The start-upswe support
The portfolio
High-potential projects, from the bioeconomy to deep tech. Filter by sector.
Sector Success storiesSome references that became scale-ups
Companies supported by Fri Up in their early days, which have since reached a milestone and now have an impact far beyond the canton.
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If your project involves an innovation, growth potential and a base in the canton, let's talk.
Odytics
Automated inventory of road and industrial pavements
Fribourg start-up Odytics offers an innovative solution for the automated inventory of road and industrial pavements, based on patented high-resolution geolocated orthophotography technology (one millimetre per pixel) combined with an image-processing software platform. The vehicle-mounted system acquires data without any disruption to traffic. Artificial intelligence algorithms automatically identify inventory items (road markings, joints) and early signs of deterioration (cracks, crazing) for preventive pavement maintenance.
Algaltek
Production and marketing of algae
Algaltek, an EPFL spin-off specialising in algae biotechnology, offers new techniques for growing algae by introducing optimisation concepts using reactors combined with semi-transparent photovoltaic cells. The company is also developing supercritical fluid-based sterilisation systems for producing astaxanthin, a “super antioxidant” used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Its hybrid cultivation system offers higher productivity and lower water consumption than existing technologies: fully automated, modular and easy to use, it combines the precision of closed systems with the adaptability of open ponds.
Bloom Biorenewables
An alternative to oil derived from biomass
By transforming the natural materials found in biomass, Bloom Biorenewables has created the first genuine alternative to oil. Using aldehyde-assisted fractionation (AAF) technology, the company efficiently separates the cellulose fraction while stabilising the lignin polymers and sugars derived from hemicellulose. For the first time, these stabilised structures make it possible to unlock the full potential of lignin and hemicellulose, and therefore their use in cosmetics, materials, fuels and flavourings.
Xemperia
Early detection of breast cancer with a blood test
Mr Rüegg and his team have developed a blood test for breast cancer screening and the early detection of relapses, based on the analysis of multiple specific biomarkers derived from blood leucocytes. It can be integrated into current diagnostic procedures and will help doctors make decisions on personalised treatments. Xemperia is a University of Fribourg spin-off project, building on more than 25 years of experience in breast cancer research and biomarker discovery, conducted in collaboration with clinical partners.
Yepa
AI-modelled online learning platform
Yepa is an innovative platform developed in Fribourg that uses artificial intelligence to bring out skills gained from lived experience, which often remain invisible in traditional career paths. Using a chatbot that guides users through the account of a concrete situation, it identifies the actions, resources and knowledge involved and presents them graphically. It thus helps to reveal hidden skills, guide career paths, enrich training and open up new perspectives for analysis. Designed to support career transitions, particularly in social integration, Yepa takes an approach grounded in real experience and is backed by a network of local players committed to social innovation.
About You Services
Marketing survey platform
About You App offers a revolutionary, entertaining and paid survey method that adds value to consumers' personal data. The information collected enables clients to respond immediately to new consumer trends and strengthen the relationship between the company and its customers.
Cormo
Fertiliser products made from maize waste
Cormo develops two types of peat substitute based on waste from the maize harvest, for use in agriculture and particularly in mushroom growing: BABS (based on the maize's spongy tissue) and TEFA (based on stalk bark).
D4P – Dose for Patient
Medication traceability and treatment adherence
In Switzerland today, almost one in two people with a chronic illness does not take their medication correctly. This non-adherence costs the healthcare system more than CHF 30 billion every year. In response, D4P – Dose for Patient has developed a mobile app and web platform that track medication from ordering through to the patient taking it. Pharmacists scan each medicine when preparing pill organisers; patients receive a reminder of when and how much to take, and confirm they have taken it. For people who are not independent, a caregiver or care assistant can do this for them.
Dashcom
Platform for optimising shared resources
Platform for optimising shared resources such as offices, meeting rooms, parking spaces, etc. Dashcom provides integrated solutions as a choice of modules: depending on the product and needs, customers are offered the appropriate technology.
Droptimize
Inkjet printing optimisation
Droptimize Sàrl is a spin-off of the iPrint institute (HEIA-FR) offering inkjet printing optimisation services. Based at the Marly Innovation Center, it has existed since February 2020 and is in a phase of promotion and customer acquisition, with the aim of selling its first machines.
