Almost a billion invested in Venture Kick startups

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10.02.2016

The Venture Kick initiative, established in 2007, has to date supported 403 startup projects. Out of these projects, 300 became high-tech companies which created 3’434 new and highly qualified jobs. In 2016, Venture Kick will increase its support from 2.2 to 2.7 million Swiss francs, financing 60 new projects all around Switzerland.

Since the launch of Venture Kick in 2007, 403 project teams have benefited from the overall support of more than 16 million Swiss francs in pre-seed capital. They generated 3‘434 new jobs. The amazing successes of Swiss universities spin-offs such as Abionic, Climeworks, Flyability or InSphero, coupled with the support of renowned entrepreneurs and Venture Kick’s donors (such as André Hoffmann, Hansjörg Wyss and Martin Haefner) show the strength of Venture Kick.

The initiative does not only provide pre-seed capital to potential entrepreneurs at Swiss universities and institutes of higher education, of up to 130’000 Swiss francs. It also offers them a structured entrepreneurial path towards building a winning new venture. Presenting in front of experts at each stage to obtain funding, getting ”kicking feedback“ and learning about execution in building a startup during the kickers camp, exchanging with other venture kickers about their challenges, and accessing a broad network of business contacts, experienced entrepreneurs and investors, are at the core of the Venture Kick experience.

With Venture Kick, startup projects get access to investors and industry partners, who until today invested 896 million Swiss francs in them – this accounts for 5% Awards, 18% grants, 5% Loans, 55% Equity investment and 17% Equity transactions and exits.

The recently published Swiss Venture Capital Report shows that more than a quarter of all listed financing rounds are related to Venture Kick startups. In addition, 54 Venture Kick startups are listed in the actual TOP 100 Swiss Startups ranking. 7 even made it to the TOP10 and 3 of them were on the podium: L.E.S.S., Abionic, Flyability, Bcomp, QualySense, Glycemicon and Lunaphore.

Since the start of Venture Kick almost ten years ago, the amount of applications has increased year after year. In 2016, Venture Kick will further increase its support. In order to support this growing demand, Venture Kick’s organizers are continuously seeking for new philanthropists and foundations willing to support the next generation of entrepreneurs at Swiss universities.

Annual Venture Kick report 2015

About Venture Kick
The mission of Venture Kick is the early identification, structuring and promotion of promising business ideas with a clear vision: to double the number of spin-offs at Swiss universities and to raise the attractiveness of these young companies for Swiss and international investors. Thanks to Venture Kick, entrepreneurs learn how to win customers and convince investors more rapidly. They benefit from hands-on execution boot camps (the kickers camps) and from quick access to extensive business networks. The program is opened to young talents with innovative business ideas, who have not yet founded their company and are still enrolled or employed at Swiss institutions of higher education: students, postgraduates, researchers and professors.

Venture Kick is a highly competitive program. Each month, eight projects get the chance to present themselves to a jury. The four most promising ones then receive CHF 10.000 and qualify for the second round held three months later, where the two best teams receive another CHF 20.000 each. In the third and final round, taking place six months later, the winner is granted CHF 100.000.

Venture Kick, an initiative of the Venture Kick Foundation, has been financed so far by Gebert Rüf Stiftung, ERNST GÖHNER STIFTUNG, OPO-Stiftung, Fondation Pro Techno, Fondation Lombard Odier, Debiopharm Group, André Hoffmann, Hansjög Wyss, Martin Haefner and Rising Tide Foundation.

(RAN)

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