Swiss start-ups raised more funds in 2025
Keystone-SDA
In 2025 investment in Swiss start-ups rose by 23.9% on the previous year to CHF2.9 billion ($3.7 billion), according to the Swiss Venture Capital Report (SVCR).
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“In 2025, the context was anything but favourable. Nevertheless, for the first time since 2022, Swiss start-ups have benefited from a greater influx of capital,” notes the study, published on Tuesday by the online information portal Startupticker.ch and the SECA trade association. It was conducted in collaboration with startup.ch, which says it questioned venture capital investors domiciled in Switzerland, without specifying their number.
No fewer than 354 financing rounds were listed, compared with 153 in 2016.
The study points out that the optimism of fund providers has also been reflected in the distribution of funds: investments in young and very young companies have risen from CHF864 million to more than CHF1.4 billion.
By sector, the breakdown shows that the flow of funds has risen sharply, particularly in the information and communication technology (ICT) and biotechnology sectors. Investments in medical devices, hardware and financial technologies remained stable.
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Cleantech start-ups attracted less money. Climeworks received a third of the total amount generated in this segment, or CHF386 million. The spin-off from the federal technology institute ETH Zurich raised CHF128 million in the second-largest financing round of the year.
Zurich and Vaud in the lead
In the cantonal rankings, Zurich came out on top, both in terms of the number of financing rounds and the capital invested. The canton is followed by Vaud and Basel City. Of the CHF572 million invested in Basel City, 95% went to biotech companies.
In addition, after a year without an IPO, two Swiss start-ups, Bioversys and Mindmaze, took the plunge in 2025. The number of sales of start-ups to large companies or financial investors remained stable. The volume of transactions amounted to more than CHF1 billion for two acquisitions and more than CHF100 million for seven others.
While the study notes that raising capital remains difficult, it also relays that the majority of funds are planning to increase their investments in the months and years ahead.
Adapted from French by AI/ts
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