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Zurich entrepreneurs and startup supporters meet at ETH's Student Project House

The >>venture>> startup competition packs ETH's Student Project House during the 2023 Kickoff event On Tuesday, November 29th, the...

Dec 1, 20221 min read

Early-stage innovation got a kickstart in Western Switzerland

The leading competition in Switzerland, >>venture>>, kickstarted their 2023 edition at the innovation hub of Western Switzerland, EPFL....

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A virtual fitting room to reduce return rates

Alter Ego reduces the rate of online-purchased returned apparel by allowing shoppers to digitally try on their clothes with a 3D avatar ...

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💡 Got an idea you’ve been wanting to build?

@redbull Basement, a global innovation competition, is still open for applicants until April 10th – and it’s the perfect chance to level up your idea with real mentoring, resources and a global community of builders! 🌍

No matter how early your idea might be, this is the place to give it wiiings! 🪽

🚀 Apply in just a few minutes for a chance to pitch your idea in Silicon Valley. [Link in bio]

The only thing you need to do is start.

Know someone who should jump in too? Tag them below 👇

Let’s keep pushing cool ideas forward!

@redbullswitzerland

#RedBullBasement #Innovation #Startups

🎉 We're thrilled to invite you to our 2026 Award Ceremony!

After two incredible years in Zurich, we're excited to return to the stunning SwissTech Convention Center on the EPFL campus in Lausanne.

Join us on June 15, 2026 as we celebrate Switzerland's leading startups.

Be there to discover our 2026 winners live — including our prestigious Grand Prize winner and the very first Spotlight Award recipient. You'll also have the chance to support your favorite startup by voting in real time for the Audience Award!

🍾 After the ceremony, stick around for our closing apéro and connect with our ecosystem of mentors, jurors, investors, alumni, and more.

📆 June 15, 2026
📍 SwissTech Convention Center, EPFL Campus (Lausanne)
🕣 18:30 (doors open at 18:00)

Save the date and secure your free spot today! [Link in bio]

Let's celebrate innovation and Switzerland's most promising early-stage startups together. 🚀

Curious about exploring the Swiss DeepTech ecosystem in just one day?

Join us at @startupdaysswitzerland on 21 May 2026 ― where innovators, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem enthusiasts come together at one of Switzerland's most dynamic networking platforms for startups.

You can expect a rich program and countless opportunities to connect and learn:
🔌 Unplugged Stage: Real-life entrepreneurial conversations
🤖 AI Stage: Unlock your AI know-how
🤓 40+ sessions: Elevate your expertise and learn from 125+ speakers
🎤 Newcomers Pitching Challenge: Discover promising DeepTech startups in the pre-seed and seed phase
🫱🏻‍1:1 meetings: Enhance your network
🗯️ 30+ exhibitors: Explore key enablers of the Swiss startup ecosystem

Startups interested in taking part in the Newcomers Pitching Challenge: applications are open until March 15.

We're looking for startups that are:
✅ Tech-driven with strong scaling potential
✅ Pre-seed or seed stage
✅ Recently founded or about to be founded
✅ Addressing a clear problem with a validated solution
✅ Based in Switzerland
✅ Led by fully dedicated founders

🎤 Selected startups will get the chance to pitch their innovation on a national stage and get free access to the event.

👉 Apply for Newcomers: https://startupdays.ch/newcomers/
👉 Learn more & get your ticket: https://startupdays.ch/

We'll also be there with our booth again this year, so make sure to stop by and say hello! 👋

#SUD26 #deeptech #networking #innovation

🎉 We're beyond excited to share that we've broken our record of applications once again this year, after already setting a new one last year! 🎈

Our previous record stood at 396 approved projects, and this year we've reached 451 💥 ― a 14% increase that reflects the thriving innovation landscape and the hard work of the entrepreneurs in our community.

This achievement wouldn't have been possible without our amazing network. A huge thank you to the support organizations and universities that championed the competition and welcomed collaborations with us. 🙏

And of course, a big thank you to all the startups who applied. We're grateful to be part of your journey and excited about what will come next. ✨

🔎 What's next? The evaluation period is already underway. Over the next month, our esteemed jurors will review, grade, and provide feedback to the projects they've been assigned to. Every project will receive written expert feedback, one of the elements that makes >>venture>> Switzerland's leading startup competition.

The 2026 semi-finalists will be officially announced on April 16th, so stay tuned! 🤩

Happy (Almost) International Women's Day! 💜

Today, we are celebrating the women of the >>venture>> office who make the competition happen all year long.

Led by our visionary CEO Lea Firmin, who has guided >>venture>> since 2015 and shaped the organization into what it is today, our small but mighty team works every day to support the next generation of entrepreneurs:

🌸 Katja, who makes sure our operations and network run smoothly.
🦋 Priscilla, our social butterfly who connects us across the ecosystem.
🌷 Maria, always thinking ahead and making sure everything that needs planning is already on the radar.
🌺 Lisa, who can handle just about anything.
🌼 Laure, leading our social media.
🪷 Karolina, always thoughtful with sweet attentions for everybody.
🪻 And Natasha, a fresh mind on the team, bringing new energy and young ideas.

Together, we work year-round to run the competition and create the platform that brings together entrepreneurs, experts, and investors — making it possible for outstanding founders to be recognized each year.

This includes the inspiring female founders and co-founders from the 2025 edition behind startups like @mynervamedical, @berninox, @livxp_official, @rrreefs, DNAir, and Besso 💥

And a special shoutout to Martino, who somehow manages to keep up with all of us! 😄

#InternationalWomensDay #WomenInStartups #WomenInInnovation #venture #VentureStartupCompetition

The next chapter of >>venture>> 2026 starts now. 🚀✨

A huge thank you to every founder who applied to this year’s competition. We truly appreciate the trust, dedication, and courage behind every submission. 💡🙏

Now your application enters our evaluation process:

1️⃣ Our team begins with a thorough internal review to ensure eligibility and alignment. 🔎
2️⃣ Accepted projects are carefully matched with experts from our jury pool. 🤝
3️⃣ In the first jury round, applications are assessed in depth, and 60 semi-finalists move forward, with written feedback shared with all teams. 📝
4️⃣ Semi-finalists enter a focused growth phase, refining their strategy and sharpening their pitch with mentors. 🎯
5️⃣ After pitching to another group of jurors, 18 startups advance to the final stage. 🎤
6️⃣ Finalists present to the >>venture>> Advisory Board, winners are selected, and we celebrate together at EPFL in Lausanne at our Award Ceremony. 🏆🎉

We’ll stay closely connected throughout the process, and we’re excited to dive into your ideas!

Let the competition begin. ✨

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NEWS

Zurich entrepreneurs and startup supporters meet at ETH's Student Project House

Early-stage innovation got a kickstart in Western Switzerland

Upcoming Events

Effortless music creation

Bringing restaurants into the 21st century

A virtual fitting room to reduce return rates

Creating faster data links

Novel material analysis to reduce waste and increase efficiency

Harnessing AI to help legal professionals

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NEWS

Zurich entrepreneurs and startup supporters meet at ETH's Student Project House

Early-stage innovation got a kickstart in Western Switzerland

Upcoming Events

Effortless music creation

Bringing restaurants into the 21st century

A virtual fitting room to reduce return rates

Creating faster data links

Novel material analysis to reduce waste and increase efficiency

Harnessing AI to help legal professionals

​

Instagram

About us

Resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Join our mailing list to learn about the competition, upcoming events, resources, and more.

Contact us