Swiss Venture Capital Report 2024 (Swiss Venture Capital Report (startupticker))

Summary

• A new record of 397 financing rounds was set for Swiss start-ups in 2023.p.7
• Invested capital in the ICT sector (including fintech) dropped by 62 % to CHF 786 million in 2023.p.6
• The median for all financing phases combined fell by 16 % to CHF 2.1 million.p.6
• The total number of exits shrank by 43 % in 2023.p.6
• Start-ups in canton Zurich experienced a 59 % drop in venture capital, raising CHF 872.3 million.p.24
• About 70 % of fund managers confirmed that wealthy families and private individuals provide the vast majority of capital in Swiss funds.p.28

Key insights

1. Cleantech established itself in second place in terms of amount invested and as the third pillar alongside biotech and ICT.p.6
2. The total amount raised in the top 20 financing rounds was CHF 1.4 billion, which is about 45% less than in 2022.p.9
3. Invested capital in medtech start-ups reached a record CHF 379 million, exceeding the 2022 record by 41 %.p.18
4. A total of 52 funds were actively fundraising at the beginning of 2024, with about half achieving their first closing.p.32
5. Only one startup completed an IPO in 2023 compared with five in the previous year.p.38