Swiss startup miros secures €1.1 million for reserveable workpods.

      The startup from Lausanne, which originated from EPFL’s robotics lab, has installed 15 pods throughout Switzerland and made its first international expansion with a unit in Toulouse. The founder’s long-term vision is to make commercial real estate modular and available on demand.

      The issue that miros addresses is evident in busy places like train stations, airports, or hospitals: individuals needing a private space to make calls, concentrate on work, or attend video meetings often have no suitable option.

      The company creates bookable, connected workpods—enclosed acoustic spaces that users can find, reserve, and unlock through a mobile app—and places these in public and semi-public areas where such facilities have traditionally been absent.

      miros has secured €1.1 million (CHF 1 million) in a pre-seed funding round from business angels to expand its network. Founded in 2023 by Dr. Fabio Zuliani, who earned his PhD at EPFL’s Reconfigurable Robotics Lab, the company emerged from the EPFL ecosystem, drawing on research in robotics and adaptive spaces. However, its current offering is intentionally simple: a well-crafted, acoustically private pod that can be installed where needed without significant construction or installation processes.

      The pods have been designed in collaboration with Lakabi, a furniture brand based in Lausanne, and are fully produced in Switzerland. Additionally, the Canton of Vaud has assisted in developing a version made from Swiss wood (Bois Suisse).

      Since its launch, miros has deployed 15 workpods and collaborated with partners like the SwissTech Convention Centre, Beaulieu, and Hôpital Riviera-Chablais. The company tested its concept at Geneva Airport’s GVA Runway Lab open-innovation program, verifying its product-market fit in real-world scenarios.

      In October, it marked its first international deployment by placing a pod at Village by Crédit Agricole in Toulouse, France. Total usage across all installations is nearing 350 hours. The manufacturing partnership with Ducommun Menuisiers was established through the SyNNergy grant from Innovaud, the innovation agency for the Canton of Vaud.

      The immediate plan for the pre-seed funds is clear: to deploy more pods across Switzerland, aiming for over 100 units by the end of 2026. However, Zuliani has suggested that the workpod is just the beginning. “We start with pods, but our ambition extends far beyond that,” he stated. “We are exploring how commercial real estate can become flexible, modular, and on demand. The pod is merely the first building block.”

      The company aims to announce several new partnerships in the upcoming months as it grows its presence in Switzerland.