Venture Kick continues the legacy of the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung

06.11.2020

Two central partners in the promotion of entrepreneurship in Switzerland merge

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From Left to Right: Suzanne Avedik, Venture Kick Strategy Board Member Philip Bodmer, Chairman Volkswirtschaftstiftung and New Venture Kick Board Member Pascale Vonmont, Venture Kick Strategy Board Delegate
Since its establishment in 1918, the Swiss Federal Foundation for the Promotion of the Swiss Economy through Scientific Research has aimed to promote innovation at Swiss universities. Over the past 30 years, the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung has fulfilled this promotional task by supporting innovative spin-offs in the high-tech environment of Swiss universities. During this time, the foundation has supported the establishment and proof of concept of more than 90 startups and enabled them to enter the market by granting interest-free loans. 

Fortunately, the Swiss startup ecosystem has developed strongly in recent years: The number, size, and professionalism of the players involved in the promotion of startups have increased significantly. At the same time, the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung, with its militia organization, increasingly reached its limits. The Board of Trustees has therefore decided to discontinue the foundation’s activities as an independent organization at the end of 2019. In order to join forces, the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung merged with Venture Kick, a similarly positioned initiative, on November 1, 2020. Since its founding in 2007, Venture Kick has pursued the goal of promoting spin-offs from Swiss universities at an early stage of their development by providing seed capital, coaching, and a strong investor network. Since then, 734 startup projects have been supported with CHF 32.5 million seed capital. This has resulted in more than 500 high-tech companies with over 7,500 jobs. 

“Venture Kick’s focus on innovative technology startups has meant that we have often supported the same projects together. Both organizations have almost the same focus. The well-thought-out funding concept, the professional structure, and the proven track record of Venture Kick tipped the scales in favor of joining forces with Venture Kick. We are convinced that the legacy of the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung will be carried forward excellently by Venture Kick,” says Philip Bodmer, the long-standing president of the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung. 

“Venture Kick sees great potential in joining forces in order to achieve common goals even more successfully. The Venture Kick Strategy Board is also very pleased to have gained in Philip Bodmer an expert with many years of valuable experience,” says Pascale Vonmont, delegate of the Venture Kick Strategy Board.  

Venture Kick will continue the previous activities of the Volkswirtschaftsstiftung under the umbrella of the Fondation des Fondateurs. The foundation’s assets will significantly strengthen Venture Kick financially such that the number of startups benefitting from Venture Kick support each year can be markedly increased.


Venture Kick Strategy Board and Management
From left to right
Beat Schillig, Co-Managing Director
Philip Bodmer, Chairman Volkswirtschaftstiftung and New Strategy Board Member
Pascale Vonmont, Strategy Board Delegate
Suzanne Avedik, Strategy Board Member
Jordi Montserrat, Co-Managing Director

(Missing in the picture: Igor Fisch, Strategy Board Member, and Philip Hassler, Co-Managing Director)
 

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