October 23, 2015
Make Switzerland a global start-up hub
Dear reader
Swiss Startup Day is the right occasion to talk about the weaknesses of Switzerland as a start-up location. After all, the mood at the event is so optimistic and dynamic that for once the difficulties are perceived as challenges and surmounting them an exciting task.
Specifically, the weaknesses of Switzerland were discussed at a panel discussion. Host Jean-Pierre Vuilleumier presented one of the well-known lists of the 20 global hot spots for start-ups. Switzerland was not on the list, but this was perceived as an incentive. “Zurich wants to be on the list of the hottest global start-up ecosystems in five years’ time,” said CTI Invest chairman Christian Wenger.
Three new initiatives were presented at Swiss Startup Day that will help in the implementation of this goal: the Kick Foundation, the Swiss Startup Association and Digital Zurich 2025. The three initiatives will join forces.
Ultimately, though, the perception of Switzerland as internationally strong will depend on the success of start-ups. And this week showed once again that Swiss companies have the right prerequisites, including the necessary persistence: Climeworks announced that the first commercial scale CO2 capture plant will start up in 2016. And the necessary fast pace in industries such as medical technology: Mimedis, founded only in 2013, has delivered the first lower jaw titanium implants made with a 3D printer to University Hospital Basel and Kantonsspital Aarau.
Three start-ups also concluded financing rounds. HR start-up YOOTURE generated CHF1.6 million and strengthened its board of directors with the former UBS Group executive board member Walter Stürzinger. Sequana Medical raised CHF 9 million in a Series C extension round. And Swisscom will invest in medtech company Ava and big data start-up Crowd, after both had won the Swisscom Startup Challenge.
Speaking of awards, at the moment start-ups can apply for a whole series of competitions. Our article gives information on new tenders for prizes and impending deadlines, such as the application deadlines for Prix Strategis and Prix Neode, both of which end on 31 October.
A series of interesting events will be held next week throughout Switzerland. Both the Swiss mobile association’s event on taking the first steps in the US and FinTech Nite take place in Zurich on Monday. On Thursday and Friday, lift Basel takes over and at the weekend Startup Weekend will be held in St. Gallen.
The Swiss ICT Awards are presented on 11 November. The occasion with hundreds of visitors has become a meeting place for the Swiss IT scene. The event is by invitation only, but start-ups can apply to us for an entry ticket.
Have a sunny autumnal weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor, startupticker.ch