January 27, 2017
A billion within grasp
Dear reader
This week, we released the Swiss Venture Capital Report in Zurich and Lausanne. This year’s report, which we publish annually with SECA, lists and analyses 151 financing rounds in which Swiss start-ups accounted for more than CHF900 million. The two brunches demonstrated the great interest in the figures and the Swiss start-up scene. In Lausanne, for example, Swiss television was present and an item on the report was presented in the evening’s main news broadcast. Impressions of the two events are available on our Facebook page.You can download the full report for free from our "Assets" section.
An important result of the Swiss Venture Capital Report is the rise of Swiss ICT start-ups. The invested capital increased by CHF142 million, or 110%, to CHF271 million in 2016. The increase in the ICT area was provided by typical B2B software companies, and also by many start-ups where their products are used in the digitisation of traditional sectors.
Digitisation is an area of enormous potential and so it is encouraging to see that this week again Swiss start-ups active in this area received attention. ARTMYN will scan some of Sotheby’s auctions with its innovative technology; the multidimensional images will be available through Sotheby’s website, mobile and television apps.
Advertima’s technology can independently analyse the environment and provide people with appropriate information based on the analysis. On Tuesday, the young company was voted ‘Coolest Startup’ at the Worldwebforum.
Another trend, which we described in the Swiss Venture Capital Report, continued this week: after five IPOs in 2016, Geneva-based biotech company ObsEva also ventured on to the Nasdaq yesterday.
Last week, Venture Kick and the CTI also published interesting figures. Since the start of the programme in 2007, start-ups supported by Venture Kick have attracted CHF1,347 billion from investors, acquiring companies and other financial backers. In total, the Venture Kick start-ups represent 3,881 jobs.
The CTI took stock of its special measures: 161 innovation projects were conducted by export-oriented SMEs; the additional credit of CHF61 million was used up almost entirely.
Next week, Lugano will host a very interesting event on financial support for SMEs and start-ups. The Women in Fintech Conference will be held in Zurich, and in Schlieren, venturelab is hosting a pitching event as part of the Founder’s Circle for investors who would like to invest in growth start-ups.
The application period for the Swiss Economic Award also ends next week – do not miss this opportunity.
Finally, a message on our own behalf: we have fully revised the startupticker app. The new app for iOS and Android devices is now available for download.
Have an exciting weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Editor in Chief, startupticker.ch