May 20, 2016
Strong start-ups can succeed anywhere
Dear reader
Last Thursday the awards of the WA de Vigier Foundation took place in Solothurn. The 10 nominees and five prize winners illustrated in impressive fashion the strength of the Swiss start-up scene and its breadth and diversity. The winners came from different sectors: in addition to medtech, Gamaya represented a start-up at the forefront of the newly emerging market of high-tech agriculture. Two of the winners were female company founders, and overall the winners and nominees came from four different cantons.
With three winners, the canton of Zurich was clearly the largest contingent among the winners of the de Vigier awards. Whether this will remain so in the future is uncertain. While the Zurich start-ups were honoured in Solothurn in front of 200 guests from all over Switzerland, Ernst Stocker, a member of the Zurich cantonal government, was explaining why he wants to keep the current tax practice. Start-up founders who conclude financing rounds are subject to very high wealth taxes. The principle founders have already left the canton.
The news of the week shows that Zurich is not the only location in Switzerland to have successful start-ups, with the Basel-based qipp completing a financing round of CHF 2 million.
Also in Basel, the former management team of biotech start-up Okairos has to decide on a location for its new start-up Nouscom. The team sold Okairos to GSK for CHF250 million in cash three years ago. It is not surprising that Nouscom has also been able to attract investors, with a financing round of CHF12 million.
Trekksoft from Bern is continuing to expand and has acquired Myobis Booking Systems, a German booking software provider.
Two last-minute tips: today is the last chance to sign up for the Academy-Industry-Training camps in India, Brazil and Switzerland, and the deadline for the SwissICT Awards expires on Sunday.
‘Meet the support organisations’, which is part of the venture competition, takes place next Thursday in Zurich.
I would also like to point out two interesting events in Lausanne: the Entrepreneurship Crash Course ‘Innovation Night’ on Wednesday, and the Brain Forum on Thursday and Friday.
Have a sunny weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor, startupticker.ch