Swiss Venture Guide
From the Idea to a Successful Company

Content 2011

Editorial
Cover Stories
Start-ups on the Way to Success

Updated Content

Venture Support
Investor Profiles
Startup Competitions

Cover Stories

2011

2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009

2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2010 2009

Editorial

The positive feedback from the Start-up Ecosystem in Switzerland
motived us to do it again.

The Swiss Venture Guide’s intention is to give future and actual entrepreneurs, investors, politicians and the general public a better understand of what a great country Switzerland is for Innovation.

In 2011 we are presenting you the Swiss Venture Guide 2011 as a Full Version again.

We added some interesting Cover Stories for you.

Potential Support Organizations for Swiss Start-ups are presented in a more detailled way again.

Of course you will discover the 10 Companies we believe are on the way to success. Not always an easy choice to make!

You will also find the Investor Profiles, all of them members of CTI Invest.

Furthermore an overview regarding Businessplan Competitions for high tech start-ups in Switzerland is provided.

To close see important and helpful Links on your way.

This edition of the Swiss Venture Guide was possible thanks to the great support of the Commission for Technology and Innovation CTI.

I wish you an encouraging reading, hope to meet you soon!

JEAN-PIERRE VUILLEUMIER
Managing Director CTI Invest
Financial Expert CTI Start-up

Cover Stories

This year we decided to add more interesting information regarding the Start-up Ecosystem in Switzerland.

The Cover Stories are following the simple rule:
Do good and talk about it!

Also actual trends and issues are addressed.

We would like to thank the contributors of the Cover Stories for making this edition more valuable.

The Swiss VC market - a sleeping beauty?

Successful growth strategies of early-stage companies

An entrepreneurially based grant-making foundation

The magic number 10 - congratulations

A Must for start-ups, investors and industrial companies

Capital for innovative start-ups

Start-ups on the Way to Success

In this section ten Swiss High Tech companies on the way to success
will be presented.

The criteria for selection were:

closing of one or several financial rounds > CHF 1 Mio.
and/or

having paying customers or a product ready for the market entry (except in Biotech).

Of course there are many more Swiss High Tech companies that would qualify for this section.

One other interesting aspect of these companies is, that they took advantage of most Swiss support organizations and got involved with investors related to CTI Invest.

Venture Support

Investor Profiles

In this section we present portraits of domestic and international venture capital investors and business angel networks. All of them are members of CTI Invest, the leading Swiss financing platform, which regularly organizes match-making but also networking events for Swiss high-tech companies and the investor members.

Today, CTI Invest has approx 80 members, most of them are profiled here.

Individual investors (business angels) are not portrayed for privacy reasons.

More information about CTI Invest, its members and events can be found here: www.cti-invest.ch

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

High-tech Gründerfonds

I

J

Johnson & Johnson Development Corp. (JJDC)

