Venture kick is a great opportunity to raise the seed money necessary to turn an idea into a company. We kick start-up by providing seed capital to innovative entrepreneurs from universities and universities of applied sciences. The program is open to individuals with a business idea who are currently enrolled in a Swiss academic institution – students, PhD students, post-doc, senior scientists, professor, and so forth – in any scientific field, and who wish to start their company in Switzerland. Applicants must not have already received any venture capital. Projects are evaluated by a panel of experts and investors based on the business potential demonstrated and the achievements made in business development. With more than CHF 7.5 million in start capital, over 200 start-up projects financed, over CHF 200 million in financing volumes and more than 1700 jobs created since fall 2007, this program supported by private foundations has a convincing track-record.
CTI Start up
The Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI) is mandated by the Swiss Confederation to support high tech projects and sustainable new business ventures by providing training, coaching and access to investors. This strategic mission fosters growth, creation of jobs and global competitiveness to assure Switzerland’s future economic wealth. CTI Start-up supports entrepreneurs with a tailored hands-on coaching process in four phases lasting 6 to 24 month’s. A dedicated coach is instrumental in bringing the start-up to the CTI Start-up Label, which represents quality, sustainability and credibility for investors, and favours successful market entry. The coaching support being free of charge all what start-ups need to invest is time and effort. CTI Start-up leverages the networks of its over 60 business coaches in all relevant areas for start-ups (e.g. strategy, operations, business, law, finance). CTI Start-up values its partnership with Fongit whose coaches are part of CTI Start-up expert’s network. Fongit acts as partner for CTI Start-up in the Geneva region.