Professionalisation everywhere

Dear reader

The Swiss start-up scene is becoming more professional; this not only applies to the companies themselves, but also to organisations. Today, the Volkswirtschafts-Stiftung (Swiss Federal Foundation for Promotion of the National Economy through Scientific Research) and Venture Kick announced that they are merging. One reason is that the foundation has reached its limits with its ‘militia’ system (where citizens take on public duties on a part-time or voluntary basis). The in-depth expertise is retained: long-time president Philip Bodmer will move to Venture Kick’s Strategy Board, and the merger will allow Venture Kick to support even more start-ups than before.

Competence in matters of start-ups also appears to be increasing in the federal tax administration, with a new circular that paves the way for tax-free capital gains on employee shares. More details in our article.

An overall positive result can also be drawn from the guarantees for start-ups that have suffered as a result of the pandemic. In total, loans of more than CHF 150 million have been secured, with start-ups from cantons Zurich, Vaud, Zug and Bern securing the largest amounts.

As welcome as such help is, it is clear that in times of crisis entrepreneurs must first take the initiative and make adjustments. Fernanda Barrence from traveltech start-up The Trip Boutique provides a good example – read in our article how she is using the crisis to prepare for an upturn.

And start-ups such as Memo Therapeutics are working on the causes of the crisis: the biotech start-up is developing an antibody to treat Covid-19. A financing round of more than CHF 14 million has now given it the financial means it needs to start clinical trials on people.

Money is also flowing into the cleantech sector: Unisieve’s technology reduces the energy consumption of chemical cleaning processes, and the firm has closed a financing round of USD 4.6 million. Novaccess helps cities save lighting energy and has now received a total of CHF 4.8 million from the Technology Fund and investors.

The potential and breadth of Swiss cleantech start-ups was clearly on show at Swiss Digital Days’ Startup Battle. In the end, Green-Y won with its device, which combines air pressure energy storage with heating and cooling.

I’m looking forward to this year's Swiss Innovation Forum, which takes place from 17 to 19 November as a three-day online festival. In the same week, Global Entrepreneurship Week offers a comprehensive insight into entrepreneurship with more than 70 events.

Applications are open for this year’s IMD Startup Competition until 9 November. The registration period for First Ventures, the support programme for spin-offs from universities of applied sciences, ends on 13 November. Deeptech start-ups can apply for the next virtual Venture Day until 15 November. 

Have a good weekend
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch