ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark

Empowering Swiss deep-tech spirit

Encouraging young entrepreneurs: this is the most important goal of the Pionierpreis. 

 

Every year, one particularly innovative, technology-driven start-up from Switzerland receives the prestigious award. The winning companies are about to enter the market with their novel product idea. Zürcher Kantonalbank, the largest Swiss cantonal bank, and the Foundation Technopark Zurich, a pioneer in technology transfer, are the sponsoring organizations of the award, which has been presented since 2001.

 

World-class start-ups, Swiss-made

Nowhere in the world are the conditions for innovation as favorable as in Switzerland.

Between 2012 and 2022, Switzerland has been continuously ranked number one among the 132 countries compared in the Global Innovation Index. In 2022, over four billion Swiss francs were invested in start-ups. The Pionierpreis, with CHF 100,000 in prize money, symbolizes this commitment to innovation that goes back to 2001.

World-class start-ups, Swiss-made

Nowhere in the world are the conditions for innovation as favorable as in Switzerland.

Between 2012 and 2022, Switzerland has been continuously ranked number one among the 132 countries compared in the Global Innovation Index. In 2022, over four billion Swiss francs were invested in start-ups. The Pionierpreis, with CHF 100,000 award sum, symbolizes this commitment to innovation since 2001.

Empowering Swiss innovation: the award ceremony 2023

The 22nd Pionierpreis Award Ceremony on May 31, 2023 took place in an unusually exuberant mood. The display stands of the three finalists MUVON Therapeutics, AgroSustain and Synthara AG were surrounded by many interested festive visitors both before the event began and after the award ceremony. Five other companies that had made it onto the shortlist also presented their business ideas in the foyer of Technopark Zurich. The actual ceremony in front of 300 invited guests was moderated by Tanya König from SRF. The first speaker was National Councilor Judith Bellaiche, executive director of Swico and co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary group Start-ups and Entrepreneurship. She said a successful startup ecosystem needs “the best talent from around the world, the best ideas and projects, and also good money for them to thrive. And: people who have a vision for the country, the vision of a pioneering nation.” Dr. Jörg Müller-Ganz, President of the Bank Council of Zürcher Kantonalbank, the sponsor of the ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark, then spoke about the impressive spectrum in which Zürcher Kantonalbank is committed to startups. This includes the six segments of universities, incubators, innovation hubs, ecosystem, startup and investors. The evening’s gripping keynote was presented by radio astronomer Professor Heino Falcke. “It Takes the World to Make the Invisible Visible” was the title of his talk with impressive visualizations that showed how a worldwide collaboration created a radio telescope that spanned the whole globe. Only in this way was it ultimately possible to make a black hole visible for the first time. The Pionierpreis was won by Synthara AG with its novel computer chip design. Professor Lothar Thiele, President of the Technopark Foundation, and Dr. Jörg Müller-Ganz presented the trophy and the symbolic check amid the thunder of the confetti cannon. Almost all the guests remained engaged in intense conversations for a long time during the aperitif riche.

If you are networked in the startup scene and interested in attending the event, please write to hc.kraponhcet@sierpreinoip to be added to the invitation list.

The 22nd Pionierpreis Award Ceremony on May 31, 2023 took place in an unusually exuberant mood. The display stands of the three finalists MUVON Therapeutics, AgroSustain and Synthara AG were surrounded by many interested festive visitors both before the event began and after the award ceremony. Five other companies that had made it onto the shortlist also presented their business ideas in the foyer of Technopark Zurich. The actual ceremony in front of 300 invited guests was moderated by Tanya König from SRF. The first speaker was National Councilor Judith Bellaiche, executive director of Swico and co-founder and co-chair of the parliamentary group Start-ups and Entrepreneurship. She said a successful startup ecosystem needs “the best talent from around the world, the best ideas and projects, and also good money for them to thrive. And: people who have a vision for the country, the vision of a pioneering nation.” Dr. Jörg Müller-Ganz, President of the Bank Council of Zürcher Kantonalbank, the sponsor of the ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark, then spoke about the impressive spectrum in which Zürcher Kantonalbank is committed to startups. This includes the six segments of universities, incubators, innovation hubs, ecosystem, startup and investors. The evening’s gripping keynote was presented by radio astronomer Professor Heino Falcke. “It Takes the World to Make the Invisible Visible” was the title of his talk with impressive visualizations that showed how a worldwide collaboration created a radio telescope that spanned the whole globe. Only in this way was it ultimately possible to make a black hole visible for the first time. The Pionierpreis was won by Synthara AG with its novel computer chip design. Professor Lothar Thiele, President of the Technopark Foundation, and Dr. Jörg Müller-Ganz presented the trophy and the symbolic check amid the thunder of the confetti cannon. Almost all the guests remained engaged in intense conversations for a long time during the aperitif riche.

If you are networked in the startup scene and interested in attending the event, please write to hc.kraponhcet@sierpreinoip to be added to the invitation list.

Winner of the Pionierpreis 2023: Synthara, Zug

The eight-member jury was particularly impressed by Synthara’s combination of social relevance and creative idea. The close connection between processor and memory, modeled on the biological brain, opens up entirely new perspectives for resource-saving information technology and helps to shape and control the rapid developments in the field of artificial intelligence, they said. The technology has the potential to improve efficiency and computing power in many devices, including wearables, smartphones, smartwatches, server farms, autonomous vehicles, drones, and cellular stations. Chip samples with the innovative design will be available in a few weeks. Manu V Nair, CEO and co-founder of Synthara, says, “We want people to follow us and understand what we are doing, why we are doing it and why it is so important and valuable. Winning the ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark gives us an excellent platform to bring this message to the world.”

News

Synthara wins the Pionierpreis 2023

Synthara AG from Zug receives the award, which is endowed with CHF 100,000. The University of Zurich spin-off is revolutionizing chip design and advancing this key industry in Switzerland. Co-finalists AgroSustain and MUVON Therapeutics each receive CHF 10,000.

Read More »

Synthara wins the Pionierpreis 2023

Synthara AG from Zug receives the award, which is endowed with CHF 100,000. The University of Zurich spin-off is revolutionizing chip design and advancing this key industry in Switzerland. Co-finalists AgroSustain and MUVON Therapeutics each receive CHF 10,000.

Read More »

Synthara wins the Pionierpreis 2023

Synthara AG from Zug receives the award, which is endowed with CHF 100,000. The University of Zurich spin-off is revolutionizing chip design and advancing this key industry in Switzerland. Co-finalists AgroSustain and MUVON Therapeutics each receive CHF 10,000.

Read More »

Gain recognition for your audacity