PoC-ketful of fintech pinnacles for Kickstart Accelerator
Fintech is running like clockwork in Switzerland as over 30 proof of concepts (PoCs) and partnerships have been secured at Zurich-based Kickstart Accelerator’s tech programme.
The accelerator – an initiative of digitalswitzerland and operated by Impact Hub Zurich – saw 29 start-ups as well as an intrapreneur team from AXA Winterthur and Swisscom working in collaboration for 11 weeks in the co-working space “Kraftwerk”.
Their goal was to develop, scale and promote their business in the Swiss innovation ecosystem with the guidance of industry experts and access to corporations. The programme focused on the fields of fintech, food, smart cities as well as robotics and intelligent systems.
In the fintech sector, 12 PoCs or other partnerships (or just talking in some cases) were secured with Kickstart partners:
- Credit Suisse and Swiss-based PriceHubble are exploring co-operation in the field of mortgages;
- Credit Suisse is looking at US-based Adjoint’s blockchain technology for compliance processes in its FX operations;
- Credit Suisse is discussing co-operation in the field of compliance with Zurich-based Apiax;
- Credit Suisse and Blocko are collaborating to look at blockchain-based e-voting systems;
- EY is collaborating with Adjoint to develop a PoC in the field of blockchain for an unnamed insurance client;
- Helsana Insurance and Fjuul are joining forces for functionality and user experience of the new Helsana+ App;
- PwC Switzerland has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Zurich-based Apiax to “intensify the discussion” about digitising compliance;
- PwC Switzerland and Finnish start-up Fjuul have signed a LOI about digital solutions in insurance;
- Swisscom is planning a PoC to integrate services that PriceHubble offers into its existing banking service;
- Swisscom is co-operating with Apiax as well as SoBA on a PoC in open banking;
- UBS and AAAccell, a University of Zurich spin-off working in the field of risk and asset management, will start a PoC project to build a risk-based engine;
- UBS and PriceHubble, a start-up offering real estate Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, agreed on a PoC to develop UBS’s mortgage offering.
Furthermore, since the start of the programme in July this year, Kickstart Accelerator says the start-ups all together have raised more than CHF 8 million ($8.07 million) funding from international and Swiss investors.
