AI Enables Reshoring of Production to Europe

Forgis Receives CHF 150,000 (USD 189,000) from Venture Kick AI Enables Reshoring of Production to Europe

2025-11-18 Source: Venturelab | Translated by AI 2 min Reading Time

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Europe's industry suffers from relocation, rising costs, and dependency on China and the USA. The startup Forgis has developed an AI automation platform that increases efficiency and flexibility, enabling the reshoring of production to Europe. For this, Forgis receives CHF 150,000 (USD 189,000) in support from Venture Kick.

CTO Riccardo Maggioni, CPO Camilla Mazzoleni, and CEO Federico Martelli from the ETH Zurich and HSG startup Forgis.(Image: Forgis) — CTO Riccardo Maggioni, CPO Camilla Mazzoleni, and CEO Federico Martelli from the ETH Zurich and HSG startup Forgis.
(Image: Forgis)

For years, European industry shifted its production abroad, prioritizing cost reduction over long-term strategies. Ten years later, China has absorbed industrial expertise and now surpasses in terms of pricing, while the USA leads in innovation. Western companies are caught between these two forces—with shrinking margins and growing dependency. The only sustainable option is the reshoring of production to reignite innovation. However, high labor and automation costs in Europe have so far hindered this progress.

Smarter And More Cost-Efficient Automation

The ETH and HSG startup Forgis enables this reshoring by making automation smarter, faster, and more cost-efficient. Its hardware- and application-independent AI platform acts as a "software brain" at the machine level, accelerating robot programming by a factor of four and reducing downtime through early detection and resolution of failures. This innovation increases flexibility, minimizes waste, and strengthens manufacturers' global competitiveness.

The market for industrial automation and smart manufacturing has a volume of over one trillion US dollars and is rapidly growing due to AI-driven innovation. Forgis has already established a strategic partnership with IBM, successfully completed initial pilot projects, and secured commitments from Fortune 500 companies. The CHF 150,000 (USD 189,000) from Venture Kick will accelerate sales development and further advance product development.

The founding team combines technical and entrepreneurial expertise. CEO Federico Martelli, with a Master's in Strategy and International Management (SIM) from the University of St. Gallen (HSG), leads the company together with CPO Camilla Mazzoleni and CTO Riccardo Maggioni, both from ETH Zurich's robotics department. With experience in robotics, software development, and business strategy, the team drives innovative solutions for the automation sector. "Venture Kick was crucial in giving us this milestone-oriented external push—to close the deal now, develop the feature now, and implement things now," emphasizes CEO Federico Martelli.

About Venture Kick

The philanthropic initiative Venture Kick provides Swiss startups with up to 150,000 CHF (USD 189,000) in seed funding and offers a clearly structured entrepreneurial path to building a successful company. Startups present their projects in three stages before expert panels to secure funding, receive direct feedback, and gain access to an international network of 200 successful entrepreneurs and investors. Venture Kick winners can also receive an InnoBooster grant of 150,000 CHF (USD 189,000) as well as an additional investment of 850,000 CHF (USD 1,071,000) from the Kickfund.

Since its launch in 2007, Venture Kick has supported 1,121 Swiss startup projects with a total of 80 million CHF (USD 101 million) from private donations. Thanks to financial support, coaching, and its investor network, 750 successful startups have emerged, creating 14,500 jobs. Venture Kick alumni companies have attracted 9 billion CHF
(USD 11.30 billion) in investments and represent 66 companies in the TOP 100 Swiss Startups Ranking 2025.

Venture Kick is an initiative of the Kick Foundation, launched and supported by a private consortium, and operated by Venturelab. Supporting foundations and philanthropic partners include the Gebert Rüf Stiftung, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Fondation Alcea, Hauser-Stiftung, André Hoffmann, Hansjörg Wyss, Martin Haefner, Fondation ProTechno, ESA BIC Switzerland, Swisscom, Lichtsteiner Foundation, and the Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation.

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Forgis Receives CHF 150,000 (USD 189,000) from Venture Kick AI Enables Reshoring of Production to Europe

Smarter And More Cost-Efficient Automation

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