Need for action

Switzerland excels in innovation, boasting a unique education system and globally renowned research institutions. However, its innovative strength often lacks sufficient investment. This gap is causing Switzerland to gradually lose ground in international competition, particularly in the deep tech start-up ecosystem.

Currently, local Swiss entities shoulder the high initial risks in start-up financing, but over 80% of the lower-risk, late-stage financing for successful Swiss deep tech start-ups comes from foreign investors. This “cherry-picking” approach leaves Switzerland with a minority stake in its own leading companies, threatening its technological sovereignty.

Given that the majority of profits are concentrated in the top 10% of companies, it’s crucial to support the full development of the most promising deep tech start-ups. To maintain Switzerland’s position as a global innovation leader and nurture its burgeoning deep tech start-up ecosystem, it is essential to build local investment capacity. This approach will ensure that Swiss deep tech innovations receive the necessary support throughout their growth journey, from early-stage research to market-leading companies.

Our objectives 2030+

Switzerland should be perceived internationally as a leading deep tech nation. To achieve this goal, Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation aims to mobilise CHF 50 billion in venture capital for Swiss start-ups and scale-ups, potentially creating up to 100,000 new jobs indirectly.

To ensure Swiss participation in the success of its start-ups, we’re working to substantially increase local investment capacity. The foundation targets CHF 5 billion in annual financing, with 50% coming from Swiss investors. This would require CHF 2.5 billion from within Switzerland, significantly above the current CHF 500 million per year, as noted in a University of Lausanne study.

Global leader

CHF 50 billion

100,000 jobs