September 6, 2013
Number 1, but still room for improvement
Dear reader
Switzerland is a serial winner in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index. For the fifth consecutive year, it has been chosen as the world’s most competitive country. Although several hundred pages long, a closer look at the WEF study is worth it, as it also highlights weaknesses. The formation of a company is still relatively complicated in Switzerland and the country also falls short in venture capital, where it is ranked only 22 – behind, for example, the Nordic countries, which do much better.
So those companies that manage to obtain funding for their start-ups are all the more worthy of respect. This week, four companies reported the conclusion of financing rounds: KeyLemon (with Swisscom Ventures and Debiopharm), Mind-NRG (with LRM and Index Ventures), PIQUR (with private investors) and Skiioo again with Debiopharm.
More interesting Swiss start-ups are currently looking for investors. Eleven of them will be present at Swiss Venture Day on the afternoon of 11 September in Zurich. In the morning, an Angel Day, an interactive workshop for investors conducted by PWC, will be devoted to the Incentive Plan. There are still a few places left.
Several training programmes for young entrepreneurs start soon: the Venture Challenge semester courses take place in several cities from 16 September, and on 25 September upSTART ABILITY begins at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. Participants will learn how to develop a business plan and establish important contacts.
The innovation network i-net is also active in north-west Switzerland. It focuses on enabling regional innovators to network, but its activities are not restricted to the four cantons financing the initiative. At a recent i-net eHealth event, three young businesses from other Swiss regions – Sophia Genetics, dacadoo and CatchMyPain – presented themselves.
Raphaël Briner, founder of HyperWeek, has also been looking at the bigger picture. He has sold his company to the Belgian company Knowledge Plaza in a move that strengthens both HyperWeek – the brand and product will remain active – and Knowledge Plaza, which receives access to the Swiss market. Briner will act as Chief Marketing Officer of the combined company.
Have a relaxing 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". 
