With an increase of 44% in invested capital and a breakthrough of the CHF 3 billion mark, the Swiss start-up scene has made an impressive comeback after the slight decline in 2020 – with records in trade sales, IPOs and new fund – this is one of the results of the 10th edition of Swiss Venture Capital Report from startupticker.ch (p. 26-28)

Together, start-ups from the two Basel cantons generated 50.7% of the total amount of venture capital invested in Swiss biotechs. Most of the money in the this sector went to canton Basel-Stadt.

Nevertheless: with a total financing sum of 78.5 million 2021 Basel-Landschaft shows an upward trend over the past few years (compared to Berne with 36 and St. Gallen with 56 million).

Altogether 24 startups from the Basel Area profited from a total of 355 financing rounds carried out last year, 9 of them by the canton Baselland. Among them are different investors, f.e. HEMEX being very active in the Swiss life sciences sector (early stage to growth, see picture), and very innovative young entreprises (from biotech, medtech, ICT, micro/nano):

Accroma Labtec (a company based in Muttenz) has succeeded in developing a simple system for automated sample preparation, which is, works very fast and has solved known problems. A pre-Series A round was 2021 funded by a diversified group of new investors as well as all current shareholders. To upscale business development, the startup has participated in several programs and accelerators including inQbator’s Ignite Program, Swiss Innovation Challenge, Swiss Healthcare Start-ups Booster Program and “100 fürs Baselbiet” sponsored by BLKB.

Alentis Therapeutics has developed a unique therapeutic approach focusing on inhibiting Claudin-1 outside the tight junction and its downstream signalling acting on cell fate and plasticity. It secured gross proceeds of CHF60 million from its financing round. The company is headquartered at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area in Allschwil and has been supported by the BaseLaunch initiative.

Avrion Therapeutics (also located in Allschwil) is developing its first product as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND). (It is listed in Swiss Venture Capital Report with any details about the investors.)

Inura Medical (based at the HEMEX incubator in Liestal) is developing solutions aimed at improving women’s health. Its first product, the “intraurethral ovulum” is a first-of-its-kind solution that utilizes a novel route of drug administration to treat diseases of the bladder and lower urinary tract. To finalise its pre-clinical activities, the startup has raised fresh capital from undisclosed investors.

Opterion Health AG (which has moved to the 5^th Floor in Muttenz last year) is a preclinical Swiss medtech company, developing the first novel solution for peritoneal dialysis (PD) has concluded an oversubscribed round raising EUR 8.4m bridge financing round.

Synendos Therapeutics, the biopharmaceutical company (also based in Allschwil, see picture) is developing a new class of small molecules aimed at restoring the natural functioning of the endocannabinoid system in the brain with the potential for treating a wide range of Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders. The startup got a total amount of CHF 24 million capital (Series A financing) by a syndicate of European investors.

Typewise (ICT) the deeptech startup behind the popular privacy-focused honeycomb smartphone keyboard app (which is located in Binningen), has raised €1.7 million from more than 650 investors, in a successful crowdfunding campaign run on the Seedrs platform (see picture on the left).

U-Sana Medical AG from Oberwil developed an innovative, easy-to-use, CPM device with an appealing design for rapid regeneration following hallux valgus surgery. The medical-technology firm successfully closed a major financing round in 2021.

Kathrin Cuomo-Sachsse, communication startup baselland