Phylax wins Swiss Innovation Award: Zünder Accelerator of Central Switzerland
Phylax Intelligence has won the main prize of the *zünder Award 2026, the accelerator for startups from Central Switzerland. The award comes with CHF 15,000 and was presented at the final in the Verkehrshaus der Schweiz in Lucerne.
Six finalists reached the final after seven months in the *zünder accelerator. Each team had five minutes on stage to pitch its business to a six-person jury. Phylax Intelligence was represented by Georg M. V. Olowson, Chairman and CEO, and Janik Bücher, CTO. Our pitch was about protecting people and critical infrastructure.
The jury recognised Phylax Intelligence for its AI-based solution for security and crisis teams.
What the jury saw
PHLX.AI is one intelligence layer over the systems security and crisis teams already run. It watches every feed, assesses each alarm against the team’s sites and procedures, prepares the response options, and writes the record as events unfold. The cameras, drones, weather feeds and open sources a control room relies on stay where they are. The platform already runs in live deployments with authorities and critical infrastructure operators.
The other winners
Second place and CHF 7,500 went to NativeAI from Lausanne for NativeAI Guard, which monitors enterprise AI interactions in real time. Tickagain from Bern took third place and CHF 2,500 for its online platform for watch repairs. The CHF 5,000 audience award went to Re-Rooted, whose 90-day programme helps international employees and their families settle in after a move. Congratulations to every finalist, and our thanks to the *zünder team, the jury and the coaches who carried us through the programme.
Read the full press release on Startupticker.
To talk to us, write to info@phlx.ai or book a demo.
About Phylax Intelligence. Phylax Intelligence builds PHLX.AI, a decision support platform for security and crisis teams protecting critical infrastructure. The company operates as Phylax AG in Rotkreuz, Switzerland and Phylax AI in Piraeus, Greece. Talk to us at info@phlx.ai.