EPFL’s pioneers shone once again at the 15th edition of Startup Champions Seed Night, held at EPFL’s Rolex Learning Center. Twenty early-stage startups were invited to pitch in 90-second pitches. The evening also featured a discussion with Pierre Baqué of Neural Concept on scaling technology from Switzerland. In another rich Seed Night Story, Florent Héroguel, cofounder of Bloom Biorenewables, reflected on the journey behind a breakthrough Swiss cleantech company.
The Startup Champions Seed Night is one of the key events in the startup scene in Western Switzerland. The event is organized by EPFL Alumni, the EPFL Vice Presidency for Innovation and Venturelab. The 15th edition once again drew a full house, with a large audience of over 500 people spread between the Rolex Forum and the live broadcast.
This year, 20 start-ups pitched once again in four groups. From cleantech to medtech, or healthcare IT technology, the audience discovered the best of the early-stage startups from EPFL and beyond. The full list can be found on the EPFL Alumni website. Four startups made it to the grande finale:
OptiZone develops on-field solutions to predict muscle and joint injury risks, enabling personalized mitigation strategies.
OrthoSens makes orthopedic recovery objective and measurable. They transform standard implants into smart devices using battery-free, ultra-thin sensors powered externally. Surgeons get real-time recovery insights, patients recover with confidence and hospitals reduce complications without surgical workflow changes.
Dexterous Endoscopes builds variable stiffness endoscopes that let surgeons reach hard-to-access anatomy and then lock shape for stable, precise treatment. This technology makes minimally invasive procedures faster, safer, and more effective across ENT and urology.
CaptuREE: The e-waste recycling industry faces a significant shortfall in the recovery of rare earth elements (REEs), leading to a loss of resources and environmental impact. CaptuREE offers a protein-based filter to capture REEs, integrated into a device that can be easily implemented in existing facilities, enabling the efficient and sustainable recovery of these critical materials.
With so many brilliant concepts in the spotlight, the jury had a tough decision once again, ultimately choosing one deserving winner: OptiZone. The EPFL spinoff led by Mina Baniasad impressed the jury with its pitch and market potential.
An Evening Full of Insights
During the evening, Pierre Baqué, co-founder of Neural Concept, delivered a keynote speech in which he recounted his journey from academic research to entrepreneurship and discussed the key decisions he made in the early stages of launching his startup. The evening also featured a one-on-one interview with Florent Héroguel, co-founder and co-CEO of Bloom Biorenewables. Both companies emerged from the Venture Kick and Venture Leaders programs, rank among the top 100 Swiss startups, and completed major funding rounds in 2025, raising 100 million Swiss francs for Neural Concept and 13 million Swiss francs for Bloom Biorenewables.
The evening in Lausanne brought together founders, investors, mentors, and industry representatives for discussions around company building, fundraising, and market entry strategies. Conversations continued after the pitches, with a focus on early-stage venture development in Switzerland.
(PR – ES)
Picture by EPFL Startup.