Switzerland is truly a GREAT place to build a startup, but most of the early-stage entrepreneurs we speak to are not aware of the local resources that are available to help them.

With applications for the Switzerland Founder Institute now open, we are excited to release the Switzerland Startup Ecosystem Canvas, which is currently in Draft v1 below! It was developed by the Switzerland Founder Institute and local leaders Daniel Böhi, Christina Senn-Jakobsen, Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss, Thomas Ackerman, Athanasios T. Ladopoulos and Eszter Olver.

This is just a DRAFT, and while we spent many hours on this research, more input is needed. Please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version. 

Are you looking to build a startup in Zurich? Then apply to the Switzerland Founder Institute today!

Text version included below, for ease of searching:

Startup Stages

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There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.

1. Idea Stage

This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.

A. Inspire

• Startup Media: Centralized local information, listings, and news. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletters)

1. digitalswitzerland Blog
2. Fintech News Switzerland
3. HelloNina Startup Blog
4. Impact Hub Zürich Blog
5. Oliver Flueckiger Blog
6. PropTech News
7. Startup Digest Zurich
8. startupolic
9. STARTUPS.CH Blog
10. Startupticker.ch

• Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups)

1. Agro-Food Innovation Forum
2. Bitcoin Meetup Switzerland
3. Energy Startup Day
4. Geek Girls Carrots CH: Attracting women to IT
5. IoT Zurich
6. Living Talks
7. Nerds & Friends
8. START Summit
9. Startup Bites
10. Startup Weekend Zurich
11. StartupDays
12. Swiss Digital Day
13. Swiss Finance Startups
14. Swiss Fintech Day
15. Swiss Startups Club
16. TECH TUESDAY Zurich
17. TechTalkThursday
18. Women Startups & Entrepreneurs Zürich
19. Women Techmakers Switzerland
20. B. Educate

• Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing events. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspire, like 1 Million Cups, Startup Grind, Startup Founder 101, etc).

1. Agile Breakfast Zürich von swissICT
2. Artificial Intelligence Suisse
3. Azure Blockchain Zürich
4. Blockchain Meetup Zürich
5. Chatbots Meetup Switzerland
6. Data Science for Business
7. Elastic Switzerland
8. FoodPreneurs Meetups by FoodHack
9. FuturesHub
10. HaskellerZ
11. Homegate Engineering
12. Machine Translation Meetup (MTM)
13. mHealth Switzerland by HEALTHINAR
14. Microsoft Azure Zürich User Group
15. Ruby on Rails Schweiz
16. Rust Zurich
17. SEBA
18. Startup Founder 101 Zürich
19. Startup Grind Zurich
20. STARTUPS.CH Academy
21. Swiss Insurtech Meetup
22. Swiss Kaggle Group
23. Voice Meetup Zürich
24. Web3 Zug
25. WordPress Zurich
26. Zürich C++ Meetup
27. Zurich EdTech
28. Zürich Growth Hacking Meetup
29. Zürich HashiCorp User Group
30. Zurich Machine Learning and Data Science
31. Zurich Python User Group
32. Zurich Scala Enthusiasts

• Training & Feedback: Skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs, like Founder Institute, General Assembly, Lean Startup Machine, code camps, etc)

1. .NET User Group Zürich
2. Agile Testing Meetup Zürich
3. AWS Swiss User Group – Zürich
4. Big Data Developers in Switzerland
5. Big Data, Zurich
6. Cloud Native Computing Switzerland
7. Code4Fun
8. CoderDojo Zurich
9. CV Labs - Switzerland
10. Data Science, #ODSC Zürich
11. DevOps Meetup Zürich
12. digitalswitzerland Startup Bootcamps
13. Docker Switzerland
14. educationdigital
15. Founder Institute
16. GDG Zürich
17. Health 2.0 Zürich
18. IxDA Zurich
19. Lean Startup Academy
20. Lean Startup Machine Zurich
21. Lean Startup Zürich
22. Master21
23. OpenTechSchool Zurich Meetup
24. Pantalks
25. Power BI User Group Switzerland
26. ProductTank Zürich
27. Propulsion Academy AG
28. Propulsion Academy Meetup
29. RubyMonstas - Programming for Women
30. Startup Board Academy
31. Startup Campus
32. Startup Zentrum Zürich
33. Startzentrum Zürich
34. Swiss Healthcare Startups
35. Swiss MongoDB User Group
36. Swiss Small Biz Bootcamp
37. The Startup Way
38. venturelab Training
39. Web Zürich
40. women++: tech and career dev workshops
41. Zürich ReactJS Meetup
42. Zürich Startup: Idea to IPO

