November 20, 2015
Investments, loans, awards: how clever founders get money
Dear reader
We write regularly about financing rounds on startupticker.ch and this week three young companies managed to attract investors: Dacadoo, Kuros and Chronext. In addition, we reported on the various other opportunities for start-ups to obtain financial support. The 20th anniversary of the FIT Foundation took place on Monday. FIT supports start-ups from western Switzerland, and in particular from the canton of Vaud, with loans and other support measures. The foundation has granted 150 loans since it was established.
A new funding source is the Technology Fund, which supports innovative SMEs and start-ups in developing and marketing climate-friendly technologies with a loan guarantee of up to CHF 3 million. The third guarantee of the Fund went this week to start-up Sorba Absorber from Biel.
Another possibility for a start-up at an early stage is to raise funds through prizes. This week we reported on the eight semi-finalists of the Prix Strategis and the two new winners of the Prix GENILEM-HES 2015. Two other awards show that Swiss start-ups can also win internationally: in Milan, Prodibi’s image viewing product was chosen as the Most Innovative Tech Solution for Fashion and Retail. And with Embotech and Biowatch, Switzerland has two representatives in the finals of UBS’ global Future of Finance Challenge.
Prestigious awards can also be used to attract financing even if there is no cash prize. At the ceremony of the Swiss Technology Award at the Swiss Innovation Forum on Thursday, Frank Berlinghoff, winner in the Startups category with mininavident, pointed out to the audience at the Basel Convention Center that mininavident is again looking for investors.
StartCup Ticino and the Swiss Venture Day Ticino offer an attractive combination of award and investor search. The 10 semi-finalists are not only fighting for victory in the competition, they will also pitch to investors at the Swiss Venture Day Ticino. Venture Day and the StartCup’s award ceremony both take place in Lugano on 3 December.
Have a relaxing weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor, Startupticker.ch