Swiss Venture Capital Report 2016 (Swiss Venture Capital Report (startupticker))

Summary

• Venture capital investment in Swiss start-ups reached a peak of CHF 676 million across 120 financing rounds in 2015.p.3
• Total capital invested in Swiss start-ups grew by 47.9 % compared to 2014, while the total number of rounds rose by 30.4 % from 92 to 120.p.6
• Life sciences start-ups obtained CHF 483.8 million, representing approximately 72 % of the total financing volume in 2015.p.14
• Capital invested in biotech companies increased by almost two thirds, rising from CHF 189.6 million in 2014 to CHF 310.7 million in 2015.p.14
• The ICT sector (including fintech) rebounded with a 50 % increase in invested capital, growing from CHF 86.3 million in 2014 to CHF 129.3 million in 2015.p.14
• Seed stage financing rounds totaled CHF 7.9 million, early stage reached CHF 158.5 million, and later stage rounds generated CHF 509.6 million.p.16

Key insights

1. The top 20 venture capital rounds in Switzerland in 2015 amounted to CHF 560.9 million, representing 83 % of total investment.p.7
2. The number of mid-sized financing rounds between CHF 2 million and CHF 10 million increased from 19 to 27.p.6
3. Canton Vaud and Canton Zurich attracted equal venture capital volumes in 2015, receiving CHF 173 million each.p.6
4. The share of invested capital going to cantons outside Zurich and Vaud increased from 28 % in 2014 to 49 % in 2015.p.18
5. US venture capital investors accounted for a share of about 25 % of investment in Swiss start-ups.p.10
6. Knip completed a CHF 15.3 million Series B round, marking the largest funding round in the history of Swiss fintech at the time.p.14