VENTURE - Companies for Tomorrow

VENTURE - Companies for Tomorrow >>venture>> is Switzerland's leading annual startup competition.

20/02/2026

🚨 Final days before the submission deadline! 🚨

Still wondering whether you can reapply if you've already participated before?

The answer is yes, absolutely. In fact, we encourage it!

Some of our strongest finalists didn’t win the first time. They refined, improved, and came back stronger — using the expert feedback they received with every submission.

So if you're still early-stage and haven't received >>venture>> funding before, this is your last chance to take your startup to the next level! Take the weekend to finalize your application and send it in.

🗓️ Deadline: February 25, 2026

venture.ch

19/02/2026

Oleg, Community Manager at Apertus, is back — this time answering: Why should entrepreneurs build with Apertus?

If you’re building a startup, you know how tough it is. The tools you choose matter.

Here’s why Apertus is worth your attention:
🌍 Multilingual by design – Strong semantic and cultural understanding across 1000+ languages, so you can build global products from day one.
🇨🇭 Swiss context built in – Add local knowledge and a distinct Swiss angle to your AI stack.
🛠️ Future-ready roadmap – Agentic capabilities and coding applications are on the horizon. Early adopters will have the edge.

AI is moving fast. This is your chance to pioneer before the gold rush.

If you’re building with Apertus, don’t forget our Apertus Spotlight Award — where we highlight the startup making the most impactful use of it with CHF 50,000! Apply by February 25, 2026, at www.venture.ch 💥

18/02/2026

🚨 Only 1 week left to apply! 🚨

And we know many of you still have questions about the application process and entry requirements — so here’s another one we get all the time: do you need to be affiliated with a university to join >>venture>>?

Short answer: Not at all.

Whether you’re:
🎓 A university spin-off turning research into impact
💼 An industry founder who identified a real-world problem
🚀 Or somewhere in between

You’re welcome to apply!

We're one of the few competitions supporting early-stage startups with or without academic affiliation.

So if you've been hesitating because you're not from a university, this is your sign! Apply now at venture.ch.

🗓️ Submission deadline: February 25, 2026

Don't miss it!

17/02/2026

🤖🇨🇭 What is Apertus — and why should startups care?

In this interview, Oleg, Community Manager of the Apertus project, introduces Switzerland’s flagship AI initiative: a large language model trained at the Swiss Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) as part of the Swiss National AI Initiative.

Built to reflect Swiss values and technical excellence, Apertus has been available globally since September and is already actively used and further developed in Switzerland and beyond. 🌍

And here’s the opportunity 👇

We’re awarding a Spotlight Award of CHF 50,000 to the startup that best leverages Apertus in its solution. ✨

If you’re building with AI and using Apertus in a bold, innovative way, this is your chance to stand out and gain visibility.

Apply, show us what you’re building, and let’s put your startup in the spotlight. 🚀

16/02/2026

Hey startups! We're kicking off a new Q&A series about the >>venture>> startup competition here in Switzerland, answering the most common questions we get.

First up: How early is too early to apply, and what do you mean by early-stage startups?

Short answer? It's never too early to apply.

If you've registered your startup within the past 2 years, you officially qualify as "early-stage". But even if you're earlier than that, meaning that you are still in the idea phase, you can (and should) apply. You can apply more than once, so give it a shot ― every application receives written feedback from experts.

So really, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Do you have questions you would like us to answer? Drop them below 👇

And if you're building something innovative, this is your sign to apply! Applications close on February 25, 2026 ⏱️

11/02/2026

⏳ Only 2 weeks left until our final submission deadline! Which also means: only two weeks left to register for the Spotlight Award!

Haven't heard about our Spotlight Award yet? It's a CHF 50,000 prize spotlighting a startup showing outstanding innovation around a yearly theme — plus major visibility in Switzerland’s startup ecosystem. This year, the Spotlight Award will go to the startup that best leverages Apertus, the open LLM developed by ETH Zürich & EPFL. If Apertus is core to your product, this one’s for you.

🎤 Want to learn more about Apertus and what “sovereign AI” actually means? Today, from 14:00–15:30, Martin Jaggi (Swiss AI Initiative) — who joined our Apertus fireside chat during GEW — will speak on a panel about open AI models at the EPFL AMLD Intelligence Summit 2026.
📍 Swiss Tech Convention Center, Lausanne — Garden 3ABC

Don't miss the chance to maybe take home CHF 50K! 💰 Apply now at www.venture.ch 🚀

Founders, this one is for you ⬇️Applications are now open for the BlueLion Incubator Acceleration Program!Are you a full...
09/02/2026

Founders, this one is for you ⬇️

Applications are now open for the BlueLion Incubator Acceleration Program!

Are you a fully committed tech startup team ready to sharpen your value proposition, go to market, and laying the foundations to secure funding and grow your business? Then Bluelion’s 10-week Acceleration Program might be the launchpad you’ve been looking for.

Why should you apply?

💸 3x higher funding rate than the average pre-seed startup.
🔥 Hands-on learning from top founders, industry mentors, and leading experts.
🌟 Direct exposure to top-tier angel investors and early-stage VCs.
💡 Exclusive access to Bluelion’s vibrant startup ecosystem.

