The Start Angels Network has been actively investing in Swiss startups for more than two decades. Last year, despite the corona crisis, the club managed to invest CHF 19.7 million in 14 financing rounds for 4 new companies and 10 portfolio firms. One SAN portfolio company achieved a very valuable exit.
The pandemic crisis and the associated restrictions did not leave the StartAngels Newtork (SAN) untouched. The non-profit business angel club held only two meetings online last year instead of three physical ones. Nonetheless, the members and co-investors in 2020 managed to invest a total of CHF 19.7 million in 14 financing rounds including 4 new companies and 10 portfolio firms. Eight of the 14 rounds were led by SAN members. Some of the startups that obtained investment last year include CareerFairy and Hystrix. SAN also managed to exit its portfolio company, Credentis, the manufacturer of a remineralisation system for the treatment of small caries lesions.
235 million invested in total
To this day, SAN members have participated in over 112 rounds, leading 70 of the rounds and invested more than 235 million Swiss Francs in the portfolio. The club comprises over 80 business angel investors who bring a wealth of experience in a range of industries including pharma, finance, IT or engineering. The members have also held high profile and executive positions in their career journey at some of the world’s leading companies. Besides financing, the members provide know-how through coaching and provide startups with access to their network.
Joining the club as a member is by-invitation only. According to Erich Platzer, President of SAN: “We are very selective in our choice of members that we invite. Experience has shown that members who know each other well also collaborate better. This has been one of the success factors of our club since we started.”
Upcoming meeting scheduled for 23 March
Three times a year, the club organizes meetings for members to meet startups. For each session, 30 startups are invited to pitch their solutions but only eight proceed to the second level for an in-depth interview and in the end, only four companies qualify for investment. StartAngels invest individually with an investment of CHF 50'000 – CHF 200’000. The total amount of an investment round is typically CHF 0.5 to 3 million in series A to B and sometimes the club participates in growth stage rounds.
The next SAN event will take place online on March 23 in collaboration with Vontobel. Early-stage high-tech startups with high growth potential in the fields of healthcare/Life Sciences, ICT and engineering, cleantech or nanotech are invited to submit their application until February 10, 2021 on the SAN website.
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