2000 new jobs: Startup pre-seed funding pays off

In its 2012 annual Report, the Swiss startup funding initiative venture kick  proudly reports on the ongoing success of its model. From a total of 1,111 spin-off projects that applied for grants between 2007 and 2012, 251 received a total of CHF 9.4 million in financing. The resultant 194 incorporated companies have allowed for 2,006 new jobs to be created and subsequently raised CHF 365 million for growth.
 
These figures demonstrate the success of venture kick as well as the positive impact of the program on the Swiss economy. Venture kick’s impeccable track record in selecting and promoting successful spin-offs has won the initiative investor confidence and has contributed in them massively backing venture kick supported projects. In fact for every franc granted by the initiative to selected Spin-offs, ensuing incorporated start-ups have raised an additional CHF 38.
 
Beat Schillig and Jordi Montserrat who co-manage the initiative both insist: "These new results clearly exceeded our expectations”. “When we started the initiative two years ago, we were originally hopping for our selectees to attract a total of CHF 250 million in financing volumes by the end of 2015. We can now raise the game and work towards exceeding the first billion by that same date ".  
 
Regarding the origin of project, about 60% of applications come from the German speaking part of Switzerland and the remaining from Romandie. Almost half of the projects originate from the ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne while the other half stem from more than 20 universities all over Switzerland.  In terms of industry sectors, ICT projects account for more than half of application directly followed by electronics, medical technology, biotech and cleantech.  Although male candidates still significantly outnumber female candidate- as one might come to expect in high tech industry still predominantly invested by men- the annual report states: ” female applicants have accounted for 16% off contenders this year and should occupy a growing segment in the coming years”.
 
While celebrating its 5th anniversary last autumn, venture kick announced the launching of a new support model that will allow the initiative to further develop as the number of projects applying for grants keeps rising. Schillig explains: “Among the 20+ applications we receive from university based spin-offs every month, eight will be given the opportunity to present their business idea to a panel of investors and experts and strive over three rounds to obtain CHF 130,000 in starting capital.”
 
The private initiative venture kick is financed by the Gebert Rüf Stiftung, ERNST GÖHNER STIFTUNG, OPO-Stiftung, AVINA STIFTUNG, Fondation Lombard Odier und DEBIOPHARM GROUP.  The project is managed by the IFJ Institut für Jungunternehmen in St. Gall.