CTI Market Entry Camp UK – One Year and Counting

The eight startups represented eight sectors. Depending on the entrepreneurs’ individual requirements to expand their business, the Swiss startups’ journey in the UK took them to a similarly diverse range of experts, partners, and events in sectors ranging from FinTech to virtual reality, from MedTech to Cleantech. ”In addition to building bridges into London’s tech environment, reaching out directly to potential clients topped the priorities’ list of many camp participants”, says Philippe Roesle, Science & Innovation Officer at the Embassy of Switzerland in the United Kingdom. Accordingly, in the course of the last twelve months Swiss entrepreneurs have had the opportunity to pitch their products or solutions at, for example, the UK’s leading universities and luxury hotels, at global banks and international newspapers.

Summarising his two-week Market Validation Camp in the UK, Taha Bawa, Co-founder of Goodwall, notes: “In a single visit the camp enabled me to meet a range of people relevant to my business. These meetings have confirmed the UK’s demand for Goodwall, allowing me to start discussions about commercial partnerships and student acquisition.”

Similarly, Volker Gässler, CEO of vComm Solutions, summarised his trips to London as “a huge success; it opened up a range of new business perspectives, created leads and valuable contacts with the local start-up scene. We are very excited by the possibilities the UK offers and we look forward to continuing our work in London during the next two weeks of the camp.”

Throughout 2015, the UK should remain of interest to all kinds of Swiss startups looking to expand their business activities to foreign markets. The UK’s current investment climate is better than ever, with London-based startups raising over £1bn in venture capital in 2014 (that’s ten times more than in 2010). As Britain starts more companies per capita than even the US, startups are now becoming increasingly visible in everyday lives. A cursory glance at the adverts in the London Underground should underline how many startups have access to sufficient funds to acquire new customers directly and in large quantities. Furthermore, established brands and organisations, such as the BBC, John Lewis, Barclays, Wayra and many more, are creating tech accelerators for their specific sectors, highlighting their readiness to embrace new technologies and collaborations with emerging tech startups.

The CTI Market Entry Camp UK has increased its 2015 intake to a maximum of ten startups. “As part of the programme, participants now get access to our brand new Swiss Desk at The Trampery in the heart of Tech City, were our entrepreneurs can schedule meetings, network with British counterparts and, of course, put in an extra hour of work”, says Philippe Roesle. A Swiss startup pitching and networking event for both current and former participants is also in the pipeline.

For the most recent developments and news about the CTI Market Entry Camp UK and the British startup-scene in general, follow @SwissStartupsUK on Twitter. For more information on how to apply for the programme, visit the website, or get in touch directly: philippe.roesle@eda.admin.ch.

About CTI Market Entry Camp UK
The CTI Market Entry Camp UK is a programme designed to help innovative Swiss start-ups explore the UK market. In up to four separate weeks, start-ups are given the opportunity to learn first-hand about their business opportunities in the United Kingdom through individually tailored activities and events. The programme is run by the Swiss Embassy in London and supported by the Federal Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI). It is open to all start-ups accepted into the CTI coaching process, or who have recently acquired the CTI label.