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Freiburg - Vizcab has raised a total of 1.6 million euros as part of a financing round. The start-up is working on a method for the life cycle assessment of buildings. This solution can be used early on in the planning phase of a construction project.

According to a press release, Vizcab, a spin-off from the Fribourg site of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL Fribourg), has successfully raised a total of 1.6 million euros in venture capital. The start-up, which is headquartered in Lyon, France, has developed a new method that allows engineers to assess the energy efficiency of a building during the design phase. Vizcab intends to use this capital injection to initially boost efforts aimed at strengthening its foothold in France. In 18 to 24 months’ time, the start-up will look to conduct a series B financing round in order to drive forward expansion plans.

“Our start-up operates at the intersection of the digital and ecological transitions”, explains Thomas Jusselme, Founder and Head of Innovation at Vizcab, in the press release. His data-driven model is able to integrate greenhouse gas emissions targets into the early stages of the design process. Up until now, it has only been possible to calculate the environmental impact of a building once the design choices are set in stone.

With the new method, architects and engineers are able to input various construction possibilities into a web app developed by Vizcab. This web app runs thousands of simulations based on different design parameters such as heating, glazing and insulation

This method was devised by Building 2050, a team based at the Smart Living Lab of EPFL Fribourg. The first prototype was developed in collaboration with two EPFL labs, namely the Laboratory of Integrated Performance in Design (LIPID) and the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST). Moreover, the EPFL+ECAL lab and Human-IST Institute at the University of Fribourg (UNIFR) were also involved in the process.

“It’s always pleasing to hear that a spin-off operating a technology under license from EPFL has secured financing”, comments Frédéric Pont, a technology transfer manager at the university, in the press release, before adding: “And it’s especially welcome news in the midst of a global pandemic and economic uncertainty”.