Geneva backs three start-ups tackling smell, shipping, and cyber threats

Three Geneva-based start-ups have received seed funding through the FONGIT Innovation Fund (FIF), supporting innovations in olfactory diagnostics, AI-powered maritime chartering, and SME cybersecurity.

The FONGIT Innovation Fund (FIF) has awarded seed funding to three Geneva-based start-ups, supporting early-stage innovations across medtech, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. The grants, administered by FONGIT with support from the State of Geneva, Fondation Modus, the UN International Trade Centre, and the UN Environment Programme, are designed to accelerate innovation within Geneva’s economy.

UNBOOUND Medical Technologies SA, a medtech start-up and spin-off from The Rockefeller University developed in close collaboration with the Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) and the University of Geneva, received CHF 100,000 in FIF Seed Tech funding. Led by Dr. Julien Wen Hsieh, the company is developing SMELL-RS, a standardized measure of human olfactory function that is comparable across individuals, populations, and countries. The platform addresses a longstanding clinical gap: existing olfactory tests are constrained by cultural bias and biological variability, limiting reliable diagnostic assessment. SMELL-RS has direct relevance to the early detection of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, where olfactory dysfunction is a recognized early biomarker. The funding will support platform development and CE marking.

Precise Intelligence, a Geneva-based AI platform built by experienced shipbrokers, received CHF 50,000 in FIF Seed Digital funding. The company automates vessel shortlisting, position list management, and market monitoring for the maritime chartering industry, one of the last major sectors still relying heavily on manual, fragmented workflows. Developed in partnership with Innosuisse and HEG Geneva, the platform integrates directly into existing tools used by shipping professionals.

Ystorian SA, supported by Trust Valley, the Lake Geneva region’s center of excellence for digital trust and cybersecurity, also received CHF 50,000 in FIF Seed Digital funding. The company offers SMEs a real-time dashboard for continuous cybersecurity posture monitoring, making professional-grade security assessment accessible to companies that typically lack the resources to manage cyber risk on an ongoing basis.