New VC fund combines returns with support for the ecosystem

The kickfund has a focused and efficient investment approach that builds a highly diversified portfolio of early-stage Swiss startups. In an initial step, it invests early, broadly, and across all Venture Kick winners. Further, it will follow-on during two subsequent equity rounds. This unique set-up allows the kickfund to post strong financial returns for its investors and empowers the innovation ecosystem by investors donating 20% of its realized returns and 0.5% of its capital commitments to Venture Kick.

Over CHF 50m already committed

"I am thrilled by the strong support not only from currently three anchor investors contributing CHF 45 million to the kickfund but also by all the Venture Kick jury members and the broader startup ecosystem that want to contribute and participate. We are rapidly approaching the finish line for the closing of the fund. I cannot wait to make the first kickfund investments in such promising Venture Kick startups in late spring!" says Sélim Benayat, Managing Director of the new kickfund.

The kickfund is a Venture Capital fund that invests up to CHF 850'000 in Venture Kick winners with a broadly diversified approach. Venture Kick stage 3 winners get the proposal for an additional convertible loan of CHF 100,000 from the kickfund. Further, during the first equity round, the kickfund offers to write 20% of the round (cap of CHF 250,000) following an external lead investor and another 20% (cap of CHF 500,000) in the next equity round. The kickfund will invest in up to 25 early-stage startups per year building a portfolio of ~100 outstanding spin-off companies from Swiss universities bringing cutting-edge innovation to the market. The kickfund is a company that is legally and personally independent of Venture Kick.

"Startups winning CHF 150.000 from Venture Kick will be able to get up to CHF 1 million in total from the initiative and the kickfund! With this strong commitment, our startups will be able to accelerate their funding and market entry massively," says Beat Schillig, Co-Managing Director of Venture Kick.

Since its launch in 2007, Venture Kick has supported 765 Swiss startup projects with CHF 34.79 million. The alumni companies have attracted a total of 4.2 billion Swiss francs from leading Swiss and international investors and created more than 8000 jobs. In 2020, more than 700 start-ups applied out of which 80 were supported by Venture Kick.

(Press release / SK)