C. Validate

• Team Formation: Resources for teaming up. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)

1. Agile GOTO Nights
2. CoFoundersLab
3. Cofounding
4. cofoundme
5. Crypto Valley Forum
6. CryptoMondays Zug
7. Entrepreneurs and Startups in Zurich
8. Entrepreneurs’ Organization
9. ETH Zurich Entrepreneur Club
10. ETH Zurich Entrepreneur Club Startup Speed Dating
11. FounderDating
12. Professional Women Group
13. Skill/Time Exchange
14. Startup Scene Zürich - Synergy Spirit
15. Startup Sucht
16. StartupBlink Zürich
17. StartUs
18. The Zurich Entrepreneur Meetup Group
19. UX Schweiz – Last Thursday Talks
20. UX WIZARDS
21. Winterthur Startup and Innovation Meetup
22. Women in Digital Health
23. Zürich Blockchain Developers
24. Zurich Data Scientists & Machine Learners
25. Zürich Entrepreneurship Meetup
26. Zürich Internet Entrepreneurs Meetup
27. Zurich Legal Tech Meetup
28. Zurich Networking Group
29. Zürich Women in Machine Learning and Data Science

• Build First Product: Hackathons & resources to build. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)

1. #hackzurich
2. 3D Printing Zürich
3. AMIV Bastli
4. Angular Zürich
5. App Builders Zurich
6. Arduino und Elektronik Abend im FabLab Zürich
7. Brain Hack
8. Chaos Computer Club Zürich Hackerspace
9. Climathon
10. Coders Only Zurich
11. Compiler Social Zürich
12. Consciousness Hacking Zürich
13. ETH Zurich Student Project House
14. FabLab Zürich
15. FinTech Hackathon Zurich
16. FoodHack
17. Game Developers Zurich
18. Hack Winterthur
19. Hacking Health Zürich
20. Hacks/Hackers Zürich
21. Hardware Startup Zürich Meetup
22. InCube
23. LauzHack
24. Legal Hackers Zurich
25. Make Zurich
26. makerZspace
27. Open Food Data
28. Software Crafters Zürich
29. Swiss Digital Day 2018 Zurich Hackathon
30. Swiss Legal Tech Hackathon
31. Swiss Mobile Developers
32. Zurich Drupal User Group Meetup
33. Zurich FLOSS and IT geeks
34. ZuriHac

2. Launch Stage

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

A. Start

• Establish: Law firms & banks for startups

1. Axiom Law
2. Bär & Karrer
3. Barclays
4. Blum&Grob
5. Citigroup
6. Credit Suisse
7. DZ PRIVATBANK
8. EFG Bank
9. Falcon Private Bank
10. Habib Bank AG Zurich
11. Kellerhals Carrard
12. LEXR
13. LGT Bank
14. Loyens & Loeff
15. Migros Bank
16. Probst Partner
17. Schellenberg Wittmer
18. Smartup Law
19. Startups.ch
20. UBS
21. Vischer
22. VP Bank
23. Walder Wyss
24. Wenger & Vieli AG
25. Zürcher Kantonalbank

• Workspace: Co-working and flexible workspaces (note: “official” office space goes in 3.1.a. Infrastructure)

1. Attic Creative Coworking
2. Birdhaus
3. Blau 10
4. BlueLion Workspace
5. Büro Züri
6. Citizen Space Zurich
7. Coworking Lounge Tessinerplatz
8. Creative Space
9. Headsquarter
10. hush.
11. Impact Hub Zurich
12. Kraftwerk
13. Office LAB
14. Office Zürich
15. PopupOffice
16. Rocket Hub
17. Satellite Office
18. Spaces
19. TGIM
20. Trust Square
21. WeSpace
22. Westhive Innovation Ecosystem

B. Develop

• Formalize: Accounting, development and HR for early-stage startups.  

