January 15, 2016
More than a hundred million in three days
Dear reader
What a way to start the new year! This week, reports of investment in Swiss start-ups came in rapid succession with a net cash outflow in three days of CHF120 million to start-up companies. The biggest investment was generated by Zug biotech company Cardiorentis. The company’s first drug is already in the last clinical tests, with about 2,000 patients around the world taking part. Results are expected this spring. The company collected CHF60 million, which should pave the way to the market for its first drug.
In addition, two biotech companies from western Switzerland also reported large financing rounds: NovImmune received CHF30 million and AB2 Bio CHF21 million. Biognosys, a company that focuses on protein analysis, also attracted an investor. The funds will be used for the expansion of the US business.
Given the large numbers, the financing rounds of two IT start-ups at first glance seem less spectacular. FinanceFox received CHF5.5 million and Goodwall CHF2.1 million. But it’s worth looking at the investors here: FinanceFox has as lead investor Salesforce Ventures, the venture capital arm founded in 2014 of the US CRM group Salesforce, and Goodwall is supported by a group of international private investors.
Good universities are an important factor in the success of Swiss start-up companies. This week we have a background discussion session with Marjan N. Kraak, head of the ETH spin-off group, ETH transfer. The focus is on start-up support at ETH, the potential for spin-offs and the growth rate of companies with an ETH background.
Although the year has already picked up speed when it comes to financing, the event season is only now getting started. Next week the seif Congress on impact investment and the multi-day Ludicious Game Festival take place. The startupticker brunches follow in Zurich and Lausanne on 26 and 27 January with the presentation of the Swiss Venture Capital Report. An overview of the various start-up awards, the application deadlines of which have started or will start shortly, can be found in our article.
Have a good winter weekend.
Stefan Kyora
Managing Editor, startupticker.ch
News
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". 
