welcome to our january newsletter
- Matteo Emmanuello
- 31 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Did January sprint past, or was that just us?! Regardless whether you're just back from vacation or already deep in work mode, we hope your 2026 is off to a strong start. At redalpine, the year has quickly kicked into high gear, featuring plenty of momentum across our portfolio, events including our ski day and office warming, and much more. Read on for all of our updates..
portfolio updates
Basecamp Research (RAC VII) unveiled EDEN-AI, a new family of foundation models designed to accelerate new gene therapies. Trained on Basecamp’s unique biological dataset derived largely from microbial life, EDEN-AI enables precise DNA insertion to unlock new approaches to treating previously untreatable cancers and genetic conditions. The announcement marks another milestone for the company alongside NVIDIA’s recently finalized pre-Series C investment. Read more in the Financial Times.
Hilo by Aktiia (RAC III) released a new UK report highlighting how low awareness of hypertension continues to drive late diagnosis and preventable cardiovascular disease. The findings reinforce why Hilo’s continuous, cuff-free blood pressure monitoring matters: early detection only works when measuring is effortless and insights are easy to understand. Read the full report here.
Infinite Roots (RAC IV) launched its first mushroom-based product range, bringing MushRoots into everyday retail by launching in more than 500 Rewe Nord stores and at Billa Plus in Austria. Built on mushrooms rather than soy or peas, Infinite Roots delivers rich umami flavour, high nutritional value, and a significantly lower environmental footprint, all without heavy processing. Read on in WiWo.
Mistral AI (Summit Fund) is expanding in Switzerland, growing its local team across machine learning, applied science, and research. Zurich has become one of Europe’s leading AI hubs, home to Google’s largest R&D center outside the US and others, anchored by ETH Zurich’s world-class AI research. For Mistral, this expansion is another strong signal that Switzerland is emerging as a global magnet for top-tier AI talent and founders.
redalpine in the news
We were featured by leading Swiss business publication BILANZ, where we share how we built our fund over the past 20 years, what we’ve learned investing across multiple economic cycles, and why the connection of software and science has been part of our DNA from day one. Read the feature here.
Tippinpoint featured the redalpine Summit Fund, our multi-stage evergreen fund designed to make professional venture capital more accessible. Read more here.
event highlights
Last week, we celebrated the opening of our new Zug office by bringing together founders, investors, and leaders from the local ecosystem. The evening featured founder presentations and fireside chats across AI, frontier tech, and emerging opportunities in European innovation, followed by lively conversations over an apéro. It was exactly the kind of gathering we hoped for: thoughtful, open, and future-focused.
We were honored to welcome Regierungsrätin Silvia Thalmann, highlighting Zug’s continued commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped turn this housewarming into a true community moment. We are excited to build from here!
We recently gathered in the Alps for our annual ski day, one of five times per year when the entire team from Switzerland, London, Berlin, and San Francisco gets together in person. Between the runs, long lunches, and obligatory après ski, it was great to have the opportunity to connect and build our team spirit outside of an office context.
what we’re reading
Why it matters: Andrew McCalip cuts through the hype around space-based data centers with first-principles modeling and a simple but uncomfortable question: why should compute in orbit be more valuable than compute on Earth? By comparing orbital solar-powered infrastructure with best-in-class terrestrial data centers, the analysis shows that while space-based compute is physically possible and more plausible than intuition suggests, the economics remain brutal. The piece highlights how launch costs, mass constraints, degradation, and thermal limits stack up against cheap electrons, mature supply chains, and operational efficiency on the ground. The takeaway is not dismissal, but rigor: orbital compute only works under extreme assumptions and near-total vertical integration, making it less a near-term business case and more a test of industrial ambition.