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Participate
Calling all entrepreneurs!If you’re ready to launch, or have only recently launched, an innovative startup or nonprofit in one of the following 6 industry verticals you can register for the upcoming edition of >>venture>>.
How it works
Calling all entrepreneurs!
If you’re ready to launch, or have only recently launched, an innovative startup or nonprofit in one of the following 6 industry verticals you can register for the upcoming edition of >>venture>>.
Business & Finance
Consumer Solutions
Industrials & Engineering
Pharma & Biotech
Medtech & Healthcare
Social & Environmental Impact
Register & submit your startup plan
From October 1, 2025 to February 25, 2026
First, check out our requirements, then register here from October 1, 2025 to February 25, 2026 (23:59 CET).
We will send you invitations to helpful workshops where you can make connections and polish up your application, but you can also check out our Guidelines.
Applications reviewed by our team of experts
March 2026
Once the applications are in, our team of experts pores over the startup plans in search of the ten most compelling startup ideas in each of the verticals. All applicants will receive personalized feedback.
Access to Mentorship
April to June 2026
Make it to the top 10 of your vertical and you’ll get your own mentors.
Pitch Training
May 2026
All semi-finalists can take advantage of our pitch training sessions with investors and McKinsey & Company experts. Learn more about the pitch trainers who helped our entrepreneurs in the last edition.
Live pitches to our jury
April/May 2025
The 60 semi-finalists will have the chance to pitch their idea to an industry-specific jury consisting of seasoned investors and entrepreneurs. Jurors then select 18 finalists – three teams per vertical – to advance into the final round and compete for the grand prize of CHF 100’000.
Final pitch and Award Ceremony
June 15, 2026
It’s a day of high stakes and suspense: both the final pitch and the award ceremony take place on the same day. First, finalists face industry experts from the >>venture>> Advisory Board, who crown one winner in each of the six verticals. Each vertical winner takes home CHF 50,000 plus a McKinsey & Company consulting package, while the other finalists earn CHF 10,000 each. The six winners then go head-to-head for the ultimate prize: an extra CHF 100,000. That same day, the Board also selects the CHF 50,000 Spotlight Award winner, and the audience present at the award ceremony votes for their favorite startup, which takes home the CHF 10,000 Audience Award prize.
Learn How To Craft A Winning Startup Plan
Download our Playbook to find out how you can put together a winning startup plan.