Martin Haefner supports young companies emerging from Swiss universities and institutions of higher learning
10.06.2015
The Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Martin Haefner will support Venture Kick for the next five years, significantly contributing to the development of high potential business ideas emerging from Switzerland’s best institutions of higher learning.
 The Swiss entrepreneur and philanthropist Martin Haefner
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For Martin Haefner, supporting Venture Kick is an investment that yields great return for the future of Switzerland: «Getting seed capital is often a hurdle for many innovative, dynamic and aspiring startups. Venture capital from the private sector is the key to overcoming it. As a member of a materially privileged class I'm happy to support in this way as many high potential business ideas as possible, which bring our country forward».
In 2005, Martin Haefner took over the chairmanship of the family-owned Careal Holding AG from his father and AMAG founder Walter Haefner. Since 2003 he holds the chairmanship of AMAG Automobil- und Motoren AG. Prior to that, as a member of the board of directors, he worked - after his studies in mathematics at ETH Zurich - as a mathematics teacher at the cantonal baccalaureate schools in Baden and Lucerne from 1981 to 2005.
Initial startup financing: The key to success
Pascale Vonmont, Delegate of Venture Kick' strategic committee and Deputy Director of Gebert Rüf Stiftung, is welcoming Martin Haefner's commitment: “The access to a national network of experts, entrepreneurs and investors enables those who hold innovative projects to reinforce the commercial quality of their idea, since the start. The quality of the supported projects, such as Abionic, Climeworks, Composyt Light Labs or InSphero, together with the commitment of outstanding entrepreneurs such as André Hoffmann, Hansjörg Wyss and from now on, Martin Haefner, shows the strength of the Venture Kick approach".
Venture Kick: A strong demand
Beat Schillig and Jordi Montserrat, responsible for the operational management of the Venture Kick initiative, are very happy about the positive development of the program, launched in 2007: “The interest of Swiss academy members (i.e. students, postgraduates, researchers and professors) has strongly increased. In 2014, 30 startups applied each month to the program, which is 50% more compared to the year before. Today, only four projects can be financed every month. The support from Martin Haefner will enable more talented Swiss scientists to embrace the entrepreneurial path”.
In 2005, Martin Haefner took over the chairmanship of the family-owned Careal Holding AG from his father and AMAG founder Walter Haefner. Since 2003 he holds the chairmanship of AMAG Automobil- und Motoren AG. Prior to that, as a member of the board of directors, he worked - after his studies in mathematics at ETH Zurich - as a mathematics teacher at the cantonal baccalaureate schools in Baden and Lucerne from 1981 to 2005.
Initial startup financing: The key to success
Pascale Vonmont, Delegate of Venture Kick' strategic committee and Deputy Director of Gebert Rüf Stiftung, is welcoming Martin Haefner's commitment: “The access to a national network of experts, entrepreneurs and investors enables those who hold innovative projects to reinforce the commercial quality of their idea, since the start. The quality of the supported projects, such as Abionic, Climeworks, Composyt Light Labs or InSphero, together with the commitment of outstanding entrepreneurs such as André Hoffmann, Hansjörg Wyss and from now on, Martin Haefner, shows the strength of the Venture Kick approach".
Venture Kick: A strong demand
Beat Schillig and Jordi Montserrat, responsible for the operational management of the Venture Kick initiative, are very happy about the positive development of the program, launched in 2007: “The interest of Swiss academy members (i.e. students, postgraduates, researchers and professors) has strongly increased. In 2014, 30 startups applied each month to the program, which is 50% more compared to the year before. Today, only four projects can be financed every month. The support from Martin Haefner will enable more talented Swiss scientists to embrace the entrepreneurial path”.