Venture Challenge at ETH Zurich

The series of six workshops is based on a mission and challenge approach to enhance the validation and execution of your business case. Our goal is to support the best startup talents in Switzerland in order to build world-class startups the fastest way possible.

Apply if you have an innovative startup project and the ambition to conquer the world. Student, doctoral candidate, postdoc or member of staff at ETH Zurich, or any other Swiss university carrying a solid high-tech startup project are also more than welcome to join the program, please don't hesitate to contact Raffael: raffael.kellner@venturelab.ch.

The Venture Challenge workshops will:

- Inspire your entrepreneurial journey
- Shape your entrepreneurial proposal
- Start networking in the Swiss startup ecosystem

At: ETH Student Project House, Clausiusstrasse 16, 8006 Zürich
Time: 17:30 - approx. 19:30

Schedule

Monday, 22.4.2024 - Venture Challenge #1: The story of your startup 
- How to start your company
- Failure and best practices
- The story of the entrepreneurial journey

with: Ben Simon, Co-Founder VAY; Head Business & Corporate Development of Nautilus


Monday, 29.04.2024 - Venture Challenge #2:  What it takes to build a dream team
- How to get cofounders onboard
- How to approach the first hirings
- Scaling the team properly

with: Zhang Xi, Co-Founder & CEO of Superlab Suisse


Monday, 06.05.2024 - Venture Challenge #3: Sales for startups
- How to do sales for startups
- Distribution channels
- Close the deal

with: David Christen, Co-Founder & CMO, quitt


Tuesday, 21.05.2024 - Venture Challenge #4: Financing strategies and negotiating deal terms for your financing round
- Process and stages of the financing rounds
- Common/Preferred Equity Financings
- Legal Structure of a Term Sheet

with: Karim Maizar, Partner at Kellerhals Carrard


Monday, 27.05.2024 - Venture Challenge #5: How to do the perfect pitch and feedback session
- Create an investor-ready pitch deck
- Pitch training
- Feedback session

with: Diego Seitz, Co-Founder GetCourts & Alfred Advisory


Thursday, 30.05.2024 - Venture Challenge #5:  Raise the first investment
- Accessing investors
- Get ready for the funding process
- Close the investment 

with: Fatou Diagne, Managing Partner at Bootstrap Europe



Want to know more what it's like to join the Venture Challenge? Read here about the students' experiences of the last year.

Note: all sessions take place at ETH Zurich, ETH Student Project House, and Wyss Zurich (details on location will be announced), starting at 17:30. Content will be delivered for 90 minutes, with enough time for Q&A and networking after. For reasons of confidentiality, we do not allow recording of the discussions.

Participation is free but seats are limited! If you want to participate, apply as soon as possible!


Thank you to our event partners: