A recent study conducted by HES-SO Valais-Wallis and EPFL sheds light on the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs in Switzerland, including a scarcity of role models, pervasive gender stereotypes, and limited access to funding. While Switzerland has made progress in supporting female entrepreneurship, there is still substantial room for improvement in creating a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem for women entrepreneurs. Recommendations from the study include enhancing education on entrepreneurship, promoting mentorship, and creating supportive networks to foster women’s business ventures and close the gender gap in entrepreneurship.
As the ecosystem evolves, it is crucial to recognize and celebrate the achievements of female founders who are making waves in the industry, thanks to the support from various stakeholders.
Female founders in the spotlight
One of the standout events this month was the annual Female Innovation Forum, which provided a dynamic platform for female entrepreneurs to exchange knowledge, network, and gain recognition. The event culminated in an inspiring award ceremony, where Nicole Kleger, co-founder of ETH spinoff Sallea, was honored as the ‘Innovator of the Year.’ Margaux Peltier, co-founder of the cleantech startup Enerdrape, received the prestigious Recognition Award, while four additional innovators were celebrated and awarded by the awards partner network for their impactful ideas.
From the venture lab ecosystem, Abrinca Genomics, which is pioneering a novel technology for early cancer detection through cell-free DNA analysis, secured CHF 150,000 after triumphing in the Venture Kick finale, propelling its journey to market. Among its co-founders are Linda Studer (CFO and COO) and Citus (Bettina Thumm). Additionally, Venturelab has selected ten startups for the Venture Leaders Medtech program, including three female-led ventures. This initiative will enable these Swiss startups to showcase their technologies to potential customers and partners as they explore market opportunities in the US market. Among the participants are Mynerva, which is developing a neuro-stimulating medical device to combat diabetic neuropathy, Oncoswab, which is creating a point-of-care test for early lung cancer detection, and Calico Biosystems, focused on validating the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs during the pre-clinical stage.
The Swiss Technology Award also recognized female leadership, with three of the six finalists being female-led ventures. Mynerva was once again nominated for the award, alongside Oxyle, which has developed an innovative water treatment technology to eliminate micro-pollutants, and DePoly, which is constructing an industrial demonstration plant in Lower Valais to recycle plastic waste into raw materials. Furthermore, Deploy was celebrated as the best Swiss startup in this year’s Top 100 Swiss Startup Award.
The Swisscom Entrepreneurship Award was awarded to the co-founders of Tadah—Sarah Steiner, Julia Cebreros, Klara Zuercher, and Diana Wick Rossi—who have created a co-working space integrated with childcare to promote work-life balance. The latest cohort entering the Kickstart Accelerator includes female-led companies such as Neur.ON and Enterprise Bot, providing them with the opportunity to collaborate with corporates. Rrreefs, dedicated to coral reef restoration, won the I4N Award 2024 and joined the UpLink Accelerator as part of the World Economic Forum’s Regenerative Blue Economy Challenge, while Oncobit secured a place in the SwissEF UpScaler Program for growth startups.
PeriVision, co-founded by Serife Kucur Ergunay (CTO), continues to advance its AI-based solution for optimizing eye tests, enhancing reliability and providing deep insights into visual function. A recent partnership with Genentech aims to evaluate the potential application of its VisionOne platform in ophthalmology clinical trials. This achievement coincides with the receipt of financial support to fast track its activities.
Financial Boosts to Accelerate Growth
Several female-led startups have been selected for the Innosuisse Swiss Accelerator program, designed to provide direct funding for innovation projects among Swiss startups and SMEs, particularly in light of Switzerland’s non-association with Horizon Europe. The funded ventures include Haelixa, b-rayZ, and Vivent. From the romandie region, Alpes-éco Suisse SA, co-founded by Joëlle Ordon and with Déborah Villars as deputy CEO, received a seed loan of CHF 100,000 from the FONGIT Innovation Fund (FIF) to enhance its smart herd management solutions.
Priscilla Laube, founder of AllSupps, which produces multivitamin fruit gummies, made waves on the Swiss Lion’s Den TV show ‘Höhle der Löwen Schweiz,’ securing a deal with Löwe Bertram for CHF 80,000 in exchange for 27% equity. Meanwhile, the House of Momos team, co-founded by Anne Riewoldt and Dechen Jangma, left a lasting impression despite not securing a deal, as they continue to ambitiously grow their delivery service for tibetan food speciality, momos, achieving an annual turnover of nearly CHF 4.2 million since their founding in 2021.
In a different funding approach, Luya Foods successfully attracted CHF 5 million in Series A funding, with Kickfund investing twice. Co-founded and co-led by Nina Shaller and two male colleagues, Luya Foods specializes in plant-based food alternatives, particularly products made from whole organic legumes like chickpeas and okara. The Fabas founding trio—Anik Thaler, Lena Rutishauser, and Katharina Pälchen—also secured CHF 1.3 million in funding to bolster their ambition of becoming a leading B2B supplier of legume-based protein ingredients for plant-based food alternatives.
For Novostia, which is developing a groundbreaking heart valve prosthesis, investors contributed CHF 5.6 million to its funding round, further accelerating its development efforts and enhancing its clinical evidence base. The company also announced leadership changes, appointing Soad El Ghazouani as the new Chief Executive Officer.
In other leadership updates, Belén Bolliger Stämpfli and Anna Mucha, co-founders of OiOiOi, a startup offering practical and sustainable wardrobe solutions for children, have transitioned leadership to Theresa Zanganeh, who will join the company’s board as CEO. Aike Festini has also returned to the startup scene, joining cleantech startup Freesuns as Chief Strategy Officer, bringing her wealth of experience and impactful contributions to the ecosystem.
Corporate Interest in Autonomous Vehicles
This month, the partnership between LOXO, the developer of Europe’s first Level 4 autonomous vehicle for public roads, and logistics company Pflanzer generated significant buzz. Co-founder Lara Amini and her team launched the Dynamic Micro-Hub project, combining their expertise to facilitate sustainable and efficient urban logistics. Mathilde, an autonomous vehicle equipped with LOXO’s Digital Driver™ software, is set to navigate the streets of Bern without a human driver.
As female founders continue to shine, it is equally important to spotlight advancements in female health. Swiss startup Aspivix is making significant strides with its Carevix device, designed to redefine care standards in gynecology, particularly for women undergoing IUD insertions. The company has welcomed Tia, the U.S. network of women’s health clinics, into its ambassador program, expanding its centers of excellence globally. This partnership aims to enhance access to improved IUD procedures and elevate the experience for women in nine Tia clinics across Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Scottsdale.
Stay tuned for more updates, and browse our calendar to find events.
