Swissnex in Brazil

This year, Mabe Bio was honoured to participate in the 10th Academy-Industry Training (AIT) programme in Brazil and Switzerland. The Academy-Industry Training (AIT) is a training camp for Brazilian and Swiss scientists, launched and organised by Swissnex in Brazil in collaboration with the University of St.Gallen (HSG), the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI). AIT aims to connect promising researcher-entrepreneurs with industry, enabling them to transition their high-level research projects from the lab to the market. The first phase took place in Brazil and was filled with workshops, mentorship sessions, technical visits, and networking events. We extend a special thank you to Pierre Hagmann, the Consul General of Switzerland in São Paulo, for hosting the celebration of the 10th anniversary of this prestigious programme. We would also like to express our gratitude to the exceptional professionals Jaana Goeggel, Bianca Campos and the Swissnex in Brazil TEAM (Rocío Quiroga, Isabela Temístocles Gomes, Larissa Hess, Sofia Costa, Audrey Tavares Fernandes). Excitingly, MABE Bio won third place in the Pitch Competition alongside AIPER! Thank you for believing in our work, and we look forward to the second phase of the programme!

Meet Larissa Hess, our Finance & Program Manager at Swissnex in Brazil, based in the São Paulo office. 🇧🇷🇨🇭 With a Brazilian-Swiss background, Larissa brings a unique blend of cultures to our team. She’s passionate about travel, good food, and enjoying life to the fullest, always seeking new experiences. 🏃♀️ Outside of work, she stays active to keep her mind sharp and body healthy. At work, Larissa is the backbone that keeps everything on track—organized, firm, and incredibly efficient. 💪 Her warm and considerate nature ensures our team stays connected, happy, and motivated.🤗 A great listener and a reliable problem-solver, Larissa's dedication to excellence makes her an invaluable part of our team.✨️ Reach out to her on LinkedIn to connect! 🤝

The 10th edition of the Academia-Industry Training (AIT) program brought together 22 outstanding startups from Brazil and Switzerland to foster innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship. 🚀 Here’s a sneak peek at the highlights! 🎥 From insightful training sessions, workshops, and cultural experiences to the thrilling Final Pitch Competition, the journey was packed with learning, inspiration, and opportunities. We are immensely grateful to all participants, partners, and collaborators who made this milestone edition unforgettable. 🙌 📽️ Stay tuned—our full aftermovie is coming soon! 🤝 The Academia-Industry Training is a partnership between Swissnex in Brazil, the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI, the Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, the Institute of Management in Latin America - University of St.Gallen and CNPq.

🌟🌍 What an adventurous week in Brazil! 🚀   I was honored to be part of the 10th Cycle of the Academia-Industry Training (AIT) program in Brazil!   This transformative journey, organized by Swissnex in Brazil, University of St.Gallen, CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) and the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), immersed us in Brazil's dynamic innovation ecosystem. Alongside 10 other Swiss startups, we explored partnerships, connected with key players in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and discovered synergistic opportunities for collaboration between Switzerland and Brazil.   My key learnings come from the multitude of discussions with fellow founders with whom we created a fun and trustful environment to exchange best practices and to ideate on common challenges and opportunities. Let's keep up the great exchanges: Mark Essam Zahran Rey Fernando Verboonen Ailton Pereira Marina Belintani and others!   The intensive (and fun!) program included among others: - Immersive tours at: Swissnex offices, corporates like Bayer or Suzano, R&D institutions: STATE, IPT, Fiocruz, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro Technological Park with SENAI CETIQT, Rio Maravalley and impact hubs like the AYA Earth Partners and Arca hub. - Engaging workshops and expert-led sessions on business models, corporate venture capital, legal key insights for doing business in Brazil, and sustainable innovation. - Networking at the AIT Celebration Night at the Swiss Residence of the Swiss Consulate. - Pitch Competition   A big thank you to Swissnex in Brazil, the AIT program, and our co-participants for fostering cross-border collaboration. ✨ Dr. Rocío Robinson-Wiedemann Isabela Temístocles Gomes Larissa Hess Carolina Oettinger Vincent Neumann Sofia Costa Audrey Tavares Fernandes Luana Sigrist Campos See you soon for the second week of the program, this time in Switzerland!   #Treeless #AITBrazil2024 #InnovationWithoutBorders #Sustainability #BioEconomy #SwissBrazilCollaboration

🌿 Exciting News! 🌍 After five years of hard work, dedication, and countless hours in the jungle, our team has been awarded the #XPRIZE Rainforest Bonus Prize! 🏆 This prestigious recognition honours our commitment to co-developing inclusive biodiversity monitoring technologies in collaboration with local communities (well done David Dao!). 🤖🌱🤝 One of my highlights of this journey has been our pioneering use of drones to collect environmental DNA (eDNA). In just four years, we advanced from the first proof-of-concept for remotely collecting eDNA from a single tree branche to deploying a fully autonomous system capable of surveying eDNA across 100 hectares of rainforest and at all canopy layers. 🤖 🌳 🧬 A massive thank-you to Steffen Kirchgeorg, Christian Geckeler, Emanuele Aucone, Kristy Deiner, and Loïc Pellissier for making this incredible developments possible. Special thanks to Leyla R. and the Zoo Zürich for allowing us to test and validate our robots in the Masoala Rainforest, and to Eidg. Forschungsanstalt WSL for hosting my research activity over the past five years! We’re so proud of these achievements, which highlight the power of collaboration and innovation in advancing environmental conservation. Thank you to all ETH BiodivX team members and everyone who supported us along the way! 🙏🌎 Stay tuned—this is just the beginning! With namu, we aim to make biodiversity monitoring accessible to everyone, everywhere.

