2018 Startup GUIDE - 10th Edition

90 | COVER STORIES
INVOLI
Empowering a safer
smarter sky for all
LuckaBox
A platform enabling retailers
to offer tailored last mile
delivery services
TEAM
INVOLI
TEAM
LUCKABOX
INVOLI enables the safe integration of drones into
the air traffic, allowing new exciting applications
such as drone delivery or drone taxi.
INVOLI provides unique & critically-needed air traffic data to
drones, data gathered through a network of in-house developed
detection devices, deployed densely & comprehensively on a national-scale.
Nothing is added onto the drone as to not reduce its
autonomy, but rather detection devices are decentralized on the
ground. Currently, a large-scale proof of concept has been deployed
in partnership with Swisscom throughout Western Switzerland
covering an area of approximately 8,000 km². INVOLI’s
technology detects aircraft in real-time, especially the ones flying
low & at risk of hitting drones (notably in difficult conditions such
as cloudy day, sun in the eyes, high-flight of drones). In addition,
non-cooperative aircraft detection can be added upon request, as
well as various features of relevance to the integration of drones
into the airspace, such as local & real time weather data or automatic
collision avoidance mechanisms.
INVOLI intends to cover entirely Switzerland by 2020 & deploy
its system through pilot projects in targeted European & international
countries. This will require the extension of the capabilities
of its software & algorithms. The last challenge is regulatory. The
start-up wants to take advantage of EU future ground-breaking
framework for drones’ regulations. To do so, the start-up is currently
proving & assessing the usefulness of its system, thanks to
the nation-wide spread pilot project in Switzerland. The goal is to
showcase internationally & especially among the authorities that
INVOLI system is an essential brick in the establishment of a secure
framework for drones.
INVOLI SA | Renens | founded in 2017 | Aerospace,
Drones | Generated Capital: CHF 500k | Supported
by: ESA BIC CH, H2020 SME Instruments, be-advanced,
Innosuisse, Paris AI Challenge, Venture, Venture
Lab, Venture Kick
A logistics startup founded by two women takes a
customer-driven approach to shopping deliveries,
connecting (e-)retailers, shoppers and independent
carriers with a streamlined and flexible shared
platform.
Founded in September 2017 in Winterthur, Switzerland, Lucka-
Box’s vision is to become the largest on-demand supply platform
for deliveries and warehousing in Europe. Its mission is to enable
retailers and e-tailers, particularly in the Fashion, Technology,
Pharma and Luxury sectors, to put their customers into the driving
seat of their deliveries and hence gain a competitive edge.
The platform, which is integrated as a delivery option into the retailer’s
webshop or via a mobile tablet at the POS in stores, consolidates
shipments from the participating 28 bicycle and express
courier services. At the heart of the business model is a specially
developed algorithm which speeds up local deliveries to around
90 minutes or within a two-hour time window, while reducing costs
and ensuring highest quality and safety. LuckaBox was co-founded
by Aike Festini, who previously lead an IT department at Liberty
Global, and Maite Mihm, who brings the logistics knowledge.
The team currently comprises eight people.
LuckaBox is a winner of various competitions and prizes. It won
thanks to its smart use of existing couriers. LuckaBox’ key customers
include Jelmoli, Franz Carl Weber, STEG and many more.
As an upcoming leading European player, LuckaBox closed their
pre-seed round over kCHF 500,000 in May 2018. Currently reaching
30 percent of the Swiss population in under two hours, the
company has rolled out the solution in Vienna, Austria, and will
target Germany on its path to become the leading European player
in on-demand supply chain solutions.
LuckaBox Logistics AG | Winterthur | founded in 2017
| On Demand Delivery for (Online-)Retailers | Generated
capital: 500k | Supported by: Venture Kick,
Kickstart Accelerator, Innosuisse, Venturelab, IMD
www.involi.com
www.luckabox.ch
SWISS STARTUP GUIDE 2018