CHA Swiss startup founded by the Brunner family aimed to save bees by developing a thermal solution to combat the deadly Varroa mite. The idea involved heating bee hives to 41 degrees Celsius for three hours, which would kill the mites while leaving the bees unharmed. The company, Vatorex, received seven million francs in funding from investors and the European Union. However, the venture faced setbacks after a co-founder left due to health issues, and technical problems arose during field tests abroad. Despite initial success with 60 installations across several countries, the startup ultimately went bankrupt in May 2025. The founder, Pascal Brunner, admitted to making engineering mistakes and acknowledged his lack of business knowledge contributed to the failure.
Bias read (Center): The article discusses a scientific innovation related to beekeeping and does not involve political figures, policies, or ideological debates. It focuses on the development and failure of a technology aimed at solving a biological problem, without any apparent political framing or bias.