M

Mountain Club AG

N

O

Onelife Advisors SA

P

R

S

T

V

W

Wellington Partners

Z

Startup Competitions

	Short description / Eligibility	Prize
Prix Vittoz "Cap International" (visit) Short description / Eligibility Annual prize of CHF 100'000 for 3 Start-ups to visit and prepare the US market entry. Prize Prix Vittoz "Cap International" Deadline: n.a.	Prix Vittoz "Cap International" (visit) Annual prize of CHF 100'000 for 3 Start-ups to visit and prepare the US market entry.	Prix Vittoz "Cap International" Deadline: n.a.
Ypsomed Innovationspreis (visit) Short description / Eligibility Der Ypsomed Innovationsfonds bezweckt die Förderung innovativer Unternehmungen im Espace Mittelland und unterstützt sowohl branchenunabhängige Projektfinanzierungen von Firmen in Gründung, neu gegründete Firmen wie auch solche von bereits bestehenden Unternehmungen. Prize Ypsomed Innovationspreis CHF 50'000.--	Ypsomed Innovationspreis (visit) Der Ypsomed Innovationsfonds bezweckt die Förderung innovativer Unternehmungen im Espace Mittelland und unterstützt sowohl branchenunabhängige Projektfinanzierungen von Firmen in Gründung, neu gegründete Firmen wie auch solche von bereits bestehenden Unternehmungen.	Ypsomed Innovationspreis CHF 50'000.--
Trophée PERL (visit) Short description / Eligibility only for companies of the region of Lausanne Prize CHF 50’000 Deadline: January	Trophée PERL (visit) only for companies of the region of Lausanne	CHF 50’000 Deadline: January
Swiss Economic Award (visit) Short description / Eligibility yearly award for Swiss entrepreneurs with brillant achievement, max 6 years old Prize CHF 75’000 (total) Deadline: February	Swiss Economic Award (visit) yearly award for Swiss entrepreneurs with brillant achievement, max 6 years old	CHF 75’000 (total) Deadline: February
Prix BCN Innovation (visit) Short description / Eligibility At the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise (BCN) this prize was created to further develop the innovation in Neuchâtel. The first prize was given in 2009. Prize CHF 300'000 Deadline: February	Prix BCN Innovation (visit) At the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Banque Cantonale Neuchâteloise (BCN) this prize was created to further develop the innovation in Neuchâtel. The first prize was given in 2009.	CHF 300'000 Deadline: February
Venture Leaders (visit) Short description / Eligibility Scientists pursuing a concrete business opportunity based on their research and startup entrepreneurs with global growth ambitions. Prize 10 day business development program in Boston (USA) Deadline: March	Venture Leaders (visit) Scientists pursuing a concrete business opportunity based on their research and startup entrepreneurs with global growth ambitions.	10 day business development program in Boston (USA) Deadline: March
Entrepreneur of the Year (visit) Short description / Eligibility admission according to entrepreneurial criteria, award for brillant achievements Prize Divers (World summit, IWC watch, and more) Deadline: April	Entrepreneur of the Year (visit) admission according to entrepreneurial criteria, award for brillant achievements	Divers (World summit, IWC watch, and more) Deadline: April
Swiss Technology Award (visit) Short description / Eligibility For students, graduates, researchers; Innovation, Society, Market, Creativity Prize Booths on important trade Fairs Deadline: June	Swiss Technology Award (visit) For students, graduates, researchers; Innovation, Society, Market, Creativity	Booths on important trade Fairs Deadline: June
Innovation Prize Freiburg (visit) Short description / Eligibility Only for companies of Freiburg (CH), every two years; reward of creativity and innovation Prize CHF 20’000 Deadline: August	Innovation Prize Freiburg (visit) Only for companies of Freiburg (CH), every two years; reward of creativity and innovation	CHF 20’000 Deadline: August
De Vigier Prize (visit) Short description / Eligibility Support for company founding. Criteria: Feasability, ﬁnancing, market opportunity of the product and the team Eligibility: Company based in Switzerland, fulltime engaged in company Prize CHF 500‘000 Total p.a., max 5 x CHF 100‘000 every year Deadline: September	De Vigier Prize (visit) Support for company founding. Criteria: Feasability, ﬁnancing, market opportunity of the product and the team Eligibility: Company based in Switzerland, fulltime engaged in company	CHF 500‘000 Total p.a., max 5 x CHF 100‘000 every year Deadline: September
ZKB Pionier Prize Technopark (visit) Short description / Eligibility For students, graduates, assistents, scientists and entrepreneurs; innovation, marketability, social relevance Prize CHF 98’696.04 Deadline: October	ZKB Pionier Prize Technopark (visit) For students, graduates, assistents, scientists and entrepreneurs; innovation, marketability, social relevance	CHF 98’696.04 Deadline: October
IMD (visit) Short description / Eligibility Technology-based enterprises preferred, commitment of the team Prize Support from MBAs and EMBAs Deadline: November	IMD (visit) Technology-based enterprises preferred, commitment of the team	Support from MBAs and EMBAs Deadline: November
Heuberger Winterthur Jungunternehmerpreis (visit) Short description / Eligibility For german-speaking swiss entrepreneurs with an idea, product or service with high growth potential Prize CHF 450’000 Total, CHF 150’000 each Deadline: n.a.	Heuberger Winterthur Jungunternehmerpreis (visit) For german-speaking swiss entrepreneurs with an idea, product or service with high growth potential	CHF 450’000 Total, CHF 150’000 each Deadline: n.a.
Prix Start-up en Technologie (visit) Short description / Eligibility Yearly award; open for young graduates and project developers Prize CHF 150’000 and support Deadline: n.a.	Prix Start-up en Technologie (visit) Yearly award; open for young graduates and project developers	CHF 150’000 and support Deadline: n.a.
Prix Coup de Pouce (Fondation Liechti) (visit) Short description / Eligibility For early stage companies; description of the project, business and ﬁnancing plan Prize CHF 50’000 Deadline: n.a.	Prix Coup de Pouce (Fondation Liechti) (visit) For early stage companies; description of the project, business and ﬁnancing plan	CHF 50’000 Deadline: n.a.
Venture 2015 (visit) Short description / Eligibility The Swiss-wide businessplan competition, includes workshops and coaching; from the business idea to the business plan Prize Prizemoney to be communicated. Deadline: n.a.	Venture 2015 (visit) The Swiss-wide businessplan competition, includes workshops and coaching; from the business idea to the business plan	Prizemoney to be communicated. Deadline: n.a.
Venture Kick (visit) Short description / Eligibility For college graduates and people with an innovative idea; 3 stages, 3 presentations, the grants increase from step to step Prize CHF 130'000 (max per company) Deadline: ongoing	Venture Kick (visit) For college graduates and people with an innovative idea; 3 stages, 3 presentations, the grants increase from step to step	CHF 130'000 (max per company) Deadline: ongoing

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