Where applied science becomes deep tech
CSEM’s ACCELERATE program is a co-creation engine. It pairs entrepreneurs with CSEM specialists who have already spent years perfecting the underlying technology, then opens the tools that matter: labs and cleanrooms, access to CSEM intellectual property, hands-on coaching, CSEM’s network, and targeted funding. Crucially, the platform supports both pathways.
With Inno Grant, CSEM intrapreneurs develop a business on top of CSEM technology. With the Start-up Booster Grant, external founders are seconded into CSEM to build on our technology with our teams. Together, these modules shorten the journey from prototype to product and prepare the transfer into an independent company. The result? A new generation of Swiss start-ups that combine deep tech innovation with real-world business traction.
CCRAFT: light-speed innovation
Our digital world runs on light, but today’s chips are hitting speed and energy limits. CSEM identified Thin-Film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) as the key to moving more data with far less power and spent years turning this difficult material into a reliable, industry-ready platform.
Founded in 2025 by Dr. Hamed Sattari and born from the Inno Grant program, CCRAFT is building Europe’s first dedicated TFLN photonic foundry: chips that route and process light instead of electricity. These components can make networks faster, greener, and ready for emerging quantum and sensing applications.
ACCELERATE helped turn CSEM’s R&D into design tools and shared production runs, creating an ecosystem of more than 60 partners. “We pioneered an open-access TFLN foundry service,” says Sattari. Pilot manufacturing is already underway in Neuchâtel, with early adopters in data centers, AI, quantum technologies, and precision sensing. Anchored in Switzerland, CCRAFT strengthens Europe’s photonics industry and supports high-skill jobs in a rapidly growing deep tech sector.
Watchibia: Swiss watchmaking meets digital health
Mechanical watches remain a symbol of Swiss identity, yet modern health tracking has largely moved to smartwatches. Watchibia bridges that divide. Founded by Olga Nijpels, the company has developed a premium smart strap that adds discreet health monitoring to almost any traditional watch. The product was further developed and matured within CSEM’s Booster Grant Program.
Inside the strap, ultra-low-power electronics are combined with advanced algorithms developed at CSEM. These algorithms enable reliable tracking of activity, sleep, stress, and heart-related indicators while keeping energy consumption to a minimum. “CSEM helped us further develop and industrialize our existing product, strengthening performance, robustness, and user confidence, while broadening our network within the Swiss innovation ecosystem,” says Ms. Nijpels.
The result is continuous, real-world health monitoring without changing user habits or replacing a beloved watch. In 2025, Watchibia became a finalist in the Healthcare Innovation World Cup, highlighting the global potential of combining Swiss watchmaking heritage with advanced digital-health expertise.