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Meet the i4Challenge 2024 winners

Meet the i4Challenge 2024 winners

10/10/2024

The seventh edition of the i4Challenge accelerator is now underway, with six projects having been selected by our esteemed jury panel.

This year’s selected projects are bringing innovative new solutions in areas ranging from high-resolution printed electronics for robotics, more efficient fuel cells, to next-generation global supply chain and building water supply management solutions. We are looking forward to helping them deliver on their amazing potential: 

Authena supports brands in fighting against product counterfeiting and diversion through an advanced Authenticity and Traceability as a Service platform. By integrating IoT sensors, AI and blockchain into supply chain management, its platform enables real-time tracking and ambient condition monitoring down to the single-unit level. 

DatenBerg’s software enables companies to successfully collect, store and analyze their machine and quality data to optimize the operation, monitoring and process planning of their production lines. 

Inveel provides technology for low-cost and high-speed production of extreme high-resolution printed electronics. Its primary customers are robotics companies for proximity sensors and robot gripper companies using its touch sensors, which benefit from Inveel’s advanced sensory skin technology, enhancing robots’ precision and safety. 

Manukai’s software makes the process of turning CAD designs for metal machining into machine instructions faster and more efficient. It significantly reduces wear of machining tools, and increases production speed and part quality. 

Shayp has developed an IoT-enabled SaaS platform that helps building managers to eliminate water leakages and related anomalies, and improve building water efficiency by up to 22%. 

The team at the Department of Chemistry of the University of Fribourg are developing a patented, multi-stage gas separation device using palladium-coated graphene membranes. This technology aims to significantly improve the long-term efficiency of fuel cells required for the general replacement of combustion engines. 

Once again, I was blown away by the quality of the submissions for this year’s i4Challenge, and our expert jury had another tough time selecting the best applications among them. I am very much looking forward to working with these ventures and witnessing their journeys over the coming years.

Albert HilberManager Industrial Transformation

These companies now have access to an extensive, highly individualized support package, including benefits such as: significant in-kind support; real-world market validation; networking and strategic partnership opportunities; advice from industry experts; visibility at key industry events; and much more.

Are you interested in registering for next year’s i4Challenge? 

Whether you’re an individual with a groundbreaking idea, a startup poised for growth, or an SME ready to pivot, the i4Challenge can help you accelerate your journey. Please feel free to express your interest here and be notified when our 2025 competition opens. 

About the i4Challenge 

The i4Challenge is an initiative of the Industrial Transformation team of Basel Area Business & Innovation to foster regional economic growth and innovation. 

For startups, SMEs and individual innovators who want to bring their industry 4.0 project to market, the i4Challenge is a program that helps them make the next step towards that goal. 

We help entrepreneurs develop proofs of concept and define business models. We enable startups to develop and test their solutions in a secure environment. Finally, when projects are ready for the market, we help ventures connect and establish a successful collaboration with established companies that are looking for solutions like theirs. 

To date, the i4Challenge has supported 52 projects, unlocked CHF1.7m of in-kind benefits, and delivered over 1,000 hours of personalized coaching. 

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