Demo Brunch Continues to Open Doors for Switzerland's Most Promising Startups and Investors

The fourth Venture Kick Demo Brunch featured 17 Venture Kick alumni who pitched their open financing rounds to a hand-picked room of 75 qualified investors. Every founding team had already been selected multiple times by a jury of professional investors during the Venture Kick process, and together they represent the top 3% of program applicants.

Their rounds ranged from Pre-Seed to Series A, together raising over CHF 58 million. 13 of the 17 rounds already had capital committed (avg. 30%), the others brought strong market momentum, and most closed within the next 3-4 months.

The startups covered the breadth of Swiss innovation, with ventures working across Life Sciences & Biotech, MedTech & Diagnostics, DeepTech, Robotics & Space, CleanTech & Sustainable Chemistry, AgTech, and AI & Software. The short elevator pitches were followed by lively networking conversations, accompanied by a summer-themed brunch.

As founders move through the Venture Kick programme, they receive coaching, feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and investors, and up to 1 Million plus in funding. The Demo Brunch is another step in that journey, supporting the startups in their fundraising efforts beyond the Venture Kick process and helping them find investors who believe in their vision and can open the right doors.

For Daniel Wüffli from Aribeda, attending the Demo Brunch for the first time was an opportunity to experience both the format and the quality of the companies.

"I really liked the fast-paced format. The 2-minute elevator pitches worked very well, and it was fascinating to see the amount of innovation, especially in medtech. This was my first Venture Kick Demo Day, and I was impressed by the strong turnout and quality of the startups."

Cornelia Hofer from Landmark Equity Partners was equally impressed by the founders' ambition.

"I came here expecting to discover startups tackling real societal challenges, and that expectation was definitely met. I was particularly impressed by the motivation and quality of the life sciences teams. FireDrone stood out to me because of its clear and compelling message."

For Johannes Gemmingen from Auctora Partners, who also serves as a Venture Kick jury member, the Demo Brunch offers a chance to see how companies have evolved since the jury process. 

"The Venture Kick Demo Day is always a special event because it brings together startups that are actively fundraising through Venture Kick. As a Venture Kick jury member, it's rewarding to see companies that have reached Stage 3 and finally meet many of them in person after previously seeing them only online. Dphi Space particularly stood out to me. Their mission and ambition in the space sector are remarkable, and they are a great example of how exceptional talent from Switzerland can build globally relevant companies." 

The event also welcomed Venture Kick alumni who have returned as investors. Yanan Zhang, now at MissionPossible VC, experienced the Demo Brunch from a different perspective.

"As a Venture Kick alumnus myself, having gone through Stages 1, 2, and 3, it's inspiring to come back and see the next generation of founders. GlioCART particularly resonated with me because of its mission, which closely aligns with the work I did with my own startup and with the focus of MissionPossible VC's life sciences portfolio." 

Every Venture Kick Demo Brunch is built around the same idea: creating the right environment for founders and investors to have meaningful conversations. Those first meetings often become the starting point for funding rounds, partnerships and long-term relationships, helping Swiss startups take their next step towards international growth.