Elionova
Real-time immunoassays — results in 10 minutes
Elionova's mission is to develop and market an innovative diagnostic platform (ElioDX™), initially intended for research. In future, the start-up aims to offer in vitro diagnostic products for human and animal health, focusing on fast, highly accurate diagnostics for on-site use in human and veterinary medicine.
Goplan SA
Project management software — collaborative platform for architecture and civil engineering firms
Goplan helps plan, track and manage projects from start to finish, while enabling better collaboration with teams and partners.
Lowimpact Food SA
Production of insect-based foods
Lowimpact Food is an environmentally responsible company based in the canton of Fribourg that farms edible insects and feeds them on local biomass to ensure a circular economy. Located on the AgriCo campus in St-Aubin, it raises mealworms fed on spent grain from breweries and fruit juice producers. The insects are processed into an ultra-high-protein powder that can easily be added to various foods (pasta, cereal bars). The company offers a wide selection of seasoned snacks as well as premium protein powder.
Metapeace
Educational game in “The Sandbox” metaverse — Nobel Land project
The Metaverse Nobel Land game project invites players to explore the world of Nobel prizes up close and discover outstanding achievements interactively. Players set off on quests across different disciplines and meet virtual representations of 22 Nobel laureates who present their discoveries. Nobel Land is supported by laureates Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Arthur McDonald, Takaaki Kajita, Randy Schekman, Eric Maskin and Aaron Ciechanover. The vision of Metaverse Nobel Land is to make Nobel prizes and other scientific achievements accessible to a wide audience through an engaging game and to spark the joy of learning.
Mitipi
Burglary prevention system
The Mitipi team has developed “Kevin”, an anti-burglary system named after a cult 90s film. A small box the size of a Bluetooth speaker, Kevin realistically simulates human presence in an empty home: it controls the lights, creates shadow play and plays all kinds of customisable sounds. The aim: to prevent burglaries by deterring thieves before they act.
Nanolockin
Thermal imaging for nanoparticle characterisation
Nanolockin is a spin-off of the Adolphe Merkle Institute that develops and markets advanced thermal imaging systems for characterising nanoparticles. It relies on bioconvergence, an approach combining technology, software and engineering with biology, which is useful in a wide range of industries and applications. It also offers comprehensive nanoparticle characterisation services.
Part'App
Resource-sharing app for teaching
Part'App gives teachers the opportunity to share or sell their teaching materials quickly and easily through the Partapp.swiss app.
Plasma Seed Viridhys
Seed treatment using plasma technology
PlasmaSeed | Viridhys offers a new seed treatment process using a “green” technology that applies plasma directly to seeds before storage. The seeds are disinfected and dried without altering their germination properties. This innovation, which has no impact on biodiversity, is an alternative to plant protection products, whose harmful effects on people and the environment are widely recognised.
Simon & Josef
Personalised hotel room cleaning
Simon & Josef offers hotels a more modern and versatile alternative to help them reduce their environmental footprint and costs. Using a simple QR code, guests can notify reception at any time if they would like room service and what kind: for example, just having the toiletries replaced or the bed made.
Spirecut
Ultrasound-guided surgical instruments for hand surgery
Spirecut's Sono-Instruments® offer a simple and effective solution for treating carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger. These patented instruments, inserted through a single entry point without a large incision, provide ultrasound visibility during surgery, improving the quality of care and speeding up patient recovery. Ultrasound guidance ensures precise and safe procedures, ideal for hand surgery and other orthopaedic interventions.
Boukii
App for sports schools
Cloud-based Boukii offers the perfect tools for running a sports school. The app was created to simplify course booking, school management and instructors' work.
Local Impact
Local Impact aims to promote local consumption by creating a digital shop window for small retailers, many of whom have neither high visibility nor their own online sales channels. It has already taken a big step in this direction by launching the Kariyon platform, which brings together the offer of more than 1,600 Fribourg shops.
Maison Amarella
Premium macarons with flavours from around the world
Premium macarons with flavours from different parts of the world, made with respect for nature: that is what Maison Amarella offers. In her workshop on the AgriCo site in St-Aubin, founder Alia Adi relies on natural Swiss ingredients, gluten-free options and sturdy, eco-friendly packaging to bring a new flavour to the macaron market.
Plan.aero
Centralising aviation industry data
Plan.aero is an international start-up based in Switzerland, founded in 2020. With more than 25 years of experience as a pilot and data science professional, Pierre envisaged a company that would revolutionise the way data is collected and exchanged in the aviation industry. To make life easier for pilots and airfields, the Broye-based start-up Plan.aero has designed an app that centralises all procedures and speeds up administrative formalities.
