VENTURE - Companies for Tomorrow

VENTURE - Companies for Tomorrow >>venture>> is Switzerland's leading annual startup competition.

Curious about exploring the Swiss DeepTech ecosystem in just one day? Join us at Startup Days on 21 May 2026 ― where inn...
12/03/2026

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

Join us at Startup Days 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! 👋

🎉 We're beyond excited to share that we've broken our record of applications once again this year, after already setting...
10/03/2026

🎉 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 co...
06/03/2026

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 MYNERVA, Berninox, Livxp, rrreefs, DNAir, and Besso 💥

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

25/02/2026

🚨 FINAL CALL – SUBMISSIONS CLOSE TONIGHT AT 23:59! 🚨

Still polishing your application? Before you hit SUBMIT, make sure you’ve covered exactly what our jurors will evaluate:

1️⃣ Innovation – What makes your solution truly unique?
2️⃣ Market – Is there a clear demand and growth potential?
3️⃣ Technology/Product – Is it feasible, robust, and well-defined?
4️⃣ Team – Do you have the right people to execute?
5️⃣ Sustainability/Impact – What meaningful difference will you make?
6️⃣ Business Model – Is it viable and scalable?

Have you clearly covered each of these points? Use our evaluation criteria checklist as your final sanity check before submitting: https://app.box.com/s/jr4jkxqacoiaymoi9f87q07nvzrr34fv

⏳ The clock is ticking. Hit SUBMIT before 23:59 tonight — this is your final call!

23/02/2026

🚨 Only 2 days left to join the 2026 edition of >>venture>>, Switzerland’s leading startup competition, and here are 5 good reasons why you should:

1️⃣ Non-dilutive funding: win up to CHF 150,000 in cash prizes and keep 100% of your equity
2️⃣ Honest expert feedback: sharpen your strategy with written feedback from experienced investors and entrepreneurs
3️⃣ Powerful network access: connect with mentors, corporates, investors, and fellow founders who can open real doors
4️⃣ National visibility: put your startup in front of Switzerland’s leading innovation ecosystem and gain credibility
5️⃣ A chance to level up: clarify your story, market and ambition

If you’re building something bold, this is your moment. Apply now at venture.ch and take your startup to the next level! 🚀 Deadline: February 25, 2026 ⏰

20/02/2026

🚨 Final days before the submission deadline! 🚨

Still wondering whether you can reapply if you've already participated before?

The answer is yes, absolutely. In fact, we encourage it!

Some of our strongest finalists didn’t win the first time. They refined, improved, and came back stronger — using the expert feedback they received with every submission.

So if you're still early-stage and haven't received >>venture>> funding before, this is your last chance to take your startup to the next level! Take the weekend to finalize your application and send it in.

🗓️ Deadline: February 25, 2026

venture.ch

19/02/2026

Oleg, Community Manager at Apertus, is back — this time answering: Why should entrepreneurs build with Apertus?

If you’re building a startup, you know how tough it is. The tools you choose matter.

Here’s why Apertus is worth your attention:
🌍 Multilingual by design – Strong semantic and cultural understanding across 1000+ languages, so you can build global products from day one.
🇨🇭 Swiss context built in – Add local knowledge and a distinct Swiss angle to your AI stack.
🛠️ Future-ready roadmap – Agentic capabilities and coding applications are on the horizon. Early adopters will have the edge.

AI is moving fast. This is your chance to pioneer before the gold rush.

If you’re building with Apertus, don’t forget our Apertus Spotlight Award — where we highlight the startup making the most impactful use of it with CHF 50,000! Apply by February 25, 2026, at www.venture.ch 💥

18/02/2026

🚨 Only 1 week left to apply! 🚨

And we know many of you still have questions about the application process and entry requirements — so here’s another one we get all the time: do you need to be affiliated with a university to join >>venture>>?

Short answer: Not at all.

Whether you’re:
🎓 A university spin-off turning research into impact
💼 An industry founder who identified a real-world problem
🚀 Or somewhere in between

You’re welcome to apply!

We're one of the few competitions supporting early-stage startups with or without academic affiliation.

So if you've been hesitating because you're not from a university, this is your sign! Apply now at venture.ch.

🗓️ Submission deadline: February 25, 2026

Don't miss it!

17/02/2026

🤖🇨🇭 What is Apertus — and why should startups care?

In this interview, Oleg, Community Manager of the Apertus project, introduces Switzerland’s flagship AI initiative: a large language model trained at the Swiss Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) as part of the Swiss National AI Initiative.

Built to reflect Swiss values and technical excellence, Apertus has been available globally since September and is already actively used and further developed in Switzerland and beyond. 🌍

And here’s the opportunity 👇

We’re awarding a Spotlight Award of CHF 50,000 to the startup that best leverages Apertus in its solution. ✨

If you’re building with AI and using Apertus in a bold, innovative way, this is your chance to stand out and gain visibility.

Apply, show us what you’re building, and let’s put your startup in the spotlight. 🚀

16/02/2026

Hey startups! We're kicking off a new Q&A series about the >>venture>> startup competition here in Switzerland, answering the most common questions we get.

First up: How early is too early to apply, and what do you mean by early-stage startups?

Short answer? It's never too early to apply.

If you've registered your startup within the past 2 years, you officially qualify as "early-stage". But even if you're earlier than that, meaning that you are still in the idea phase, you can (and should) apply. You can apply more than once, so give it a shot ― every application receives written feedback from experts.

So really, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Do you have questions you would like us to answer? Drop them below 👇

And if you're building something innovative, this is your sign to apply! Applications close on February 25, 2026 ⏱️

11/02/2026

⏳ Only 2 weeks left until our final submission deadline! Which also means: only two weeks left to register for the Spotlight Award!

Haven't heard about our Spotlight Award yet? It's a CHF 50,000 prize spotlighting a startup showing outstanding innovation around a yearly theme — plus major visibility in Switzerland’s startup ecosystem. This year, the Spotlight Award will go to the startup that best leverages Apertus, the open LLM developed by ETH Zürich & EPFL. If Apertus is core to your product, this one’s for you.

🎤 Want to learn more about Apertus and what “sovereign AI” actually means? Today, from 14:00–15:30, Martin Jaggi (Swiss AI Initiative) — who joined our Apertus fireside chat during GEW — will speak on a panel about open AI models at the EPFL AMLD Intelligence Summit 2026.
📍 Swiss Tech Convention Center, Lausanne — Garden 3ABC

Don't miss the chance to maybe take home CHF 50K! 💰 Apply now at www.venture.ch 🚀

Founders, this one is for you ⬇️Applications are now open for the BlueLion Incubator Acceleration Program!Are you a full...
09/02/2026

Founders, this one is for you ⬇️

Applications are now open for the BlueLion Incubator Acceleration Program!

Are you a fully committed tech startup team ready to sharpen your value proposition, go to market, and laying the foundations to secure funding and grow your business? Then Bluelion’s 10-week Acceleration Program might be the launchpad you’ve been looking for.

Why should you apply?

💸 3x higher funding rate than the average pre-seed startup.
🔥 Hands-on learning from top founders, industry mentors, and leading experts.
🌟 Direct exposure to top-tier angel investors and early-stage VCs.
💡 Exclusive access to Bluelion’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

Applications close February 22nd, 2026. Don’t miss your shot! 🚀

More info and application form: https://bluelion.ch/acceleration-program/

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+41 (0)58 332 23 30

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