Renens (Vaud), Switzerland – October 31, 2025
MassChallenge Switzerland, part of MassChallenge’s global network for innovators and zero-equity startup accelerators, yesterday hosted its 10th Anniversary Awards Ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland. The event gathered around 500 guests from across the innovation ecosystem to celebrate the winners of its 2025 Early-Stage Startup Accelerator Programme, as well as the laureate of the 2025 Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) Climate Resilience Prize.
A Decade of Global Impact
Over the past 10 years, MassChallenge Switzerland has supported 1,175 startups from across the globe, which have collectively raised CHF 2.9 billion and generated 86,400 jobs.
This decade of innovation has been made possible through the ongoing commitment of 34 corporate partners. Beyond their financial contributions, these partners have dedicated significant resources and employees’ time to mentor and guide startups. MassChallenge Switzerland extended heartfelt thanks to this community of partners for enabling its mission to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses and create lasting social and economic value.
Celebrating the 12 Winners 2025
This year, 12 winning startups are sharing CHF 400,000 in equity-free cash prizes, recognizing their solutions to critical global challenges across all sectors, particularly in food, health, climate, and industry. Selected from 1,538 applicants and 135 cohort members worldwide, a total of 15 cash prizes and 13 in-kind prizes, worth over CHF 600,000, were awarded on the night.
Diamond Winner – CHF 140,000
MYNERVA AG – Developing a wearable neuroprosthesis restoring foot sensation in people with peripheral neuropathy to improve balance and mobility.
Platinum Winner – CHF 70,000
Apheros – ETH Zürich spin-off developing high-surface-area metal foams that enable exceptional cooling performance for high-power electronics and computing.
Porelio – Providing advanced silica adsorbents that remove PFAS “forever chemicals” from water, capturing molecules conventional filters miss.
Gold Winner – CHF 20,000
Kokomodo – Producing climate-resilient cacao through cellular agriculture, ensuring consistent, deforestation-free supply chains.
The Bland Company – Turning agricultural by-products into high-performance protein ingredients, starting with alternatives for the egg-protein market.
Turnover Labs – Building compact electrolyser systems converting CO₂ emissions into high-purity chemical feedstocks for industrial reuse.
Silver Winner – CHF 10,000
Bench – AI platform helping engineers automate CAD editing, design optimisation, and simulation workflows to speed up product development.
Elucid – Improving supply-chain resilience in cocoa and coffee by providing digital health coverage and impact data for smallholder farmers.
Fibre Folks – Using natural fermentation to create additive-free, high-fibre wheat flour, supporting healthier diets through a UK-sourced ingredient.
Flushh – Building portable, eco-toilets from recycled materials to improve sanitation in remote and water-scarce regions.
Lembas Bio – Developing natural food-derived peptides for weight management and metabolic health, using an AI-driven discovery platform.
Mangolade – Creating functional fats from upcycled mango seeds as a sustainable, one-to-one cocoa-butter alternative.
Spotlight on the 2025 LDC Climate Resilience Prize
On the same occasion, IBISA, a global climate InsurTech, was awarded the CHF 100,000 LDC Climate Resilience Prize for 2025, recognizing the potential of its satellite-based parametric insurance solution to insulate farmers, agricultural businesses and wider supply chains from climate risks, contributing to more resilient and sustainable food and agriculture value chains.
LDC’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Gelchie, commented: “It’s a privilege to present the 2025 LDC Climate Resilience Prize to IBISA, whose insurance solution powered by technology has proven its potential to help farmers recover from climate shocks, and remain financially stable and productive. This model is very much aligned with LDC’s own approach to driving long term climate resilience by empowering farmers to practice sustainable agriculture and mitigate climate risks through access to technology, financial solutions and knowledge.”
Ian Roberts, President of MassChallenge Switzerland, added: “Congratulations to all of our 6 finalists from the 585 applications who applied to the LDC Climate Resilience Prize. This year I was impressed by the quality of the submissions — in particular the detailed financial assumptions and resulting 10-year emission reduction forecasts based on the GHG protocol using the MassChallenge Impact Calculator.”
