At the be-digital Forum in Arlesheim, the startups took center stage, pitching their solutions one last time in front of around 200 IT experts, companies from the region, and the jury. Each startup had three minutes to present its solution. This marked the highlight of the Digital Accelerator Basel—and crowned klaro Solutions the winner of our inaugural edition! We warmly congratulate klaro Solutions on winning both the Jury Prize of CHF 35,000 and the Audience Award of CHF 5,000, and we wish all founders of the first cohort continued success on their journey!
At KlimaDialog, an event organized by sun21 and the Climate Office of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, the cohort had the chance to rehearse their pitches one last time before the final event. The session, which focused on sustainability and supply chains, brought the startups onto an impressive stage at the Novartis Campus and highlighted the growing need for innovative solutions to reduce climate impact across supply chains.
In this Znüni session, the cohort met with Exactio to discuss essential topics every startup needs to get right from the beginning: tax, pension, insurance, payroll, and compliance. After pitching their solutions, the startups had the chance to ask questions and discuss their specific challenges around accounting, reporting duties, and setting up the right administrative processes.
As part of our "Znüni" and "Fübi" sessions, our cohort regularly pitches to guests and receives tailored feedback. This time, we invited Tinotenda Chanakira from Revnuu, who helped the startups sharpen their storytelling, refine their slide decks, and turn complex deep-tech solutions into clear, compelling pitches. His ongoing support will help prepare the cohort for the final stage at the be-digital Forum.
During this "Znüni" session, we welcomed representatives from Innosuisse, Swissnex, and Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE). They introduced the support available to Swiss startups at the federal level. The event provided our cohort with the opportunity to present their solutions in brief 90-second pitches, offering valuable exposure to three federal support organizations that every Swiss startup should know.
The cohort visited our partner, the Port of Innovation, for a tour led by Martina Heer. She provided information about the port’s future development as a real-world testing ground for climate-friendly innovations such as low-emission transportation, efficient energy generation, and waste reduction. The visit showcased practical opportunities for startups to test and expand sustainable solutions in an operational industrial setting.
In collaboration with our network partner, the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), the cohort participated in an evening of networking at Campus Klybeck, where they pitched their solutions to procurement and supply chain experts. This valuable dialogue across ecosystems helped the startups to better understand how innovation is evaluated in real business environments.
Our cohort had the chance to present their solutions to Steffen Ehrhardt, Vice President of SICTIC, Switzerland’s largest and most active angel investor network. After each pitch, the startups received direct feedback and gained valuable insights into how angel investing works and what founders should emphasize when preparing to raise funds from angels.
At an "IP-Znüni" held at Hortus, our cohort had the opportunity to meet with our partner, patent attorney and law firm Rentsch Partner, and discuss the legal and strategic role of intellectual property for early-stage startups. From founder agreements and privacy topics to software patents, trade secrets, and customer contracts, the session gave our cohort practical guidance on how to protect and structure their innovations. The workshop also led to further discussions on each startup’s next IP milestones.
As part of our industry partnership with Planzer, the cohort visited the swiss logistics giant in Pratteln, one of the company’s key logistics hubs. There, the startups learned about Planzer’s innovation approach, exchanged feedback on their solutions, and explored potential collaboration opportunities. A guided tour through the logistics centre, including the cool storage, brought the practical side of logistics to life.
During a focused legal session at Hortus, the startups pitched their solutions to Christoph Burkhardt of law firm Walder Wyss, and received practical feedback on issues such as founder and shareholder agreements, privacy and compliance, customer contracts, and IP-related matters. The session offered valuable legal insights tailored to the startups’ current challenges and led to several follow-up meetings to support their next milestones.
At our first DAB "Fübi", the cohort had the opportunity to meet with another one of our location partners from Campus Klybeck, where they learned more about the redevelopment of the former industrial site into a vibrant new district. After presenting their solutions to a broader audience, the startups were given a tour of The 5th Floor, a leading provider of high-quality office and communal spaces, and were shown the workspace and community benefits available during the accelerator program.
The cohort was invited to pitch their solutions during a regular meeting of the Port of Innovation, where they met top decision-makers from major logistics companies and learned about current innovation projects. The exchange led to valuable feedback and several follow-up meetings, offering the startups a real-world environment to test and refine their ideas.
The cohort's first live meeting took place at Hortus, where the startups met Johannes Eisenhut from our location partner, SENN. After pitching their solutions and receiving feedback, the startups learned more about the benefits of working from the Hortus coworking spaces and the wider Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area ecosystem.
