This year Startup DAYs will take place at the end of September. Start-ups can apply for the pitch competition, which is endowed with CHF 100,000, until 9 September. Other highlights include keynotes and panels – for example, with Federal Councillor Johann Schneider-Ammann – nine workshops and 1,500 1:1 meetings.
A lot has already happened behind the scenes at Startup DAYS organized by Startup INVEST: this year it will take place on 25 and 26 September, with the second day at the Kursaal Casino Bern. This allows the event to increase in size significantly, with 1,000 participants on the second day.
But the innovations are much more profound: the opening up to foreign countries is particularly important and the event is keen to attract start-ups and investors from outside Switzerland. “We have had applications from several European countries already,” explains Startup Invest managing director Jean-Pierre Vuilleumier.
One reason why foreign start-ups are attracted is the redesigned pitching competition. The winner will receive CHF 100,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. The start-ups will compete against each other in five tracks: autonomous systems, healthtech, sustainable tech, fintech and content & channels. The overall winner will be chosen by the audience from the winners of the five tracks, which will be determined by experts. Start-ups have until 9 September to register.
The numerous keynote speeches and panel discussions are also new. Federal councillor Johann Schneider Ammann will once again be a speaker. Jean-Pierre Vuilleumier also mentions Jonas Schnelli, one of the world’s five computer scientists with access to the bitcoin code base, in addition to top-class speakers such as Alessandro Curioni, director of the IBM Research Lab in Rüschlikon and vice president of IBM Europe, and Marc Gruber, vice president for innovation at EPFL and professor for Entrepreneurship & Technology Commercialization. Numerous entrepreneurs and experts will also be on stage to share their experiences in presentations and discussions and give advice.
However, some things remain the same: 1:1 meetings still play a big role and on the first day they can be arranged freely via an app. Meetings for the second day can be booked after registration for the event.
Important dates:
- Pitching competition deadline: 9 September
- Earlybird tickets availability: until 31 August
- Last-minute registration: until 24 September
- Bookable 1:1 meetings for day 2: until 26 September
- Event: 25 and 26 September
More information and registration on the website of the event.
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