Applications close February 22nd, 2026. Don’t miss your shot! 🚀

More info and application form: https://bluelion.ch/acceleration-program/

🚨 Only 3 weeks left to submit your application for the 2026 edition of Switzerland's leading startup competition! 🚨What ...
04/02/2026

🚨 Only 3 weeks left to submit your application for the 2026 edition of Switzerland's leading startup competition! 🚨

What is the >>venture>> startup competition?
>>venture>> is an annual competition that supports innovative early-stage startups. We are on the lookout for groundbreaking ideas with the potential to disrupt industries and create lasting impact. Whether you're in tech, healthcare, sustainability, or any other field, we want to hear from you!

Why shoud you participate?
💰 Up to CHF 150'000 in non-dilutive prizes
🕸️ Access to our vast network of experts
🧑‍🏫 Mentoring opportunity
👔 Possibility of winning a business consulting package from McKinsey & Company
🔗 Connect with potential investors
👁️ Visibility and recognition for your startup
🆓 Application is free

📆 Submission deadline: February 25, 2026

📝 How to apply – visit our website at www.venture.ch/participate and click on ‘Apply now’. Don't hesitate to go through our Playbook before filling in your application.

Spread the word and tag your entrepreneurial friends who are ready to venture forward. 🏃‍♂️

03/02/2026

🎉 The winner of our Early Bird Offer has been selected! And it is...

1delta 🎉

Congratulations to this Zug-based startup that's making advanced crypto features easier to use by bringing multiple complex systems together into one simple interface.

As our Early Bird winner, 1delta takes home CHF 1,000 in non-dilutive funding―and this may just be the beginning. They could also make it as semi-finalists in the Business & Finance vertical 👀

But the competition is far from over! Every participant still has a chance to become a semi-finalist in their vertical. If you haven't submitted your application yet, you still have until February 25, 2026 to do so! And if you've already applied, you can still fine-tune your submission right up until the final deadline!

👉 Learn more about our first winner of the 2026 edition: https://1delta.io/

Thank you to all the startups who submitted their applications early ― we can't wait to receive the next ones!

🎤✨ Pitch Night in Uri — what a night!Huge thanks to Marisa Conzinu from Smart-up: Ideen erfolgreich umsetzen and Dominic...
02/02/2026

🎤✨ Pitch Night in Uri — what a night!

Huge thanks to Marisa Conzinu from Smart-up: Ideen erfolgreich umsetzen and Dominic Gisler from Kanton Uri for the amazing collaboration on this event!

A special shoutout to our jurors (Metin Zerman, Rolf Eleveld, and Bettina Bachmann) for making the trip to Altdorf — we truly appreciate your time and insights.

And of course, thank you to the startups for bringing the energy, bold ideas, and great pitches, and to our audience for the curiosity, support, and atmosphere.

Uri showed up — and we loved every minute of it 🚀🙌

Lausanne, get ready for an immersive Patent Search Workshop! 💥While Zurich gears up for next Thursday's session, we're t...
22/01/2026

Lausanne, get ready for an immersive Patent Search Workshop! 💥

While Zurich gears up for next Thursday's session, we're thrilled to announce that Kamran Houshang Pour, patent expert and IP-trainer at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, will also come to Lausanne on Thursday, February 5—in exactly 2 weeks!

🔍 Dive into the world of intellectual property at EPFL for a dynamic half-day event! Learn the subtleties of patent searching with hands-on guidance and get valuable insights.

📅 Date: Thursday, February 5, 2026
🕢 Time: 13:30
📍 Location: EPFL – Room AAC 0 08

More info and tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/venture-patent-search-workshop-lausanne-tickets-1977698690020?aff=socialmedia

Share this post, tag your friends, and spread the word! 📢

Ready to turn your innovative startup idea into a successful business? 🚀 The STARTUP CAMPUS Business Concept Course is n...
21/01/2026

Ready to turn your innovative startup idea into a successful business? 🚀 The STARTUP CAMPUS Business Concept Course is now open for registration!

• 12-week acceleration program for early-stage startup ideas starting February 24, 2026
• Learn how to develop a scalable business model
• Create a convincing investor pitch
• Meet successful entrepreneurs and possible co-founders
• Connect with and pitch your startup in front of investors at the Ecosystem Event at the end of the course
• Compete to win the STARTUP CAMPUS Award, including cash and voucher prizes worth more than CHF 7,000.
• Participation is free of charge!

🔗 Apply to join the next course by February 10: https://www.startup-campus.ch/trainings/business-concept/

Don't miss this opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and resources to build a successful startup!

Startup Campus | Innosuisse | ZHAW Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften | Universität Zürich | ETH Zürich | Impact Hub Zürich

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Pfingstweidstrasse 3
Zürich
8005

Öffnungszeiten

Montag 09:00 - 17:00
Dienstag 09:00 - 17:00
Mittwoch 09:00 - 17:00
Donnerstag 09:00 - 17:00
Freitag 09:00 - 17:00

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