Cassio-P: towards a new class of ultra-short pulse lasers
"Femtosecond" lasers produce a large number of very intense pulses of light at very short intervals - just a fraction of a second - making it possible to carry out a wide variety of tasks that are impossible with so-called ‘continuous’ lasers. However, apart from micro-machining (drilling, cutting, removal of composites, etc.), their full potential has not yet been unlocked, largely because of their size, reliability and cost, which hamper their integration into all kinds of machines for new applications.
Cassio-P is developing a new class of ultra-short pulse lasers for microscope manufacturers: lasers that are much smaller, lighter, consume less power and are easy to use. A technology that can also be used to establish very high-speed communications, thanks to optical beams transmitted not in fibres but across open space, from one point to another, in a direct line of sight (like communications between satellites).
It is at the heart of these lasers that the real innovation lies: a unique technology called ‘All-Glass’, which makes it possible to manufacture and miniaturise these lasers. Very small components are inserted into glass plates that have been precision-machined beforehand in 3D. This new approach has great potential for automation, which will make it possible to produce large volumes and thus reduce costs. And unlike more conventional methods, which use metal parts, the glass used gives the devices more stable performance, making them more resistant to wide variations in temperature in harsh environments. The result is ultra-short pulse lasers that fit in the hand, deliver exceptional performance and offer greater thermal and mechanical stability.
Cassio-P has received a CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan from FIT, which will enable it to hire a sales representative to further develop its business and customer relationships.
PAVE Space: new-generation spacecraft
Continuous sunshine, infinite surface area, zero gravity - space offers a host of advantages for companies looking for new “spaces” in which to set up their industrial sites. And with the cost of sending a kilogram into space dropping to less than $100, more and more companies are taking an interest in this new playground. PAVE Space, a company based on the exploits of the Gruyère Space Program, wants to build the infrastructure of tomorrow using mobile, autonomous spacecraft capable of carrying out this work.
As a first step, PAVE Space is tackling in-orbit logistics. It takes around 9 months, on average, between the launch of a telecommunications satellite and its arrival in final orbit. The co-founders of PAVE Space have set out to overcome this time constraint. They have developed a new vehicle that would make this journey in just 24 hours.
PAVE Space plans to launch a kick stage, a 20-tonne vehicle designed to provide the link between low orbit - where the launcher drops the satellite - and final orbit. This represents a real challenge in terms of propulsion. Commercial launch is scheduled for 2029, paving the way for future deployment of faster, more flexible satellites, with PAVE Space's ultimate aim being to transform the entire space ecosystem.
The CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan granted by FIT is intended to support the development of PAVE Space's mission, in particular by enabling the creation of the first prototype of the vehicle's engine. After raising an initial sum of several million Swiss francs, PAVE Space hopes to raise 30 million next year. These steps are therefore crucial to achieving this objective.
Sixteen44: eliminating methane from the atmosphere through a service for businesses
Each year, around 580 million tonnes of methane are released into the atmosphere, with nearly 60% of it coming from human activities like agriculture, waste management, and the energy sector. Methane is a very powerful greenhouse gas, around 84 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming (on a 20-year perspective).
The innovation developed by Sixteen44 aims to remove methane from the atmosphere through a service for companies wishing to reduce their carbon footprint. Their service works by removing methane from the atmosphere (measured in real time as it is reduced) and offsetting it with carbon credits. Through a direct model facilitated by a Service Level Agreement, Sixteen44 helps companies, governments, or other entities offset their emissions by removing methane directly from the air. Indirectly, Sixteen44 also trades carbon credits on the open market through third-party carbon exchanges.
The company’s goal is to implement 10 methane reduction projects at various locations, each able to cut 5,000 tons of methane per year - the equivalent of 420,000 tons of CO2. Currently, no other company has the capability to remove methane from the atmosphere on such a large scale.
With a CHF 100,000 Tech Seed loan, FIT will help Sixteen44 develop its first methane reduction methodology and conduct important market research, both key steps to attract further investment.