Meeco, an Australian data privacy and decentralised identity pioneer joins 36cutting-edge startups from 14 countries to accelerate innovation with Europe's leading corporations
Zurich, September 9, 2025 – Meeco, the pioneering Australian company delivering the Secure Data Exchange (SVX) platform developed on Privacy-by-Design and Security-by-Design principles, has been selected to join the prestigious 2025 KickStart Innovation cohort. This announcement comes as Switzerland reinforces its position as Europe's innovation capital, with KickStart Innovation marking a decade of celebrating innovation, collaboration, and impact across industries and sectors.
KickStart received over 1000 applications across 5 verticals and 50 countries for this year’s program resulting in the 36 successful scale-ups kicking off at Kraftwerk Zurich starting September 9, 2025.
Meeco Positions for Switzerland's Digital Identity Future
Meeco's selection comes at a pivotal moment for Switzerland's digital transformation. With Swiss voters scheduled to decide on the Federal Act on Electronic Identification Services (e-ID Act) on September 28, 2025, the country stands on the brink of establishing a comprehensive digital identity infrastructure. If successful, this vote will launch a digital network across Switzerland, creating opportunities for extensive use cases spanning government, finance, insurance, health, retail, and mobility sectors.
Meeco's participation in KickStart Innovation positions the company strategically ahead of this potential digital transformation. "We wanted to be on the ground ahead of the vote to start forging relationships and demonstrate Meeco’s Secure Value Exchange (SVX) capabilities across various sectors," said Katryna Dow, Meeco CEO & Founder. "This collaboration allows us to work directly with established European companies while showcasing how our privacy-preserving data exchange platform can support Switzerland's digital future."
The company's main role in the program will be to help established European partner companies accelerate their innovation through practical applications of Meeco's secure data and identity exchange and privacy-preserving solutions – capabilities that will become increasingly valuable as Switzerland potentially implements its new digital identity system.
Record-Breaking 2025 Cohort: 95% AI-Powered Innovation
The Open Innovation Program brings together 36 AI-powered startups from 14 countries, with one quarter being Swiss companies developing technologies like real-time deepfake detection, next-generation food systems, and biological age testing. Building on a decade-long track record that saw alumni startups raise over CHF 2.8 billion by 2024, this year's cohort will work on practical solutions for health, nutrition, and technology challenges through partnerships with major Swiss employers, including AXA, City of Zurich, Coop, la Mobilière, MSD, PostFinance/VNTR, Swisscom, and more.
"These aren't just tech experiments. They're the solutions that will define Switzerland's competitive edge in the next decade," says Katka Letzing, CEO and Co-Founder of Kickstart Innovation. "From sustainable materials to preventive health and AI-driven innovation, Switzerland offers the perfect stage for this: highly interconnected, quality-oriented, and decisive. The recently launched Swiss {ai} Weeks initiative, which Kickstart proudly co-initiated, further reinforces this position."
Global Innovation Meets Swiss Excellence
Highlighting Switzerland's role as both an innovation hub and a launchpad for global growth, one quarter of the cohort are Swiss startups, many originating from university spin-offs and tech hubs. International startups like Meeco also joined the cohort to establish a market entry in Switzerland, underscoring the country's global appeal as a thriving ecosystem for innovation, collaboration, and business growth.
The diverse 2025 cohort includes innovative technologies across multiple sectors:
Genknowme (Lausanne) offers an epigenetic blood test revealing biological age and stress-related changes, positioning Switzerland at the forefront of the global longevity medicine market.
Aurigin.ai (Zurich) has developed technology for real-time detection of deepfakes in audio and video content, a critical defense as AI-generated misinformation threatens democratic processes and corporate communications worldwide.
Meeco (Australia) delivers enterprise infrastructure to build verified trust into every digital journey. The Meeco SVX platform provides an API to enable individuals and organisations to privately and securely access, protect and exchange personal data and digital identity.
WeShop AI (Hong Kong) offers a platform that uses AI to generate product and model images for e-commerce, enabling users to create visuals from a single photo without complex editing.
Infrared.city (Vienna) delivers an AI-powered platform that transforms environmental modeling for the built environment, providing microclimate simulations to help architects and urban planners design more sustainable cities.
Strategic Partnership Opportunities
For Meeco, participation in KickStart Innovation means direct collaboration with corporations focused on solving real-world challenges. The program facilitates partnerships across five key verticals: Health & Wellbeing, Finance & Insurance (including Cybersecurity), Food & Retail, New Work & Learning, and Smart Cities – all areas where secure data exchange and privacy-preserving technologies are becoming essential operational requirements.
Corporate partners gain practical benefits including faster product development, enhanced data security capabilities, and access to Meeco's proven secure data exchange solutions. This partnership model has demonstrated success, with KickStart having supported 490+ startups since 2015 and facilitated CHF 2.8 billion in collective investments.
Beyond Innovation: Mission 2050 and Social Impact
Beyond startup partnerships, Kickstart also empowers internal transformation within leading organizations through its Academy and Intrapreneurship Programs, which guide employees from idea generation to venture creation. Mission 2050 aligns innovation programming with Switzerland's strategic goals in circular economy, sustainability, and social inclusion, contributing to an ecosystem that's both future-ready and impact-driven.
The Beyond Services for Social Inclusion initiative (BSSI), within the Mission 2050 program, brings together AXA Switzerland and Kickstart Innovation to explore innovative solutions that close critical gaps within communities. "Partnering with startups through Kickstart allows us to address societal challenges in new ways. By co-creating solutions, we can improve resilience and inclusion across Switzerland while staying at the forefront of innovation," said Daniel Steingruber, Open Innovation Lead, AXA Switzerland.
Why Switzerland Matters for Global Innovation
At a time when companies need to think globally but act locally, Switzerland provides the ideal testing ground: manageable, connected, and pragmatic. This is precisely what makes it attractive to international startups seeking equal partnerships. For Meeco, Switzerland's reputation for quality, precision, and data privacy aligns perfectly with the company's mission to enable secure, privacy-preserving data exchange.
All pilot projects and partnerships will be presented at Kraftwerk Zurich on November 12, 2025, providing Swiss businesses and investors with first access to breakthrough technologies and partnership opportunities.
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About KickStart Innovation Since 2015, KickStart Innovation has been Europe's premier open innovation platform, connecting startups with 200+ corporate partners and supporting 490+ startups. The program has facilitated CHF 2.8 billion in collective investments, focusing on solving global challenges through innovation across Health & Wellbeing, Finance & Insurance, Food & Retail, New Work & Learning, and Smart Cities.
Media Contact: For more information, please contact: press@kickstart-innovation.com