We’re so thrilled to announce the winners of the #XPRIZERainforest competition! 🥇Limelight Rainforest  🥈Map of Life Rapid Assessments  🥉Brazilian Team 🏆 Bonus Prize winner: ETH BiodivX These teams developed technologies that hold the potential to radically transform how we monitor and protect biodiversity around the world. We are incredibly proud of all of the hard work and dedication XPRIZE Rainforest teams have put into their technologies over the past five years. A big congratulations to all of the winners! We also want to give a special thanks to Alana for all of their support in bringing this groundbreaking and impactful prize to life. To learn more about the XPRIZE Rainforest winners, visit here. https://lnkd.in/gB5xJ7xW cc: Instituto Alana, Colorado Mesa University, Yale University, Map of Life, Brazilian Team_Rainforest, Swissnex in Brazil, ETH Zürich, GainForest.Earth

Congratulations to the inspiring ETH BiodivX team for their remarkable accomplishment at the XPRIZE Rainforest Awards! 🎉 The final phase of the competition took place in the Amazon Rainforest, and the award ceremony was at Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim in Rio de Janeiro. The XPRIZE Rainforest, a visionary $10 million competition spanning five years, brought together innovators from diverse fields – conservationists, Indigenous scientists, engineers, and roboticists – to drive transformative solutions for rainforest conservation. While the ETH BiodivX team earned a prestigious place among the finalists, their work is creating a lasting impact on biodiversity mapping and rainforest monitoring. 💚 By leveraging advanced technology, the team has helped to redefine how we monitor and protect tropical ecosystems, making strides in conservation that will echo for years to come. 🌿 Their achievement is a testament to innovation, dedication, and hope for our planet's future. 🌎 We couldn't be prouder of the ETH BiodivX team! 🌱 Stefano Mintchev Kristy Deiner Dr. David Dao Andrea Desiderato #XPRIZERainforest #Innovation #Biodiversity #Sustainability #RainforestConservation

✨ Meet Sarah Riedi, Yaroslav Sarad, Ilias Schneider, and Emile Warnery, recent VET graduates now in Brazil for the VET Next Step Program! 🎓 Each holds a Federal Diploma in Business Administration from Switzerland, where two-thirds of young people choose the VET pathway. This diploma combines industry-developed training with hands-on skills, paving the way to diverse careers. ⚙️ Sarah, skilled in digital service management, aims to optimize customer experiences. 🔷 Yaroslav, a logistics specialist, is set to streamline fulfillment processes. 📉 Ilias, focused on revenue growth, seeks opportunities for business expansion. 💡 Émile, with a digital commerce background, aims to enhance online customer engagement. 🤝 The #NextStep Program, led by the Education Departments of #Vaud and #Zürich, offers Swiss VET graduates a 6-12 month internship with a Swiss company in São Paulo. This unique opportunity builds skills, fosters cultural exchange, and offers international work experience. 🇧🇷 We’re thrilled with this collaboration to empower Swiss graduates with #internationalexperience through the #NextStep VET Program. We wish them a warm welcome and are looking forward to following their international journey in Brazil! 🍀

🌿 Big news: We're just days away from the grand finale of the #XPRIZERainforest competition, where the winners will be announced at #G20 Brasil 2024 in Rio de Janeiro! After five years of innovation and dedication, finalist teams are set to unveil technologies that could transform how we understand, conserve, and protect rainforests worldwide. 💚 From driving conservation policies to supporting sustainable bioeconomies, these innovations will make a lasting impact. 🤩 Don’t miss this moment! Stay tuned to see the results of this incredible journey!

On the last day of #AIT10, our sciencepreneurs wrapped up the program with a full day of inspiration, connection, and future vision! 🌟 🧪 The day kicked off with a visit to Pólen - Fiocruz, where participants had the unique opportunity to explore Fiocruz’s vast research portfolio and connect with one of Brazil’s most renowned institutions in biological sciences. Special thanks to Carlos Eduardo and Liana Paraguassu for guiding us through insights on Fiocruz’s work and perspectives on scientific advancement. 🚀 In the afternoon, the group headed to Parque Tecnológico da UFRJ, a dynamic hub that brings together 71 resident institutions. Participants discovered UFRJ’s vibrant ecosystem and learned about the impact of UFRJ’s technological innovations through an inspiring tour led by the SENAI CETIQT and Laboratório de Métodos Computacionais em Engenharia (LAMCE/COPPE/UFRJ) teams. 🎉 The day closed with a dinner at Draper Startup House, where participants shared their final impressions, celebrated this transformative journey, and looked forward to the next exciting phase: a training camp in Switzerland! 🇨🇭 🤝 A huge thank you to all partners, mentors, and participants who made the AIT 10 journey unforgettable. 🤩 Stay tuned for more updates as our AIT alumni embark on their next adventure!