Switzerland is fifth for venture capital

The amount of money raised by startup companies in Europe reached a record high in the first six months of 2018, announced EY in a statement about its latest “Startup Barometer”. Year-on-year, this equates to a surge in capital inflow of 27 per cent to 10.2 million euros. The number of financing rounds was also up in the same period, by 19 per cent to 1,995.

In the EY ranking, Great Britain, Germany and France raised the highest amounts of financing. Switzerland came in fifth place for both capital raised and the number of financing rounds, with its startup companies raising 415 million euros in 124 financing rounds between January and June. In the first half of 2017, 140 million euros were raised in 71 financing rounds.

“Startups in the platform and blockchain scene are the main benefactors of the ongoing investment boom in Switzerland,” explained Mario Fäh, Country Manager Switzerland at EY’s digital consultancy etventure. “Technology startups on the other hand have continued to have a harder time acquiring large amounts of new capital.”

The highest sums in Switzerland were raised at financing rounds for the Zug startups Dfinity Foundation and Chronext, the Zurich medtech company Ava Science, Centralway Numbrs, also from Zurich, and Breadwinner from Pfäffikon in the canton of Schwyz.