Mikujy: the Sword Startup Challenge finalist aligning digital infrastructure with sustainability

25.04.2025 10:00, Rita Longobardi

Meet Ivan Mariblanca Flinch, CEO of Mikujy. The cleantech startup helps large organizations and public institutions reduce the environmental and financial impact of their digital infrastructure through a data-driven SaaS platform. Ivan is one of the 5 finalists of the Sword Startup Challenge, competing for 500 hours of consulting services, tailored development support from Sword’s Swiss and international IT specialists, and a 12-month commercial follow-up.

Sword Group, a global technology transformation company, has partnered with Venturelab to launch the Sword Startup Challenge, an annual program designed to support startups in developing innovative technologies. The initiative reflects a shared dedication to helping startups grow and succeed in Switzerland’s competitive ecosystem.

Name: Ivan Mariblanca Flinch
Location: Neuchâtel
Nationality: Spanish
Graduated from: Engineering university
Job title: CEO
Number of employees: 6
Funding raised to date: CHF 0

Who benefits from your product or solution, and in what way?
Our solution is designed for large organizations and public institutions aiming to reduce the environmental footprint and financial costs of their digital infrastructure. CIOs, sustainability officers, procurement teams, HR, communication, and finance departments benefit from our solution.

Key features include:
>Automated and tailored recommendations based on real IT usage data
>Precise forecasting of environmental and financial impacts for upcoming IT projects
>Cost savings through identification of unnecessary digital resources and optimization of hardware, cloud, and energy usage
>Employee engagement via a gamified module that supports onboarding and helps identify sustainability champions

Ultimately, we enable organizations to make sustainability a profitable, data-driven strategy,  not just a compliance checkbox.

What market are you targeting, and what opportunities do you see for your startup in that space?
We are targeting the rapidly growing Sustainable IT market, valued at USD 8.8 billion, driven by regulatory pressure, ESG obligations, and climate commitments. Our core clients are large organizations and public institutions with complex digital infrastructures, often facing a disconnect between IT strategies and sustainability goals, leading to hidden emissions, inflated costs, and inefficiencies. MIKUJY bridges this gap with a SaaS platform that connects IT decisions to their environmental and financial impact. We aim to become the go-to platform for Sustainable IT governance, offering cost-efficient and impactful solutions.

What are some key milestones or accomplishments your team has reached so far?
>CHF 1M in revenue, fully bootstrapped, showing strong market traction
>Named “Most Innovative and Promising Start-up” at MWC 2024
>Invited to speak at the World Economic Forum on sustainability and AI
>Collaborated with Swiss cantons on integrating Sustainable IT into 2030 Climate Plans
>Contributed to the first study of the IT footprint in Switzerland
>Led Switzerland’s first Sustainable IT benchmark for public and private sectors

These milestones reflect our ability not only to innovate but also to help shape the Sustainable IT agenda at both national and international levels.

What do you expect from the Sword Startup Challenge, and how do you see it contributing to your company’s development?
We see the Sword Startup Challenge as a key opportunity to accelerate the development of our SaaS platform. With Mikujy growing rapidly, the 500-hour package of development and consulting services would help us enhance our AI-driven recommendation engine and scalability. We are also excited about the 12-month commercial follow-up, which could open doors to strategic partnerships with large European clients.

In what ways does Switzerland present an opportunity for your business?
Switzerland provides an ideal launchpad for Mikujy, with its concentration of multinational headquarters in finance, pharma, energy, and industry. This enables us to scale globally while working locally. Access to key decision-makers and the presence of Geneva’s international institutions offer unique opportunities to align digital sustainability with global climate goals. Additionally, Switzerland’s cost-efficiency makes it a strong test market for our impact-focused SaaS solution.