New Recognitions and Special Prizes
This year, for the first time, MassChallenge Switzerland also awarded the Fighting Malnutrition and Enhancing Food Security Prize (10,000€), part of the FAO World Food Forum Startup Innovation Awards 2025. The Winner is Koji — leveraging fermentation and data science to create natural, functional food ingredients that reduce harmful additives. This recognition also reflects MassChallenge Switzerland’s growing commitment to supporting high-impact startups from the Global South.
”By joining forces with MassChallenge Switzerland, we are able to support high-potential startups from the Global South with the networks and visibility they need to grow. It’s inspiring to see so many solutions led by and supporting youth and women, proof that inclusive innovation is not only possible, but essential to addressing global nutrition challenges,” said Abir Kharrat, Youth Innovation Specialist, FAO.
The One Young World Award (CHF 10,000) was presented to Synature, which builds AI-powered sound-monitoring systems for real-time animal health and biodiversity tracking across agriculture, aquaculture and conservation.
In addition to the main cash prizes, 12 startups received In-Kind Awards offering expert advisory services to help accelerate their growth and strengthen their intellectual property and legal foundations.
Reuteler & Cie – 12 hours of IP Services
Kellerhals Carrard – 12 hours of Legal Services
Check out their amazing solutions here.
Diversity is Key
While MassChallenge Switzerland has consistently attracted women founders over the years, with roughly 49-52% of applicants and cohort members, this year saw even stronger representation: 55% of cohort members were women. It’s also inspiring that the stage highlighted exceptional female leadership, with 11 of the 15 cash prize winners including at least one woman co-founder. Here’s a past reflection on what it takes to transform the innovation landscape and make it more inclusive: MassChallenge article.
A Decade of Mentorship and Collaboration
The accelerator also recognized its experts, including Mentors of the Year Elena Suciu and Panos Kakambouras and 5 new judges: Amit Rathi, Birgit O’Donovan, and Maurizio Tormen, Lilla Peczely join the Super Judge Club 26 members. Throughout the four-month program, 603 mentors and 557 independent judges provided guidance and expertise to 138 startups from 38 countries supporting their growth and innovation.
Throughout the four-month 2025 program, 603 mentors and 557 independent judges guided 138 startups from 38 countries, helping them refine strategies, validate business models, and accelerate growth. Read the article here about 10 years of experts support at MassChallenge Switzerland.
Reflections on 10 Years of Impact
MassChallenge Switzerland’s Managing Director, Matt Lashmar, said: “MassChallenge Switzerland exists to help startups grow their businesses and add value to society. Over 10 years we’ve helped 1,175 startups raise CHF 2.9 billion to support their projects. This achievement would not have been possible without the vision from our founders, the support of our corporate partners, and the action taken by our community of judges and mentors. My sincere thanks go out to this group for helping this year’s cohort and all our alumni. Together we have made a big difference to a lot of startups, who in turn are able to bring their innovations to market faster and make more impact on society. Bring on the next 10 years.”
Ian Roberts, President of MassChallenge Switzerland, added: “We started MassChallenge Switzerland with 3 aims: to grow the innovation ecosystem in Switzerland, to help partners solve challenges, and to support startups so they could grow businesses and transform economies. 10 years later, I look back with pride that we’ve achieved what we set out to do. We’ve established a powerful community and ecosystem that has made a massive difference. As I look out across the next few years, I am very excited about what more we can do, leveraging our non-profit status and helping support startups who share our sustainable business values. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the last 10 years, and who will help us move to the next level in enabling startups, helping partners and adding value into our economy.”
A Collaborative Ecosystem for the Future
MassChallenge Switzerland expressed deep gratitude to its Diamond Partners – Bühler Group , Givaudan, dsm-firmenich, Louis Dreyfus Company, OMYA, SIG Group, Swiss Economic Forum, Inartis Foundation, Südzucker, Mars, Tate & Lyle – for their unwavering support over the past decade.
Pictures of the ceremony are available here.