From preventive health to real-time deepfake detection: 36 start-ups - 95% AI-powered - are shaping Switzerland as an innovation hotspot

sara9231
Sep 9
4 min read

Updated: Sep 9

Kickstart Innovation brings together 36 startups from 14 countries, including the USA, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, the UK, South Africa, and Australia.
Trend Topics for 2025: Deepfake Detection, Preventive Health, and Data-Driven Retail Innovation powered by AI

Zurich, September 9, 2025 – Switzerland's position as Europe's innovation capital has been reinforced as Kickstart Innovation marks a decade of celebrating innovation, collaboration, and impact across industries and sectors through its diverse programs.

The Open Innovation Program brings together 36 cutting-edge startups from 14 countries, with one quarter being Swiss companies developing breakthrough technologies like real-time deepfake detection, food systems of the future, and biological age testing. Building on a decade-long track record that saw alumni startups raise over CHF 2.8 billion by 2024, this year's cohort is set to rethink topics such as health, nutrition, and technology in a profound, data-driven, and consciously responsible way through partnerships with major Swiss employers, including AXA, City of Zurich, Coop, la Mobilière, MSD, PostFinance/VNTR, Swisscom, and more.

"These aren't just tech experiments. They're the solutions that will define Switzerland's competitive edge in the next decade," says Katka Letzing, CEO and Co-Founder of Kickstart Innovation. "From sustainable materials to preventive health and AI-driven innovation, Switzerland offers the perfect stage for this: highly interconnected, quality-oriented, and decisive. The recently launched Swiss {ai} Weeks initiative, which Kickstart proudly co-initiated, further reinforces this position."

Swiss Startups Lead Global Technology Breakthroughs

Highlighting Switzerland’s role as both an innovation hub and a launchpad for global growth, one quarter of the cohort are Swiss startups, many originating from university spin-offs and tech hubs. International startups also joined the cohort to establish a market entry in Switzerland, underscoring the country’s global appeal as a thriving ecosystem for innovation, collaboration, and business growth. These are some of these companies:

Genknowme, based in Lausanne, offers an epigenetic blood test revealing biological age and stress-related changes, positioning Switzerland at the forefront of the global longevity medicine market.
Aurigin.ai, the Zurich-based company, has developed technology for real-time detection of deepfakes in audio and video content, a critical defense as AI-generated misinformation threatens democratic processes and corporate communications worldwide.
Meeco, based in Australia, delivers a secure data exchange platform that enables individuals and organizations to access, control, and share personal data and digital assets with privacy-by-design and low-code tools.
WeShop AI, based in Hong Kong, offers a platform that uses AI to generate product and model images for e-commerce. Users can create visuals from a single photo, without complex editing needed. The platform also supports video creation from static images.
Infrared.city, based in Vienna, delivers an AI-powered platform that transforms environmental modeling for the built environment providing microclimate simulations, helping architects and urban planners design more sustainable and comfortable cities.

Driving Innovation Across Key Sectors

The Kickstart Innovation Program supports high-growth startups and scaleups across five key verticals: Health & Wellbeing, Finance & Insurance (including Cybersecurity), Food & Retail, New Work & Learning, and Smart Cities. These areas reflect some of the most urgent and promising societal and economic challenges, fostering impactful collaborations between startups and leading Swiss large organizations and public institutions.

Beyond startup partnerships, Kickstart also empowers internal transformation within leading organizations through its Academy and Intrapreneurship Programs, which guide employees from idea generation to venture creation. Complementing this work, Mission 2050 aligns innovation programming with Switzerland’s strategic goals in circular economy, sustainability, and social inclusion, contributing to an ecosystem that’s both future-ready and impact-driven.

Academy and Intrapreneurship: When employees become founders

Kickstart’s Academy Intrapreneurship Program empowers established Swiss organizations and public institutions to build startups internally through validation and scaling. Teams from CSEM, and HSG START Accelerator are developing solutions in digital health, smart infrastructure, and next-generation technologies. This year, 5 start-ups are participating in this special program.

"Venture building enables our employees to think and act like a startup – within the organization, but with real entrepreneurial responsibility," says Bahaa Roustom, VP Business Development at CSEM. "We're not just adopting innovation; we're creating it from the inside."

Mission 2050: Co-Creating Impact: AXA and Kickstart Join Forces for Social Inclusion

Mission 2050 is Kickstart’s commitment to catalyzing innovation that fosters environmental regeneration, social equity, and resilience by the year 2050, acknowledging the profound interconnectedness of our planet and its people.

The Beyond Services for Social Inclusion initiative (BSSI), within the Mission 2050 program, brings together AXA Switzerland and Kickstart Innovation to explore innovative solutions that close critical gaps within our communities. By collaborating with scale-ups, AXA aims to co-create and deliver impactful approaches that strengthen inclusion and contribute to a more equitable Swiss society. “Partnering with startups through Kickstart allows us to address societal challenges in new ways. By co-creating solutions, we can improve resilience and inclusion across Switzerland while staying at the forefront of innovation.”, said Daniel Steingruber, Open Innovation Lead, AXA Switzerland.

Why this is important: The world is testing what works in Switzerland

At a time when companies need to think globally but act locally, Switzerland is the ideal stage: manageable, connected, pragmatic. This is precisely what makes it so attractive to international startups that are seeking equal partnerships. All pilot projects and partnerships will be presented at Kraftwerk Zurich on November 12, 2025, at Kraftwerk Zurich providing Swiss businesses and investors with first access to breakthrough technologies and partnership opportunities.

For more information, please contact: press@kickstart-innovation.com

Startups and Intrapreneurship teams engaged this year: 36

Finance & Insurance (9)

UMushroom Switzerland

Fini Netherlands

Legora Sweden

Hello Customer Belgium

Almanax USA

Superlikers USA

Datactics Ltd UK

Aurigin.ai Switzerland

Meeco Australia