Revario
Eco-responsible trail running apparel.
Revario Sàrl decided to set up its production at the Marly Innovation Center (MIC) in September 2021. Most sports gear produced by major clothing brands travels more than 60,000 kilometres before being worn and uses highly polluting materials. Everything that goes into Revario's products (fabric, zips, threads, elastic, etc.) comes from within 600 kilometres of its production site. The company plans to extend its range to sports bags and possibly shoes.
Revo Garage
App for buying and selling cars
Revo Garage is an app that digitalises the processes of Swiss garages. It synchronises all the information collected by garage owners using a simple smartphone or tablet. As well as preventing information loss, Revo Garage delivers significant time and efficiency savings when selling and/or buying a vehicle.
Vixelia
Almighty Tree
Sustainable development – awareness and contribution.
As a result of climate change, Swiss forests are in distress. The founders of Almighty Tree offer individuals and companies a personalised tree-planting service to contribute to the Swiss ecosystem. They have also developed a “Tree Tracker” that lets planters know the exact location and characteristics of the tree they sponsor. With more than 45,489 trees already planted in 2024, Almighty Tree is enjoying great success.
Cruizador
Motorbike rental platform between private individuals and professionals
Its mission is to connect riders who don't own a motorbike but want to rent one with dealers or private owners willing to rent out their vehicle.
Bionomous
Automated sorting of very small biological elements
Bionomous develops a technology combining robotics, fluidics, optics and artificial intelligence to sort very small biological elements of 0.5 to 2 mm: fish embryos (zebrafish, killifish, aquaculture species), seeds or 3D cell cultures. The EggSorter robot automatically sorts, analyses and dispenses these elements — a rotating wheel picks up each entity and places it in front of a camera (bright field or fluorescence), the image is processed by AI on an embedded computer, and each entity is then sent to an output container. In 2025, the start-up is exploring the automation of complex processes such as organoid handling.
Neur.on
Financial and legal translation using artificial intelligence
Neur.on is the first LegalTech start-up to tackle the specific translation challenges faced by legal, tax and banking professionals. Using cutting-edge AI-based technology, it offers an end-to-end solution for legal and financial experts who want to stay in control of the translation process, while guaranteeing the required level of quality and confidentiality.
Techponics
Automated production of leafy greens
Founded in Fribourg in 2020, Techponics created the first automated greenhouse growing system for leafy greens, automating the entire production cycle using the deep flow technique (DFT) to increase yields and cut costs. Its key innovation, dynamic spacing, optimises growing density and throughput by species, with layers of artificial intelligence to guide growers' operational and strategic decisions. The start-up is supported by Fri Up and the canton's Economic Development Agency, and has won a major commercial project in Kuwait.
Swibrace
Custom 3D-printed orthopaedic splints
Founded in Fribourg in 2017, Swibrace offers an alternative to plaster casts, particularly for wrist fractures. From a photograph of the healthy limb, a custom splint is modelled using patented technology, 3D-printed and delivered in less than three days. Compared with traditional immobilisation methods, it offers advantages in design, comfort and weight (less than 300 grams). The start-up works closely with Idiap (Martigny), CSEM and HES-SO Fribourg.
GradeSens
Sensors and AI for monitoring industrial installations
GradeSens offers sensors and a portal for monitoring large-scale industrial installations (hydroelectric plants, automated warehouses, etc.). Specialising in AI analysis of industrial data, the company makes use of companies' under-used data to optimise maintenance, increase energy efficiency and improve machine performance. Its platform integrates and analyses various data sources; non-intrusive wireless sensors complete the datasets in real time, while industrial-grade AI identifies anomalies before they cause breakdowns.
Kanrey
Hybrid shoes in a circular economy
Kanrey produces and markets hybrid shoes, somewhere between classic style and sneaker, combining contemporary, elegant design with comfort, durability and circular economy principles. The difference lies above all in the responsible use of base materials and the unique possibility of completely replacing the sole of a worn shoe, considerably extending its life. At the end of their life, the shoes are collected by Kanrey, then reused and fed back into the production process.
