Engagement and responsibility – Story
For the living spaces of tomorrow
It is already the tenth time that we have looked for scalable business models and technology innovations within the context of our Startup Accelerator Programme. And we found what we were looking for!
The anniversary edition of our workshop focused on ConstructionTech and Smart Materials. From over 80 applications received, we invited eight startups to present at our main Zurich office in the Prime Tower. The jury was made up of our internal specialists from the Portfolio Management, Construction Management & Development, Sustainability, Corporate Ventures & Innovation divisions as well as specifically selected business and network partners. Four start-ups managed to impress the jury members with the potential of their products and services.
Individual coaching by experts
In the hours that followed, the objective for these finalists was to further demonstrate this potential and develop concrete cases for the business activities of Swiss Prime Site. Our experts supported the start-ups, offering their knowledge and individualised coaching. «It’s amazing when companies turn their words into action and encourage their employees to develop innovative and sustainable solutions in collaboration with start-ups. I’d like to give the start-ups the following advice: take this opportunity and be prepared to deliver! Personally, I’m delighted by the collaboration with the experts of Swiss Prime Site, who asked the right questions and helped us develop our business case further», says Dr Gnanli Landrou, founder and Lead Executive Officer of Oxara, when asked about his participation.
To wrap up the two busy days, the start-ups presented their detailed proposals one last time in the final pitch. The business cases included heating and cooling ceilings equipped with membranes (Interpanel), induction solutions for charging electric cars (Magment), a method for stabilising soil with microbe injections instead of cement or other chemical substances (Medusoil), and a production process for cement and bricks that massively reduces CO2 emissions (Oxara). In all four cases, the expert jury recognised the value of a partnership in the form of pilot projects, PoCs or by offering testing space to assess their feasibility. A member of the jury commented: «By interacting with the start-ups and my colleagues in the industry, I had the opportunity to move beyond the day-to-day business tasks, allowing me to think more openly and discover new solutions».
Kick-off for a new business ecosystem
«As the orchestrator of the Accelerator Programme, we are proud to provide powerful market access to forward-looking and sustainable products or services. Together with the start-ups and our partners, we want to drive industry-shaping innovations in our field and build innovation ecosystems», says Bastian Zarske Bueno, Head Group Corporate Ventures & Innovation at Swiss Prime Site, summing up the two days.
Startup Accelerator Programme
Each year, we look at several hundred submissions from start-ups from all over the world. These must have a relevant connection to our core Real Estate business or to our real estate-related group companies, and offer strategic added value to our business model. Since 2018, we have received close to 1000 applications and had 80 start-ups participating in our Accelerator Programme.
