VENTURE - Companies for Tomorrow

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

✨ The 2026 Spotlight Award Semi-Finalists are here, and what better occasion to reveal them than International Innovatio...
21/04/2026

✨ The 2026 Spotlight Award Semi-Finalists are here, and what better occasion to reveal them than International Innovation and Creativity Day?

The Spotlight Award is a brand-new >>venture>> prize, introduced this year to celebrate bold ideas beyond the traditional competition categories. Each edition will highlight a new theme, recognizing startups that push boundaries and create real impact. The winner will receive CHF 50,000. 💰

For this inaugural edition, the focus is on the most creative and high-impact application of Apertus, Switzerland's new open-source LLM developed by ETH Zurich, EPFL, and CSCS―highlighting innovation, technical excellence, and real-world relevance.

And here are the nine startups that stood out! From secure AI infrastructure and privacy-first devices to compliance tools, agricultural intelligence, and AI testing solutions, these startups demonstrate how Apertus can power real-world applications while showcasing Switzerland's strength in deep tech innovation.

So, who will take home the CHF 50,000 prize? Join us on June 15 at our Award Ceremony in Lausanne to find out! 💥

Meet the 2026 Spotlight Award Semi-Finalists: https://www.venture.ch/spotlight

AlpGuard, Alpimind, Anyway Systems, Botana AI, NativeAI Guard, Noemon, Public AI Switzerland, RegCheck, Surelio.ai

🎉 THE RESULTS ARE IN!We're thrilled to announce the 60 semi-finalists of the 2026 edition!Congratulations to all of them...
16/04/2026

🎉 THE RESULTS ARE IN!

We're thrilled to announce the 60 semi-finalists of the 2026 edition!

Congratulations to all of them for making it through this first stage! 👏 And a huge thank you to everyone who submitted their applications, making this our biggest year yet!

A special shoutout to the 211 Round 1 jurors, who collectively reviewed all 451 submissions, providing written feedback and grading each project based on our evaluation criteria.

📢 To all 451 projects—make sure to check the feedback you received! Whether you made it to the next round or not, the jurors' insights could be of great help for your next steps.

🔗 Want to learn more about our semi-finalists? Visit https://www.venture.ch/semi-finalists-2026

🔦 Meet our Spotlight Award candidates―these are the top 10 most innovative startups using Swiss-born Apertus: https://www.venture.ch/spotlight

Stay tuned for more highlights of our semi-finalists! 👀

14/04/2026

A record-breaking year deserves a record-breaking THANK YOU! 🎉

With an incredible 451 submissions—our highest ever—211 dedicated jurors have carefully reviewed every project and provided valuable written feedback. 🙌

To each of our jurors: thank you for your time, expertise, and commitment. We know this year asked even more of you, and your support is what makes it possible to discover Switzerland’s most promising startups. We couldn't do it without you! 🚀💙

Stay tuned as we announce the results on Thursday!

💡 Got an idea you’ve been wanting to build?Red Bull Basement, a global innovation competition, is still open for applica...
19/03/2026

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

Red Bull 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: https://www.redbull.com/ch-de/events/red-bull-basement-switzerland-2026

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!

🎉 We're thrilled to invite you to our 2026 Award Ceremony!After two incredible years in Zurich, we're excited to return ...
18/03/2026

🎉 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: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-venture-award-ceremony-tickets-1982421621435?aff=socialmedia

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 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 💥

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