Startup Exchange Switzerland and Mexico

The Startup Exchange Switzerland and Mexico program aims to catalyze sustainable innovation projects that add significant value to value chains or communities in both Switzerland and Mexico. The program encourages startups to propose solutions that contribute to the sustainability and efficiency of existing production chains in the fields of AgriTech, MedTech, CleanTech and Water, FinTech, and Cybersecurity. The startups should have a market-ready solution with significant market potential.

A representative from each selected Mexican startup will travel to Switzerland in May and the  Swiss startup representatives to Mexico in June. During the two bootcamps, the cohorts will gain access to specialized presentations, networking opportunities with other startups, potential investors, and relevant partners, as well as immersion in local innovation ecosystems, and guided tours of local production centers and industrial facilities.

Registration closes on 8 April 2024. Swiss startups should contact the program coordinator at the Leading House for the Latin American Region directly, submitting their applications electronically to the following email address: rocio.robinson@unisg.ch. Mexican startups willing to participate must submit their applications electronically through the Academic Cooperation Management System (SIGCA) on the following website: https://sigca.sre.gob.mx/

The following activities are planned for Mexican and Swiss startups in Switzerland:

• Stay in Switzerland from May 26 to June 01, 2024.
• Participation in a "Startup Days" summit.
• Mentoring and training on topics related to their projects.
• Exchange of knowledge and practices with academic experts, industry representatives, organizations, and other stakeholders in the Swiss innovation ecosystem.
• Pitch competition.
• Possible attendance at the SICPA unlimitrust campus (unlimitrust.com).

The following activities are planned for Swiss and Mexican startups in Mexico:

• Stay in Mexico from June 23 to June 29, 2024.
• Participation in Switzerland Day at the Ministry of Economy and in jointly organized activities with the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Mentoring and training on innovation, entrepreneurship, business, technology transfer, and commercialization with social impact, intellectual property, among others, related to their projects.
• Establishment of networks and identification of potential partnerships with key actors in the private sector, the Embassy of Switzerland in Mexico, chambers of commerce, innovation centers, regulatory institutions, financing entities, and other relevant actors in the Mexican innovation ecosystem.
• Engagement with Higher Education Institutions in Mexico to share best practices for launching their startups.
• Pitch competition.

Organised by the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID) and the Leading House for the Latin American Region, the program is embedded at the University of St.Gallen’s Institute of Management in Latin America (GIMLA-HSG) and is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Mexico, the Nacional Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (CONAHCYT), the Swiss Business Hub, and the Swiss-Mexican Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SwissCham Mexico).