grant in 2022
Biosimo is a chemical engineering start-up focused on producing bio-based platform chemicals through innovative processes. The company aims to develop sustainable chemicals by utilizing advanced catalytic reactions and purification techniques. Its flagship technology replaces traditional production methods of acetic acid, which typically rely on coal and gas, with a novel approach that uses ethanol derived from biomass and waste. This shift not only supports the chemical, pharmaceutical, and material industries but also provides a direct alternative to fossil-based resources, promoting a more sustainable chemical production landscape.

Bloom Biorenewables

Grant in 2020
Bloom Biorenewables Ltd is a Swiss company founded in 2019, focused on developing technology that transforms wood and agricultural waste into renewable materials as alternatives to petroleum. The company specializes in creating bio-based materials for the chemical industry, targeting various markets including fragrances, plastics, and textiles. By introducing innovative production methods for biorenewable products and fuels, Bloom Biorenewables aims to provide sustainable solutions that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to climate change mitigation.

Bloom Biorenewables

Convertible Note in 2019
Bloom Biorenewables Ltd is a Swiss company founded in 2019, focused on developing technology that transforms wood and agricultural waste into renewable materials as alternatives to petroleum. The company specializes in creating bio-based materials for the chemical industry, targeting various markets including fragrances, plastics, and textiles. By introducing innovative production methods for biorenewable products and fuels, Bloom Biorenewables aims to provide sustainable solutions that reduce reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to climate change mitigation.

Synple Chem

Grant in 2016
Synple Chem AG, based in Zurich, Switzerland, specializes in the development of automated reagent cartridge-based synthesizers designed to enhance the efficiency of chemical synthesis in laboratories, particularly for drug discovery. Founded in 2016, the company offers products such as Synple 1 and Synple 2, which utilize innovative reagent capsules to streamline the synthesis of molecules. This technology allows researchers with basic chemistry knowledge to rapidly synthesize organic compounds in a fully automated manner, significantly reducing the need for manual measuring and weighing of components. By addressing the limitations of traditional chemical synthesis, Synple Chem's solutions enable faster reaction times and facilitate the advancement of drug research, ultimately accelerating the development of new medicines.

CyanoGuard

Grant in 2016
CyanoGuard AG is a Swiss chemical technology company established in 2016, focused on advancing methods for cyanide detection across various sectors, including mining, environmental monitoring, food safety, and healthcare. The company specializes in providing innovative solutions such as CyanoKit, a semi-quantitative cyanide test, and CyanoGuard, a mobile quantitative monitoring test. Additionally, it offers Cyano.iO, an online monitoring and optimization platform. CyanoGuard's technology is designed to deliver fast and safe cyanide detection in diverse samples, requiring no specialized training or equipment. With over six years of collaboration with industry partners, the company aims to address cyanide-related challenges effectively, ensuring reliable monitoring and compliance in different settings.

CyanoGuard

Grant in 2015
CyanoGuard AG is a Swiss chemical technology company established in 2016, focused on advancing methods for cyanide detection across various sectors, including mining, environmental monitoring, food safety, and healthcare. The company specializes in providing innovative solutions such as CyanoKit, a semi-quantitative cyanide test, and CyanoGuard, a mobile quantitative monitoring test. Additionally, it offers Cyano.iO, an online monitoring and optimization platform. CyanoGuard's technology is designed to deliver fast and safe cyanide detection in diverse samples, requiring no specialized training or equipment. With over six years of collaboration with industry partners, the company aims to address cyanide-related challenges effectively, ensuring reliable monitoring and compliance in different settings.

SwissBlot

Grant in 2014
SwissBlot develops a method to extract chemicals from plants efficiently and provides a cost-competitive solution to substitute crude oil in products such as adhesives and coating.

DynaDes

Grant in 2012
At DynaDes, they design pre-clinical drugs using innovative and proven, proprietary computational methods that account for protein dynamics and solvation effects. Combined with their in-house designed compound libraries and synthesis resources, their unique approach is remarkably efficient in generating novel, highly selective and potent drug candidates. From the target definition up to clinical stage entry, DynaDes focuses on a streamlined approach to provide patented compounds addressing unmet medical needs. Their current pipeline of products target the ATP-binding and allosteric sites of protein kinases, epigenetic targets and protein-protein interaction sites of proteins implicated in cancer. The particular selectivity of their compounds, coupled with their potency, solubility and toxicity profiles, renders them attractive for further development by their partner companies.

DynaDes

Grant in 2012
At DynaDes, they design pre-clinical drugs using innovative and proven, proprietary computational methods that account for protein dynamics and solvation effects. Combined with their in-house designed compound libraries and synthesis resources, their unique approach is remarkably efficient in generating novel, highly selective and potent drug candidates. From the target definition up to clinical stage entry, DynaDes focuses on a streamlined approach to provide patented compounds addressing unmet medical needs. Their current pipeline of products target the ATP-binding and allosteric sites of protein kinases, epigenetic targets and protein-protein interaction sites of proteins implicated in cancer. The particular selectivity of their compounds, coupled with their potency, solubility and toxicity profiles, renders them attractive for further development by their partner companies.

SpiroChem

Grant in 2011
SpiroChem AG is a Swiss fine chemicals company based in Basel, specializing in the design, synthesis, production, and commercialization of novel building blocks for drug discovery. Founded in 2011, SpiroChem provides a diverse range of chemical entities, including bicyclo[1.1.1]pentanes, cubanes, oxetanes, spirocycles, and various other molecular fragments, tailored to support pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and life science sectors. The company leverages advanced drug design expertise and proprietary process chemistry technologies to enhance the capabilities of its clients in accelerating drug discovery and optimizing lead compounds. SpiroChem's extensive portfolio and associated services enable medicinal chemists to improve the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties of compounds, thereby facilitating the development of more effective drugs. Its global client base includes many leading pharmaceutical companies, reflecting SpiroChem's reputation as a preferred partner in the industry.

ACL Instruments

Grant in 2008
ACL Instruments AG specializes in the development and commercialization of solutions for assessing and predicting oxidative stability in organic compounds and product formulations. Founded in 2008 as a spin-off from the Bern University of Applied Sciences, the company offers precision instruments and software designed for chemiluminescence-based analysis of oxidative reactions. Their products and services cater to various industries, including polymers, coatings, adhesives, fuels, natural products, and pharmaceuticals. Additionally, ACL Instruments provides experimental characterization, kinetic analysis, and customized services aimed at stability prediction and quality assurance. Based in Kerzers, Switzerland, ACL Instruments AG operates as a subsidiary of ReseaChem GmbH, focusing on delivering innovative solutions that help clients determine the longevity and safety of their products.
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