Zurich, 08.02.2012 – Start-up company Uepaa is the first player worldwide that turns smartphones into alpine life-saving devices. Uepaa commercializes technology that will turn these phones into alpine tracking, alert and rescue devices, which connect to other phones directly (without the need for a telecom infrastructure) using a disruptive wireless peer-to-peer technology.
The financing round includes Cantonal Bank of Zurich and private investors coming aboard through the platform investiere run by Verve Capital Partners AG. Both financiers each contributed about a third of the financing. The remaining third comes from other private and corporate investors. „We are extremely pleased with the closing of this financing round. First, our target investment volume of CHF 1.5 million has been exactly met. Secondly, we attracted investors, as well as experienced board members, that will be crucial for our success. Uepaa“s board now includes Dr. Rolf Baumgartner, an investiere investor, as Chairman of the Board, Dr. Claus Martini and Michel Kaufmann. In this ideal constellation, I am sure we can accomplish our vision to create the Next Alpine Safety Standard,“ said Mathias Haussmann, CEO of Uepaa.
Regarding the partnership with investiere, Mathias Haussmann comments: „investiere proved to be a strong partner: many of its private investors are entrepreneurs well known in Switzerland and abroad. A special thanks goes to the investiere team for its extremely valuable support in structuring and coordinating the deal. They clearly understand the issues every startup is confronted with and helped me navigate the complex process of a demanding financing round.“ For investiere, the closing marks a new record. Its registered investors contributed around CHF 537″000 to the round, whereof CHF 457’000 via the platform.
Uepaa AG was founded on January 31st 2012 in Zurich and is now ready to launch and hiring mobile developers. The funds raised will be used to transfer this unique technology from ETH Zurich, in order to complete the development of the product, as well as to commence marketing and sales efforts in its pilot market, the European Alps.
About Uepaa
Uepaa AG, a company founded 2012 by Mathias Haussmann and Dr. Franck Legendre is supported by different industry partners such as Rega, the most important national rescue partner as well as by venturelab, venturekick, the W.A. de Vigier Foundation, >>venture>>, Innovation Promotion Agency (CTI) and Volkswirtschaftsstiftung Zürich. Uepaa tracks and finds alpinists even in areas without network coverage, and turns phones into avalanche rescue beacons. Starting in 2011, Uepaa has conducted several functional tests as well as field tests (e.g. in snow) to evaluate the capabilities of this disruptive technology. Now it“s time to make this lab technology ready for the pocket! www.uepaa.ch
About Verve Capital Partners and investiere
investiere is a financier that facilitates innovative investments in quality Swiss start-ups through a transparent platform for private investors. A hybrid model, investiere combines the established practices of traditional venture capital with elements of e-finance and social media. Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital and Finance experience combined with a cultivated network of curators and experts allows investiere to evaluate hundreds of business plans a year and pre-select the best Swiss start-ups – so the investor doesn“t have to. In order to be listed on the platform, each start-up is put through a rigorous due diligence process. After approval, the investors directly choose their own investments. investiere“s success is tied to the success of the start-ups. investiere is operated by Verve Capital Partners, a Swiss AG based in Zug, Switzerland. investiere: the Swiss Silicon Valley on- and offline. www.investiere.ch
Cantonal Bank of Zurich (ZKB)
Zürcher Kantonalbank is the market-leading full-service bank in the Zurich region and has a national as well as an international focus. Zürcher Kantonalbank invests through its bank-owned venture-fund PIONIER every year risk capital in about 20 start-up companies in the Zurich economic area. By doing so, Zürcher Kantonalbank assists the transfer of ideas into economy. www.zkb.ch
About investiere and Verve Capital Partners:
Verve Capital Partners, a Swiss AG based in Zug, Switzerland was founded in 2007. With the goal to develop and implement innovative financing concepts, in February 2010, the team at Verve Capital Partners launched investiere (www.investiere.ch) and opened a previously insulated and elusive market of innovative Swiss start-ups to the general public via an online platform.
In contrast to crowdfunding companies, investiere is a hybrid model that combines the established practices of traditional venture capital with elements of e-finance and social media. All start-ups featured on the site go through a rigorous due diligence process and investors are able to choose the start-up that sparks their unique interest.
investiere delivers its services together with its strong cultivated global network of entrepreneurs, investors, subject matter experts and partners.
Kontakt:
Verve Capital Partners AG
Steffen Wagner
Feldhof 28
CH-630 Zug
steffen.wagner@verve-capital.com
+41 44 3802935
http://www.investiere.ch