Award-Winning Roots, Real-World Impact
At InnoThunder, we believe that powerful innovation starts with curiosity, deep research, and a bold vision.
Today, we’re proud to share more about the journey that brought us here — one rooted in scientific excellence, global recognition, and a relentless drive to make paragliding safer.
From High School Research to European Recognition
The foundation of our technology — including the intelligent Collapse Warning System (iCOWS) and the concepts behind our upcoming SaaS safety platform — began as a high school research project. But it didn’t stay there for long.
Led by our founder, Nicolas Huber, this early work quickly gained recognition across national and international science platforms:
- 🏅 High School & Canton of Zurich Research Awards
- 🥉 3rd Place + Honorary Prize at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS)
- 🧠 Swiss Youth in Science Honorary Prize – for national scientific excellence
- ✈️ ProAero Foundation Honorary Award – for contributions to aviation safety
📸 The project was even showcased in Switzerland’s Federal Palace (Bundeshaus) alongside top policymakers, highlighting its societal relevance and forward-looking innovation.
👉 Read the full research paper here (PDF)
Why It Matters
These awards aren’t just medals on a shelf — they validate the core of our technology:
- ✔️ Technical feasibility of iCOWS and our predictive algorithms
- ✔️ Human-centered design behind our SaaS platform
- ✔️ Credibility in the scientific, aviation, and startup communities
This recognition helped us build momentum and open doors — from early partnerships to pilot testing opportunities, and support from institutions like Innosuisse.
From R&D to Market Readiness
Today, we’re not just a research project — we’re a startup on a mission.
Our award-winning prototype has attracted early interest from pilots, flight schools, and industry stakeholders. We’re now moving full-speed ahead toward real-world testing, MVP development, and go-to-market strategy.
Backed by science. Driven by purpose.
We’re excited to take the next step in making smart flight safety a reality.
Stay tuned for our next update — and if you’re passionate about innovation, aviation, or pilot safety, we’d love to connect.
🪂 Safe flights,
Nicolas Huber
CEO, InnoThunder GmbH