1. B-works
2. Badenoch & Clark
3. Bexio
4. Caminada Treuhand AG
5. Comerge
6. Darwin Recruitment
7. Dribba
8. Ecovis
9. Experis Switzerland
10. Ferax Treuhand AG
11. Findea AG
12. Gaapex
13. Ginetta
14. ICON Worldwide
15. Liip
16. Nordwand Group
17. SmallBusinessAccountants GmbH
18. SwissHelios
19. SWISSLINX

• Prepare for Seed: Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS)

1. BlueLion
2. Capacity Zurich
3. ESA BIC Switzerland
4. F10 FinTech Incubator & Accelerator
5. Fongit
6. glatec
7. Haco Innovation Lab
8. IFJ Startup Support
9. Impact Hub Zurich
10. RicoLab
11. Runway Incubator
12. STARTUP CAMPUS
13. Swiss Startup Factory
14. SWISScubator
15. TECHNOPARK® Zürich
16. Thomson Reuters Labs Incubator
17. Venture Incubator
18. Z-Kubator

C. Launch

• Seed Accelerators: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)

1. Climate-KIC Accelerator
2. ETH Zurich Pioneer Fellowships
3. Exit Accelerator
4. F10 FinTech Incubator & Accelerator
5. Horizon 2020
6. ieLab
7. Kickstart Accelerator
8. MassChallenge
9. Swiss Life Lab
10. Swiss Startup Factory

• Pitch & Demo: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)

1. Agri & Co Challenge
2. AgriTech Day 2019
3. Business Concept @ ETH Zurich
4. Campus Day
5. Final Pitch - Women Entrepreneurs Week 2019
6. InCube
7. Innovation Challenge Demo & Pitch Day
8. Pitch Your Heart Out
9. Pitching Grundlagen für Startups - Roundtable
10. Seedstars World
11. SICTIC Investor Day
12. Startup Champions
13. StartupBites #FoodSummit19
14. SWISS INNOVATION CHALLENGE
15. Swiss Startup Pitch
16. swissnexDay'18
17. Venture
18. Venture DAY Zurich
19. Venture Kick
20. Zürich Blockchain Pitch and Networking Night

3. Growth Stage

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

A. Recognition

• Investor Networking:  Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)

1. >>venture>> Kickoff Zürich
2. Access Silicon Valley Zürich
3. Business Angels Switzerland
4. EURUS Forum
5. MSM Investorenvereinigung
6. StartAngels Network
7. Startup INVEST
8. Startup.ch
9. Startupticker Brunch Zürich
10. Swiss Food Research
11. Swiss ICT Investor Club
12. Swiss Investment Network
13. Venturelab
14. Zürich Entrepreneurs, Startups & Investors Group

• Major Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)

1. 20 Minuten
2. Blick
3. CNNMoney Switzerland
4. Finanz und Wirtschaft
5. Handelszeitung
6. Neue Zürcher Zeitung
7. SRF
8. Tages-Anzeiger
9. The Local

B. Funding

• Angels / Micro-VCs: Seed-stage investors

1. Adrien Gautier
2. Alex Fries
3. Alexander Schlaepfer
4. Balz Roth
5. Casper Urhammer
6. Dominic Rubas
7. Erinc Alper
8. Filipe Almeida
9. Jan Fülscher
10. Jan Vichr
11. Karel Obluk
12. Klaus Hommels
13. Marco Valta
14. Matt Henderson
15. Matthias Hilpert
16. Michael Sidler
17. Nicolas Gautier
18. Norman Rohr
19. Oleg Tscheltzoff
20. Oliver Jung
21. Raphael Leiteritz
22. Rico Wyder
23. Sal Matteis
24. Severin Jan Rüegger
25. Sven Eppert
26. Taavet Hinrikus
27. Tarmo Ploom
28. Vitaly Rubstein

• Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond

1. 3wVentures
2. ABB Technology Ventures
3. Aravis
4. Arena Ventures
5. BB Biotech Ventures
6. BlueOcean Ventures
7. btov Partners
8. Creathor Ventures
9. Emerald Technology Ventures
10. EQT Partners
11. Greentech Capital Advisors
12. investiere Venture Capital
13. Lakestar
14. Momenta Partners
15. Mountain Partners
16. Nextech Invest
17. Redalpine Venture Partners
18. Ringier Digital Ventures
19. Rocket Capital
20. Stafford Capital Partners
21. Swiss Founders Fund
22. Swisscom Ventures
23. VI Partners
24. Wellington Partners Venture Capital

C. Growth

• Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. Allianz
2. Convidis AG
3. Dextra Rechtsschutz AG
4. Engel & Völkers
5. Homegate
6. Instant Offices
7. Michael Page
8. Randstad
9. Regus
10. Robert Half
11. Search Office Space
12. Wilhelm AG
13. Zurich

• Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)

1. ABeam Consulting
2. Accenture
3. Aon
4. Arthur D. Little
5. A.T. Kearney
6. Avanade
7. Bain & Company
8. BearingPoint
9. Boston Consulting Group
10. Capgemini
11. Cognizant
12. Deloitte
13. Egon Zehnder
14. Ernst & Young
15. Gartner
16. Grant Thornton
17. Kantar Millward Brown
18. Korn Ferry
19. KPMG
20. McKinsey & Company
21. Mercer
22. Milliman
23. North Highland
24. Oliver Wyman
25. PwC
26. Roland Berger
27. SapientRazorfish
28. Simon Kucher & Partners
29. Tata Consultancy Services
30. Vivaldi
31. Willis Towers Watson
32. Wipro

4. Success Stories

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

1. Advanon
2. Archilogic
3. Ava
4. Avrios
5. Beekeeper
6. BLINQ
7. ComfyLight
8. CUTISS
9. DeinDeal
10. Fotokite
11. HEGIAS
12. Insightness
13. Knip
14. Loanboox
15. Nexiot AG
16. Nezasa AG
17. Nummo
18. Piavita
19. Scandit
20. SELFNATION
21. Squirro
22. TestingTime
23. Versantis
24. WayRay
25. wefox
26. WINGTRA
27. Xeltis

Supporters

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To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. Evangelists

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.

1. Agnieszka Rychlewska
2. Alex Stöckl
3. Andreas Hürlimann
4. Andreas Iten
5. Anil Sethi
6. Christina Kehl
7. Cristian Grossmann
8. Daniel Jordi
9. David Butler
10. Donat Matthews
11. Dr. Christian Hugo Hoffmann
12. James Sanders
13. Jean-Pierre Vuilleumier
14. Lisa Schröder
15. Lorna Quinn
16. Mateja Kramar
17. Max Meister
18. Mike Baur
19. Pascal Mathis
20. Roman Gaus
21. Sam Chadwick
22. Stefan Steiner
23. Tatjana de Kerros
24. Thomas Dübendorfer
25. Thomas Kern
26. Willa Gabrielle Cartwright
27. Willy Bischofberger

2. Government

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development

1. AmCham Switzerland
2. digitalswitzerland
3. economiesuisse
4. ICC Switzerland
5. Innosuisse
6. swissnex Network
7. Switzerland Global Enterprise
8. Switzerland Innovation
9. TECHNOPARK® Zürich
10. Zürcher Handelskammer

3. Talent

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

• Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)

1. Business School Lausanne
2. ETH Zurich
3. HSO Business School
4. Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Lucerne School of Business
5. OUS Royal Academy of Economics and Technology
6. SBS Swiss Business School
7. University of Applied Sciences in Business Administration Zurich
8. University of Lausanne
9. University of St. Gallen
10. University of Zurich - UZH
11. ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences
12. Zurich Business School (UIBS)
13. Zurich University of the Arts

• Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices)

1. Amazon
2. Apple
3. Avaloq
4. Cisco
5. Dell
6. Facebook
7. GE
8. Google
9. Hewlett Packard Enterprise
10. Huawei
11. IBM
12. Infosys
13. Logitech
14. Microsoft
15. Nokia Networks
16. Samsung
17. Siemens
18. Sunrise
19. Swisscom

 

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Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Zurich Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a DRAFT, and more input is needed!)

Are you looking to build a startup in Zurich? Then apply to the Zurich Founder Institute today