Alpion, Déploya, and Feedback Intuitive awarded Innogrant

Alpion CryoSolutions

Cryo-electron microscopy has transformed biology by allowing researchers to see proteins in extraordinary detail. However, existing technology only allows these molecules to be seen in a static state. In reality, proteins move, change shape, and have interactions which determine how they function. These dynamics are central to drug discovery, where researchers need to understand how proteins change in order to design effective new medicines. Existing instruments struggle to capture these rapid changes – particularly at the microsecond timescale where many processes occur.

The Alpion team – based in Professor Christoph Bostedt’s LUXS lab – has developed technology which allows researchers to capture protein molecules mid-movement. Their laser-based system briefly melts frozen samples, giving the proteins a fraction of a second to move before rapidly refreezing them. This makes it possible to trap and image short-lived shapes that may otherwise remain invisible, providing a more complete picture of their structure and enabling more accurate three-dimensional reconstructions. Compact and user-friendly, their instrument integrates into standard cryo-EM workflows.

The team will use their Innogrant to transform their prototype into a robust pre-commercial product ready for pilot deployment.

Founding team:

Constantin Krüger
Mischa Flór
Alpion CryoSolution's Executive Summary

Déploya

Installation of façade elements still highly depends on manual work, which accounts for approximately 35–60% of total façade costs. It takes time to install, and requires hard-to-find skilled workers. Moreover, any errors often lead to costly rework which can delay project completion by up to 30%. In Switzerland, around 500 workers are seriously injured each year in accidents linked to the use of scaffoldings that are necessary for these tasks, generating costs of nearly CHF 80 million.

Déploya - a team based in Professor Dario Floreano’s Laboratory of Intelligent Systems – aims to reduce the safety risks and installation time associated with conventional scaffolding and façade installation. The team has developed a fast-deployable vertical grid inspired by origami folding. When deployed, the grid allows a mobile unit to access any point of the facade, projecting digital construction layouts directly onto the façade, guiding workers on where to drill or mount components. While this MVP addresses one step of the façade installation process, Déploya’s vision is much more ambitious – using their solution for the full automation of façade works.

The Innogrant will support the team as they transition from early prototype to a pilot-ready system. They will refine the hardware and software ready for their first industrial pilot, planned for 2027.

Founding team:

Jan Petrš
Thomas Estier
Déploya's Executive Summary

Feedback Intuitive

Sports performance is increasingly data-driven, with athletes and teams relying on metrics to optimise training and competition. Yet, ‘Recovery’ – although critical for injury prevention and long-term development – still remains hard to quantify. Most athletes rely on indirect indicators such as heart rate or sleep scores to judge their readiness. While useful, these metrics do not reveal what’s happening inside the specific muscles that have done the work. As a result, training decisions are often made without a clear picture of muscular recovery.

Feedback Intuitive - a team based in Professor David Atienza’s Embedded Systems Laboratory - is developing a compact wearable that measures oxygen levels directly in targeted muscles during training sessions. By tracking how quickly a muscle re-oxygenates after effort, the system provides a direct measure of local fatigue and recovery. Combined with broader metrics in a single wearable, the team hopes to make muscle-specific recovery measurable in everyday training, not just in specialised labs.

The team will use their Innogrant to create a field-ready MVP and conduct structured athlete pilots, generating the evidence needed for the next stage of development.

Founding team:

Harshal Sonar
Feedback Intuitive's Executive Summary