I am with Startupticker.ch as they release the Swiss Venture Capital Report on February 3rd 2026 and the signal is unmistakable.
Switzerland’s startup ecosystem has re-entered a growth cycle, with exits firmly back on the agenda.
Capital is flowing again especially record level in early stage investments.
In 2025, CHF 2.95B was invested across 354 rounds a decisive rebound after two softer years.
That’s +23.9% YoY, +27% vs. 2019, and nearly 3× growth since 2016. For the first time since 2022, total venture investment is rising again.
Vaud A Core Growth Engine in MedTech grows 50% and ICT and Hardware is strong.
With CHF 578.9M invested, Vaud delivered one of its strongest results on record second only to the 2021 peak and well above pre-pandemic levels. Financing rounds increased slightly, returning to boom-year intensity, and the canton captured 19.6% of total Swiss venture capital, reinforcing its role as a pillar of the national ecosystem.
Early-Stage Strength, Disciplined Scaling
Investor confidence is showing up first where ecosystems compound long term in early stage.
Early-stage: CHF 1.116B (+73%, all-time high)
Seed: CHF 298M (+23.8%, second-highest ever)
Growth capital remains more selective. Series B+ median round sizes are down ~46%, reflecting discipline, not retreat.
Capital is being earned, not sprayed.
Sector Leadership with Exit Gravity.
Biotech set a new record at CHF 946M (+25.7%)
ICT rebounded sharply to CHF 774M (+145%)
These are Switzerland’s proven exit engines in deep tech, defensible IP, and global buyers.
Fintech and cleantech declined for the third consecutive year, an open question of cycle vs. signal, but also a reminder that not all growth stories move in sync.
Fewer Exits, Bigger Outcomes
Exit activity was quieter in volume, but stronger in substance
9 trade sales above CHF 100M
Billion-dollar outcomes in biotech and software.
This is consistent with a maturing ecosystem with fewer forced exits, more strategic ones.
Capital Concentration, Global Relevance.
Investment remains concentrated where platforms, talent, and capital intersect
Zurich, Basel-Stadt, and Vaud dominate, with the top five cantons capturing 91.2% of total investment.
Switzerland is once again proving why it is a deep-tech and biotech powerhouse, defined by resilience, disciplined capital allocation, and long-term conviction.
The early-stage engine is firing, scale is selective, and exits while fewer are meaningful.
This is how sustainable ecosystems grow.
Read the free full report of Swiss Venture Capital 2026 at Here
Thank You
Stefan Kyora
Editor-in-chief, startupticker.ch
Thomas Heimann
Deputy general secretary, SECA (Swiss Private Equity & Corporate Finance Association)