Separatic
Deep tech for hydrogen recovery and carbon capture
SEPARATIC is a Swiss deep tech start-up specialising in hydrogen recovery and carbon capture. The company develops patented porous graphene membranes (PGM), produced using a “template-based plasma etching” technique: very small pores (under 5 nm) at high density significantly improve gas separation. Its modular technology requires no chemicals, takes up around 20 times less space than conventional units and targets a capture cost of under CHF 25 per tonne of CO₂. By 2030, SEPARATIC plans to move from a B2B model to a “Capture-as-a-Service” model, with major collaborations already in place (Air Liquide).
Seprify
Sustainable cellulose-based white pigments
A spin-off of the University of Cambridge and the University of Fribourg founded in 2022, Seprify is developing a natural alternative to titanium dioxide (TiO₂): the first white pigment made from cellulose. The particles' microstructure is controlled so precisely that they scatter light like TiO₂ — whiteness, opacity and UV protection achieved through physical structure rather than chemistry, from paper pulp. The company has a pilot plant at the Marly Innovation Center and is targeting the white pigment market (more than 16 billion dollars): cosmetics, food, pharma, paints and coatings.
Morphean
Cloud-based video surveillance and physical security (VSaaS)
Morphean designs and markets cloud-hosted physical security software solutions. Its platform for video management, incident detection and content analysis is built on an AI-based event recognition architecture. Its VSaaS (Video Surveillance as a Service) model makes it possible to deploy video surveillance and analytics as online services, with no heavy infrastructure to manage. The company has formed partnerships with major industry players (including Axis Communications) and won the Fribourg Innovation Prize in 2012-2013.
CertX
Certification in functional safety, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence
Based in Villaz-St-Pierre (FR), CertX is the first accredited Swiss certification body for functional safety, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. A co-author of the standards for tomorrow's automated systems, it provides the full range of certification and approval services for autonomous mobility and trusted systems: ISO 26262 (automotive functional safety), ISO 21434 (cybersecurity), ISO 21448 (SOTIF) and ISO/PAS 8800 (artificial intelligence). It is accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS).
Yord
Smart optimisation of energy consumption
The YORD optimiser makes heating smart: it optimises its operation to save up to 40% of energy while maintaining comfort. The Fribourg solution connects to any type of building and heating system, without modifying the installation. By using AI to understand the building's thermal inertia, savings begin after just a few days and increase over time. YORD supports public bodies, property owners and companies in reducing and monitoring the energy consumption of their heating.
Swiss-SDI
Data science and artificial intelligence for industry
Founded in Vaulruz (FR) in 2017, Swiss-SDI (Swiss Statistical Design & Innovation) supports Swiss companies with their data strategy, predictive analytics and artificial intelligence. It develops custom machine learning and AI models — demand forecasting, predictive maintenance, anomaly detection — to extract maximum value from its clients' data in energy, watchmaking, industry and public transport. In 2023, Swiss-SDI won the Fribourg Agglomeration SME trophy in the micro-enterprise category.
Sourcin
Mixed and augmented reality for biopharmaceutical operations
Sourcin brings mixed and augmented reality to biopharmaceutical operations: personalised visual instructions that can be turned into checklists directly in the workflow, hands-free. Its use cases cover production procedures (training on filling lines, sterile work, cleaning in place (CIP), sterilisation in place (SIP)…), maintenance of complex equipment with video calls to experts, and quality control, documented by photo or video capture.
Roomz
Scalable office solutions for hybrid work environments
ROOMZ is a simple solution that is quick to integrate, helping users manage flexible work environments. From the moment it is up and running, ROOMZ maximises the use of hybrid spaces while improving the efficiency of individual and collaborative work.
WeDo
Collaborative productivity software
WEDO is a Swiss collaborative platform that makes managing meetings and projects easier. Its SaaS centralises tasks, documents, internal procedures and minutes in one place. The aim: to cut the time spent in meetings and improve efficiency and transparency within teams.
Bcomp
Natural fibre composite materials
Bcomp is a Swiss clean technology company and world leader in sustainable lightweighting solutions, recognised as a “Global Cleantech 100” company. Its exclusive natural fibre-based reinforcement materials — ampliTex™ and powerRibs™ — help decarbonise production and reduce environmental impact across a wide range of high-performance applications: motorsport, vehicle interiors, mass transport, leisure equipment, consumer goods and aerospace. The team offers engineering support and advice worldwide, from design to industrial manufacturing, from its head office in Fribourg and an office in Shanghai.