Own strengths – global interest

Dear reader

Many new funds have been closed in Switzerland over the past two years, some by newcomers, some by experienced players. This week, VI Partners announced the first closing of a new early stage fund, with CHF 75 million available mainly for Swiss start-ups. The anchor investors are Venture Incubator, which in turn is backed by a number of well-known large Swiss companies and ETH, the Swiss Entrepreneurs Fund and an organisation that is part of the European R&D programme Horizon 2020.

The new fund shows how the growth of Swiss start-ups can continue after the coronavirus crisis. National efforts are required and, due to the international network, international partnerships also need to be maintained and strengthened. This week provided numerous examples of how both are bearing fruit.

The Switzerland Innovation Foundation has launched a new programme that funds groundbreaking innovations with grants of up to CHF 100,000. The money comes from a group of innovation partners that reads like a Who’s Who of Swiss business.

Venture Kick is one of the traditional funding organisations in the ecosystem, and is constantly expanding its support. The diagnostics start-up Adiposs and Emovo Care, which is developing a robotic glove for rehabilitation, both benefit from funding under the initiative’s new Life Science Track.

The largest financing round of the week – for medtech scale-up Neo Medical – was also handled largely by Swiss donors, with CHF 13.2 million invested by 4FO, Credit Suisse Entrepreneur Capital and investiere.

The chip start-up SynSense, on the other hand, found donors in China and will now open an office there. Bring!, the start-up behind the shopping app of the same name, is on an expansion course in Europe after a round of financing, with the investors coming from Switzerland and Germany. Recapp is also aiming for international expansion: the speech recognition company was recently awarded the Innosuisse Certificate.

There was also a spectacular deal in terms of acquisition: the global company PayByPhone, which belongs to Volkswagen Financial Services, has taken over Fribourg start-up Mathom – which has developed a parking app.

Two initiatives are actively trying to get Swiss start-ups on to the international stage despite the lack of travel opportunities: the Innousuisse Internationalisation camp organised by swissnex San Francisco, in which seven start-ups take part, and a pitchinar with 20 Swiss deeptech start-ups organised by swissnex China. Applications are open for Venture Leaders China until 18 May.

We would also like to make a contribution too. Starting next week, startupticker in collaboration with Swisspreneurs will introduce Swiss start-ups on the search for investors. Find out how to apply in our article.

Finally, another ‘Call to Action’: the public vote for the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award was opened this week.

Have a good weekend 
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch