TUUS gets CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick
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The Vaud-based foodtech startup TUUS has obtained CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick to advance a plant-based hydrogel platform for the controlled release of nutrients and active compounds. The technology aims to provide more stable absorption and improved tolerance in applications ranging from sports nutrition to pharmaceuticals.
Endurance athletes often rely on energy gels that cause sugar spikes, stomach discomfort, and uneven energy delivery. More broadly, many oral delivery systems for nutrients and drugs struggle to provide stable absorption over time, reducing effectiveness and adherence while increasing side effects.
TUUS addresses this challenge with HyCORE®™, a patent-pending hydrogel platform designed for the constant-rate release of active compounds. Made entirely from natural, plant-based materials, the system enables adjustable delivery durations tailored to different nutritional and therapeutic needs while remaining cost-competitive with conventional delivery formats. Its first application is a next-generation energy gel designed to improve endurance fueling while reducing gastrointestinal stress and flavor fatigue.
TUUS is initially targeting the energy gel market, estimated at around USD 1 billion in 2025, before expanding into clinical nutrition and diabetes management, a combined opportunity estimated at around USD 60 billion in 2025. Through a B2B licensing and co-development model, the company aims to integrate HyCORE® into the portfolios of leading nutrition and healthcare players, scaling its controlled-release platform across markets and improving the lives of millions.
The CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick will be used to accelerate business development and team growth. TUUS will advance partner discussions, prepare co-development projects, and build the team and infrastructure needed to execute them.
The team, led by CEO Tiziano Caldara and CTO Pietro Nasturzio, combines expertise in chemistry, materials science, nutrition, and drug delivery. TUUS is supported by advisors Prof. Francesco Stellacci, Mark Migueis, and Jérôme Michaud, bringing expertise from academia, clinical and commercial partnership development, and industry.
“Venture Kick has been much more than funding for us. The programme helped us sharpen our business model, pressure-test our assumptions with experienced juries, and build credibility with investors and strategic partners,” highlighted Tiziano Caldara.
➡️ Source: Press Release Venture Kick | 📸 TUUS co-founders: CEO Tiziano Caldara and CTO Pietro Nasturzio