Venture Kick Demo Brunch connects startups with capital
07.05.2026
The second Venture Kick Demo Brunch of 2026 brought 17 investment-ready startups together with active investors for a morning of pitches, brunch, and conversations. The format is built around parallel dynamics: founders advancing their rounds, and investors meeting peers, co-investors, and potential partners. With nearly half of each round already committed and closing timelines of around three months, the cohort arrived well into fundraising.
 |
 |
Early-stage capital usually moves through broad outreach, long cycles, and exploratory conversations before interest becomes concrete. The Demo Brunch takes a more direct approach. Founders presenting have already passed multiple Venture Kick selection stages and are actively raising. Investors are curated accordingly, VCs, business angels, family offices, private banks, and institutional allocators following Venture Kick’s pipeline. Founders meet investors, and investors also connect among themselves.
The 17 founders span climate and cleantech, medtech, biotech, and deep tech. All are Venture Kick alumni who have progressed through the programme’s selection process. On average, around 44% of their rounds were already committed at the time of presentation, with most expected to close within roughly three months.
Two-minute pitches set the pace of the morning, followed by ongoing conversations over brunch. Crêpes by Maus Robotics and a meal featuring Luya Foods, both Venture Kick alumni, add a founder-driven touch to the setting.
The Demo Brunch is invite-only. Founders are selected through Venture Kick’s process, and investors are curated with the same level of care, keeping the room intentionally compact to allow focused exchanges.
Nastaran Asadi, Venture Partner at Momenta Ventures, noted following the sessions:
“My expectation from today was early access to high-performing startups that are already fundraising-ready. My main takeaway is that it is not only about the technology, but also about networking, early access to partners, investors, and the ecosystem matters. Startups are looking for smart money, and investors are also adding value beyond capital.”
What previous attendees observed:
Martina Gromo, VI Partners, emphasized both the strength of the ecosystem and the pace of technological progress:
“It’s always valuable to exchange with co-investors and see what everyone has been working on. What stands out is how AI is making an impact across verticals and that the Swiss ecosystem is absolutely thriving. We have strong talent and strong technology; what we need is the firepower to scale big.”
Manuel Deijk, Private Investor, summarized it simply:
“I expected high-quality investment opportunities. I attended the Venture Kick Demo Brunch last year already. I love to see the continued effort from Swiss startups from energy transition to healing our diseases.”
The Venture Kick model provides a structured funding path:
The Demo Brunch is one of five events Venture Kick hosts each year. The next one is already in preparation and will take place in early July. It is invite-only, and capacity is kept small. If you'd like to be considered, the simplest route is to send an email to ciro.schillig@venturekick.ch. The cohort one-pager and a note will follow once invitations open.
A warm thank you to all founders for their clear presentations, and to the investors for their openness and time. Thanks also to Philip Hassler, Ciro Schillig, Cristina Lozano Madueño, and the entire Venture Kick team for making this second 2026 edition happen.
The 17 founders span climate and cleantech, medtech, biotech, and deep tech. All are Venture Kick alumni who have progressed through the programme’s selection process. On average, around 44% of their rounds were already committed at the time of presentation, with most expected to close within roughly three months.
Two-minute pitches set the pace of the morning, followed by ongoing conversations over brunch. Crêpes by Maus Robotics and a meal featuring Luya Foods, both Venture Kick alumni, add a founder-driven touch to the setting.
The Demo Brunch is invite-only. Founders are selected through Venture Kick’s process, and investors are curated with the same level of care, keeping the room intentionally compact to allow focused exchanges.
Nastaran Asadi, Venture Partner at Momenta Ventures, noted following the sessions:
“My expectation from today was early access to high-performing startups that are already fundraising-ready. My main takeaway is that it is not only about the technology, but also about networking, early access to partners, investors, and the ecosystem matters. Startups are looking for smart money, and investors are also adding value beyond capital.”
What previous attendees observed:
Martina Gromo, VI Partners, emphasized both the strength of the ecosystem and the pace of technological progress:
“It’s always valuable to exchange with co-investors and see what everyone has been working on. What stands out is how AI is making an impact across verticals and that the Swiss ecosystem is absolutely thriving. We have strong talent and strong technology; what we need is the firepower to scale big.”
Manuel Deijk, Private Investor, summarized it simply:
“I expected high-quality investment opportunities. I attended the Venture Kick Demo Brunch last year already. I love to see the continued effort from Swiss startups from energy transition to healing our diseases.”
The Venture Kick model provides a structured funding path:
- CHF 10,000 grant (Stage 1)
- CHF 50,000 convertible loan (Stage 2)
- CHF 100,000 convertible loan (Stage 3)
- CHF 150,000 grant via InnoBooster
- Up to CHF 850,000 investment via Kickfund
- Altogether, this can amount to more than CHF 1 million in combined funding, offering powerful leverage to accelerate scaling and drive international expansion.
The Demo Brunch is one of five events Venture Kick hosts each year. The next one is already in preparation and will take place in early July. It is invite-only, and capacity is kept small. If you'd like to be considered, the simplest route is to send an email to ciro.schillig@venturekick.ch. The cohort one-pager and a note will follow once invitations open.
A warm thank you to all founders for their clear presentations, and to the investors for their openness and time. Thanks also to Philip Hassler, Ciro Schillig, Cristina Lozano Madueño, and the entire Venture Kick team for making this second 2026 edition happen.
Additional Links
- Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member David Brown
- Behind the Jury: Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Jim Pulcrano
- Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Dr. Bettina Ernst
- Perspectives from Venture Kick Jury Member Christer Bergstroem
- Behind the Jury: Perspectives from the Venture Kick Jury Member David Kurmann
- Perspectives from the Venture Kick Jury Member Luca Bolliger
- Demo Brunch 2026: A Strong Start to the Year for Swiss Innovation