Although these subtleties make the performance realistic and compelling, they often elude both motion capture and hand animation. More recently, non-human primates could walk again too, using an innovative brain-spinal interface. The first clinical tests on patients have already started at the University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV).Īdditional Links In 2017, Venture Kick will pay out CHF 3 million to breakthrough idea-stage startup projects.The facial performance of an individual is inherently rich in subtle deformation and timing details. The research behind G-Therapeutics, carried at EPFL since more than a decade, enabled paralyzed rats to walk again in 2012.

In April 2016, the 2014 Venture Kick startup G-Therapeutics raised EUR 36 million to further develop a therapy combining a spinal cord implant with over ground support training, with the aim to help people with spinal-cord injuries to walk again.

G-THERAPEUTICS - 36 million to improve the life of people with spinal-cord injuries The EPFL spin-off won additional international recognition end October 2016, as its CEO Taj Tadi received the “Emerging Entrepreneur” Award by the “EY Entrepreneur of the Year” competition. MINDMAZE becomes Venture Kick’s first unicornĮarly 2016, the 2010 Venture Kick startup MindMaze closed a USD 100 million seed investment led by Hinduja Group for a valuation of more than USD 1 billion, and became the first “Venture Kick unicorn” in the history of the initiative. Faceshift’s technology was for example used in the latest Star Wars movie. The startup developed a technology to create animated avatars and other figures that capture a person’s facial expressions in real time. Register all year round on FACESHIFT acquired by AppleĪfter the rumor grew until late 2015, the acquisition of the 2013 Venture Kick winner Faceshift by Apple was finally confirmed by TechCrunch. This year Venture Kick will pay out CHF 3 million in total to kick breakthrough idea-stage startup projects and bring Swiss science to global markets. Learn more about some of the best successes of 2016 and get the 'kick' for your startup: CHF 130'000 in pre-seed capital, access to an extended network of investors and experts, and intensive hands-on execution support at the kickers camps. Venture Kick was the starting point for many successful startups. Venture kickers highlights: Faceshift, MindMaze, G-Therapeutics

Faceshift 2014