2,006 new jobs created: startup funding pays off
31.01.2012
St. Gallen / Zurich/ Lausanne, 31 January 2013. – In its 2012 annual Report, the Swiss startup funding initiative venture kick proudly reports on the ongoing success of its model. Out of 1,111 spin-off projects that applied for grants between 2007 and 2012, 251 received a total of CHF 9.4 million in financing. The resultant 194 incorporated companies have allowed for 2,006 new jobs to be created and subsequently raised CHF 365 million for growth.
Investors back the initiative These figures demonstrate the success of venture kick as well as the positive impact of the program on the Swiss economy. Venture kick’s impeccable track record in selecting and promoting successful spin-offs has won the initiative investor trust and has contributed in them massively backing venture kick supported projects. In fact for every franc granted by the initiative to selected Spin-offs, ensuing incorporated start-ups have raised an additional CH 38.
The initiative’s high quality selection has also been brought forward in the media. Interestingly, 57 projects that benefited from the funding, coaching and networking provided by the initiative were featured in last year’s national Top 100 Startups ranking.
Expectations exceeded
Beat Schillig and Jordi Montserrat who co-manage the initiative both insist: "These new results clearly exceeded our expectations”. “When we started the initiative two years ago, we were originally hopping for our selectees to attract a total of CHF 250 million in financing volumes by the end of 2015. We can now raise the game and work towards exceeding the first billion by that same date ".
ETHs remain leading innovators while ICT projects rank number one
Regarding the origin of projects, about 60% of applications come from the German speaking part of Switzerland and the remaining from Romandy. Almost half of the projects originate from the ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne while the other half stem from more than 20 universities all over Switzerland.
In terms of industry sectors, ICT account for more than half of all project applications directly followed by electronics, medical technology, biotech and cleantech.
Although male candidates still significantly outnumber female candidates- as one might come to expect in a still predominantly masculin high tech industry - venture kick's annual report states that ” female applicants have accounted for 16% off all contenders this year and should occupy a growing segment in the coming years”.
A new financing model
While celebrating its 5th anniversary last autumn, venture kick announced the launching of a new support model which will allow the initiative to further develop as the number of aspiring entrepreneurs applying for grants keeps rising. Schillig explains: “Out off the 20+ applications we receive from university based spin-offs each month, eight will be given the opportunity to present their business idea to a panel of investors and experts and strive over three rounds to obtain CHF 130,000 in starting capital.”
Click here to view the annual report
www.venturekick.ch
Contact:
Management German speaking Switzerland:
Beat Schillig, +41 (71) 242 98 64, +41 (79) 358 04 19, beat.schillig@venturekick.ch
Management Romandy: Jordi Montserrat, +41 (78) 708 18 04, jordi.montserrat@venturekick.ch
Communication Manager: Lynn Durham, Lynn.durham@venturekick.ch
The initiative’s high quality selection has also been brought forward in the media. Interestingly, 57 projects that benefited from the funding, coaching and networking provided by the initiative were featured in last year’s national Top 100 Startups ranking.
Expectations exceeded
Beat Schillig and Jordi Montserrat who co-manage the initiative both insist: "These new results clearly exceeded our expectations”. “When we started the initiative two years ago, we were originally hopping for our selectees to attract a total of CHF 250 million in financing volumes by the end of 2015. We can now raise the game and work towards exceeding the first billion by that same date ".
ETHs remain leading innovators while ICT projects rank number one
Regarding the origin of projects, about 60% of applications come from the German speaking part of Switzerland and the remaining from Romandy. Almost half of the projects originate from the ETH Zurich and EPF Lausanne while the other half stem from more than 20 universities all over Switzerland.
In terms of industry sectors, ICT account for more than half of all project applications directly followed by electronics, medical technology, biotech and cleantech.
Although male candidates still significantly outnumber female candidates- as one might come to expect in a still predominantly masculin high tech industry - venture kick's annual report states that ” female applicants have accounted for 16% off all contenders this year and should occupy a growing segment in the coming years”.
A new financing model
While celebrating its 5th anniversary last autumn, venture kick announced the launching of a new support model which will allow the initiative to further develop as the number of aspiring entrepreneurs applying for grants keeps rising. Schillig explains: “Out off the 20+ applications we receive from university based spin-offs each month, eight will be given the opportunity to present their business idea to a panel of investors and experts and strive over three rounds to obtain CHF 130,000 in starting capital.”
Click here to view the annual report
www.venturekick.ch
Contact:
Management German speaking Switzerland:
Beat Schillig, +41 (71) 242 98 64, +41 (79) 358 04 19, beat.schillig@venturekick.ch
Management Romandy: Jordi Montserrat, +41 (78) 708 18 04, jordi.montserrat@venturekick.ch
Communication Manager: Lynn Durham, Lynn.durham@venturekick.ch