In the previous year, investors pledged a total of 3.059 billion Swiss francs in venture capital to Swiss start-ups. According to the latest Swiss Venture Capital Report from startupticker.ch, this equates to growth of 44 percent in comparison with 2020. On a year-on-year basis, total growth amounted to 935.3 million Swiss francs, with IT and fintech start-ups alone responsible for 799 million Swiss francs of this figure.
At 857.9 million Swiss francs in investments, the fintech/IT industry tops the league table of individual sectors. A fintech firm, namely Wefox, was also responsible for carrying out the largest financing round, in which the Zurich-based company secured investment totaling 584.5 million Swiss francs. Numab Therapeutics from Wädenswil in the canton of Zurich was ranked fifth in this regard, having secured gross proceeds in the amount of 100 million Swiss francs from its financing round. With two firms from Schlieren, Anjarium Biosciences (55.5 million Swiss francs) and GlycoEra (45 million Swiss francs), another two companies from the canton of Zurich made the top 20 here.
Fintech & blockchain
Fintech & blockchain
The Greater Zurich Area has evolved into a global fintech and blockchain hub, thanks to factors like access to talent, leading research institutes, innovation-friendly regulators, investors and industry partners. Switzerland, and particularly Crypto Valley in the Greater Zurich Area, has been at the forefront of digitization and disruptive technologies, and start-ups in the area have access to a variety of incubators and accelerators that support them in establishing a company and developing ideas and products.
Investments in start-ups from the canton of Zurich have increased
Zurich also leads the way in a cantonal breakdown. For example, a total of 1.285 billion Swiss francs was invested last year in start-ups based in Zurich. Thereafter follow the canton of Vaud (604.6 million Swiss francs), Basel-Stadt (338.4 million Swiss francs), Zug (149,5 million Swiss francs) and Ticino (116.6 million Swiss francs). This means that investments in start-ups from the canton of Zurich have now risen by 102 percent over the past ten years.
Innovation and business-friendly environment
The three most important ingredients for a thriving startup ecosystem are talent, capital and customers. In addition, there are leading universities, renowned companies, mentors, incubators and accelerators, innovation support programs, associations and special events. An innovation and business-friendly environment and a sense of entrepreneurial spirit round off the package. Greater Zurich has developed into a very attractive location for successful startups.
Fintech/IT leads the way, followed by biotech and ICT
In terms of the individual sectors, fintech/IT leads the way. This is followed by the biotech sector (767.5 million Swiss francs) and the rest of the ICT sector (661.3 million Swiss francs). Thereafter comes the medtech sector (243.8 million Swiss francs), followed by cleantech at 208.5 million Swiss francs. Energy Vault from Lugano in the canton of Ticino is active in this sector. At 91.3 million Swiss francs, it carried out the largest financing round by a cleantech company last year. Oviva from Altendorf in the canton of Schwyz was the most successful healthcare IT start-up, having banked a total of 73.1 million Swiss francs from its financing round.
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