May 3, 2024
Challenged start-ups
Dear reader
Building a start-up is never easy, but the task is now more difficult than it was two years ago. We have analysed how many of the start-ups in our database of about 5,000 Swiss companies have been liquidated in recent years. The results show clearly that in 2023 more than twice as many start-ups went into liquidation as in 2022. Start-ups with investments have been particularly affected, with liquidations almost quadrupling.
The results show also that it has become more difficult to attract investors. The increase in the number of closures of start-ups without investment indicates that it is now increasingly challenging to establish a start-up on the market.
Partnerships can help. In the case of Mondaic, its partnership with established Norwegian company Shearwater addresses both challenges at once. Shearwater has acquired a stake in Mondaic and will use the start-up’s technology in its field of application – seabed exploration. And in terms of partnerships, there was also good news from the biotech sector: Johnson & Johnson has opened its first J&J Innovation Hub in continental Europe at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area in Allschwil.
Many start-ups realise that it is now more important than ever to find a balance between financing, investment in product development and customer acquisition. This means that in addition to financing rounds, we are able to publish more news about successes on the markets. Gowago, Findependent, Skycell, Involi and Everyman Health have all reported growth on the customer side.
However, financing rounds continue to be concluded. Testmate Health, Ikerian, MindMetrix and NovaMea have secured new funding, with NovaMea’s round in particular demonstrating that ambitious goals can be achieved even in the current environment. Lightspeed, one of the top investors from Silicon Valley, has joined the cleantech start-up as lead investor.
The reports on funding decisions show that the pipeline is still well filled with new projects: three start-ups are now supported as part of Gebert Rüf Stiftung’s Innobooster programme, six companies have been selected for the next ESA BIC Switzerland programme, and three start-ups have been accepted into the Zühlke Product Scale-up Coaching programme.
The calls for applications for the Innosuisse Scale-up Coaching and the Swiss Technology Award have been launched. Public voting has also started for the Top 100 Swiss Startup Award. The application window for the next Kickstart programme closes on 11 May.
I would also like to highlight Boost’s final event at ETH Zurich next Wednesday, where 10 start-up projects will pitch for prize money of CHF 25,000. The Tech4Eva Opening Conference 2024 will take place in Bern on 13 May, where the femtech start-ups selected for the next accelerator programme will be presented. My colleague Ritah Nyakato will be there.
Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch
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The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
