Desafía Switzerland 2025: Nine Spanish startups prepare for Swiss expansion

The Desafía Switzerland 2025 program launched in Madrid with nine Spanish sustainability-focused startups set to explore growth opportunities in Switzerland. Backed by ICEX and Red.es, and run in collaboration with Venturelab and the Economic and Trade Office of the Spanish Embassy in Bern, the initiative supports Spanish scale-ups looking to expand into one of the world’s leading innovation hubs.

The two-day Desafía Switzerland kick-off, held on April 24 and 25 in Madrid, introduced participants to the program's goals and prepared them for the upcoming two-week immersion in Switzerland from May 12 to 23.

The opening session featured remarks from Luis Prieto Cuerdo, Digital Economy Director at Red.es, Jose Maria Blasco Ruiz, Executive Director Growth at ICEX, and Juan Díez Gibson, Spanish Chief Economic and Trade Counsellor for Switzerland and Liechtenstein, emphasizing the strategic importance of Swiss-Spanish collaboration.

The nine Desafía startups then presented their businesses before diving into an overview of Switzerland's innovation ecosystem, led by Venturelab. Cristina Muñoz, Co-Founder of Wealth Reader and a former participant, shared her experience and takeaways from the program.


Madrid kick-off on April 24 and 25

Further sessions included a presentation from Óscar Fernández Moyano, Head of Technology Cooperation Department at CDTI, on Spain's tech landscape and international cooperation opportunities. The agenda wrapped up with a fast-paced pitch workshop led by Pablo Caño Sterck, Head of Strategy at Sterck, offering practical feedback and tips ahead of the Swiss roadshow.

From May 12, the selected companies will visit Zurich, Bern, and Lausanne to meet with investors, partners, and innovation leaders and explore growth paths in the Swiss market.

MEET THE STARTUPS
The Swiss ecosystem partners, research institutions, and investors will have the opportunity to meet with the startups at the Startup Days in Bern on May 14th, and during the public pitch event in Lausanne on May 21st at Unlimitrust Campus, where the nine companies will be presenting their solutions.

Agrolinera | agrolinera.com | Agriculture
Transforms dairy farming by digitizing waste streams such as manure and whey, improving sustainability, resource efficiency, and environmental impact across agricultural operations.

Aitaca | aitaca.io
Offers an AI-based virtual fitting room and size recommender that increases conversion rates and decreases return volumes for online fashion retailers.

Distinkt | distinkt.tech
Develops anti-counterfeiting inks based on nanotechnology to secure luxury products, documents, and packaging through unique, tamper-proof authentication.

Esignus | esignus.com
Designs HASHWallet, a biometric-secured hardware wallet with mobile integration for managing blockchain assets and protecting digital credentials.

Planetai Space | planetai.space
Combines satellite imagery and AI to map and measure natural capital, helping organizations make informed, sustainable resource management decisions.

Revivack | revivack.com
Provides blockchain-enabled infrastructure for brands to implement take-back systems that support recycling, reuse, and traceable sustainability reporting.

Uncharted Therapeutics | arquimea.com/uncharted-therapeutics
Applies generative AI to explore drug-like molecules, enabling interactive design and faster early-stage drug discovery workflows.

Verázial | verazial.com
Develops iris-based biometric technology to improve identification and traceability in pharmaceutical manufacturing environments. 

Woza Labs | wozalabs.com
Delivers AI-driven geospatial platforms that support sustainability monitoring, risk management, and environmental analysis across industries.