Scientific breakthroughs can reshape entire industries, but identifying which discoveries have commercial potential is often a complex and time consuming process. From research papers and patents to company databases and industry developments, valuable information is scattered across numerous sources. Swiss deeptech startup Prismus aims to bridge this gap through artificial intelligence, and it has secured €163,000 in funding from Venture Kick to advance its Lupa platform and help businesses transform scientific knowledge into commercial opportunities.
Venture Kick Supports the Startup’s Growth
Prismus has received CHF 150,000, equivalent to approximately €163,000, from Swiss startup support initiative Venture Kick. The funding will help the company expand its AI powered platform, strengthen its presence in deeptech markets and onboard individual users.
Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, Prismus is developing technology designed to connect scientific research with industrial decision making. Its platform, Lupa, brings together information about research, patents, companies and market activity, helping businesses identify relevant opportunities without relying entirely on time consuming manual searches.
The company has already secured its first 30 paying customers, providing an early indication of demand for tools that simplify scientific intelligence and commercial research.
Connecting Science With Industry
Scientific research frequently produces discoveries with applications across sectors such as biotechnology, photonics, quantum technology and advanced engineering. However, companies may struggle to identify which research developments align with their products, where relevant expertise exists or which organisations could become valuable partners.
Traditional research methods often require teams to search multiple databases, review technical publications and manually compare findings. This process can slow down business development, market assessment and strategic planning.
Lupa aims to simplify this process by bringing scientific and industrial information into a searchable platform. Rather than treating research documents and business information as separate resources, the technology is designed to connect them and reveal relationships that could lead to commercial applications.
AI Agents Identify Relevant Opportunities
The platform uses AI agents to analyse connected information sources and identify potentially valuable markets, companies, researchers and business partners. These opportunities can then be ranked according to their technological relevance and potential fit.
For example, a deeptech company developing a specialised scientific instrument could use the platform to identify research institutions working in related fields, businesses that may need its technology or potential partners with complementary expertise.
Lupa also aims to make its insights traceable by linking recommendations to verifiable sources. This allows users to examine the information behind an identified opportunity rather than relying solely on automated suggestions.
By organising fragmented information into actionable intelligence, Prismus hopes to help businesses uncover opportunities that conventional market research might overlook.
An Experienced Team Behind Lupa
Prismus brings together a multidisciplinary founding team combining expertise in artificial intelligence, software engineering and business development.
Chief Executive Officer Elisabeth Blyumin leads the company alongside Timen van Gelderen, its Chief Technology Officer, Gonçalo Hora de Carvalho, its Chief AI Officer, and Peter Kempin, its Chief Revenue Officer.
Reflecting on the company’s experience with Venture Kick, Blyumin said the programme had challenged the team and encouraged it to move into its next phase of development. She also highlighted the intensive and rewarding nature of the organisation’s Kickers Camps.
Scaling AI Powered Scientific Intelligence
With its new funding, Prismus plans to expand Lupa’s capabilities and strengthen its reach across deeptech markets. The company also intends to make the platform accessible to more individual users while continuing to develop its customer base.
Its broader ambition is to reduce the distance between scientific discovery and industrial adoption. By helping businesses understand emerging technologies, identify relevant expertise and prioritise promising commercial relationships, Prismus is positioning Lupa as a tool for organisations operating in research intensive industries.
As scientific information continues to grow, the startup is betting that AI can help businesses navigate this complexity and turn previously disconnected knowledge into meaningful commercial decisions.