Switzerland Emerges as a Global Deep Tech Leader with $100 Billion in Startup Value

A new report reveals Switzerland has become a global Deep Tech leader, with startups generating over $100 billion in value. From 2019 to 2025, 60% of Swiss VC funding went to Deep Tech, the highest globally. ETH Zurich and EPFL lead in spinouts, while AI, biotech, and robotics startups are attracting strong international investment and scaling rapidly.

A new report released by Deep Tech Nation Switzerland, in collaboration with Dealroom.co, Startupticker, Founderful, and Kickfund, presents compelling data positioning Switzerland as a global hub for Deep Tech innovation. 

The Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025 provides the most comprehensive analysis to date of the country’s Deep Tech ecosystem, tracking more than 1,500 startups and detailing five years of progress across research, funding, and commercialisation.

Investment leadership and global benchmarking

Switzerland has emerged as the top country globally in terms of venture capital allocation to Deep Tech. Between 2019 and 2025, 60% of all Swiss VC funding went into Deep Tech startups – the highest such proportion in the world. The report also places Switzerland first in Europe and third worldwide in Deep Tech VC funding per capita.

Swiss Deep Tech companies have now generated over $100 billion in combined enterprise value. This has been driven by significant levels of international investment, with 96% of late-stage deals led by global investors. Most of this capital now originates from US and EU-based venture firms, indicating a strong international interest in Swiss science-based innovation.

University spinouts and academic strength

ETH Zurich and EPFL are highlighted as major engines of Deep Tech entrepreneurship, ranking just behind Oxford and Cambridge in the number of Deep Tech spinouts across Europe. These institutions play a central role in translating academic research into scalable startup ventures, contributing to a robust innovation pipeline.

Key sectors and notable startups

The report identifies Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Biotech, and Sustainability as dominant sectors within Swiss Deep Tech. Since 2021, AI/ML-related ventures have accounted for 23% of new startups, nearly double the share recorded in previous years. Startups such as Windward Bio and Neural Concept have raised notable funding rounds, reflecting the strength of Switzerland’s early-stage innovation.

Investors are also increasingly focusing on AI-first startups. In 2024 alone, one-third of all Swiss Deep Tech funding was directed towards AI-powered companies, ranging from generative protein design and industrial automation to foundation-model safety. This marks a threefold increase compared to 2020.

Growth-stage companies such as Scandit, Distalmotion, and Climeworks are now serving Fortune 500 clients, underlining the potential of Swiss startups to deliver mission-critical products to global industries.

International support and collaboration

Commenting on Switzerland’s impact on the space sector, Geraldine Naja, Director for Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness at the European Space Agency, said: ‘‘With the launch of the European Space Deep Tech Innovation Centre in Villigen, Switzerland is proving how precision science, agile industry and open collaboration can propel space technologies from lab to orbit. This new hub is more than a facility—it’s a testbed where European autonomy meets global opportunity. At ESA, we see Switzerland’s deep tech strengths as a catalyst for advancing Europe’s technological sovereignty, commercial competitiveness and innovation resilience.’’

Similarly, Severin Schwan, Chairman of Roche, remarked: “Switzerland has long been a global hotspot for biotech innovation. The exceptional concentration of pharma expertise around Basel, combined with academic excellence and access to capital, continues to make it one of the world's most fertile grounds for breakthrough biomedical innovation.”

Ecosystem development and future outlook

The report notes that although international capital is robust, there is still a limited pool of local capital for later-stage investments. This challenge represents an opportunity for domestic stakeholders to further contribute to the scaling of high-potential companies.

Chris Keller, Managing Director Central Europe at AWS, stated: "Switzerland stands at the forefront of global AI innovation, leading with the highest AI patents per capita and one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems."

Alex Stöckl, Founding Partner at Founderful, added: "Switzerland has long excelled in fundamental research, but we believe the next decade belongs to the scientists and engineers who turn that research into global companies. This report is about making that transformation visible - about telling the story of Swiss Deep Tech in hard data and positioning it clearly on the world stage. Founderful is proud to lead that effort."

The report concludes by outlining plans for continued tracking and analysis of Deep Tech performance across key Swiss regions including Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, and Basel. The goal is to offer a reliable benchmark for founders, investors, and policymakers to assess progress and inform strategy.

About the collaborators

Deep Tech Nation Switzerland
Deep Tech Nation Switzerland is a private, non-profit foundation established to position Switzerland as the world’s leading Deep Tech hub. It operates as a neutral, system-level catalyst, working across sectors to strengthen the Swiss innovation ecosystem over the long term. Backed by major Swiss companies, foundations, universities, and industry associations, the foundation focuses on enabling science-based startups to grow, scale, and compete globally. Its initiatives span policy advocacy, ecosystem mapping, capital mobilisation, and support for strategic infrastructure such as Deep Tech innovation centres.

Dealroom.co
Dealroom.co is a globally recognised data intelligence platform specialising in startups, scaleups, venture capital, and technology ecosystems. Founded in Amsterdam, it provides comprehensive datasets used by governments, investors, and corporates to analyse trends and evaluate innovation performance. Dealroom.co is known for its detailed mapping of startup ecosystems and regularly partners with public and private institutions for landmark reports, including its European Deep Tech and Impact reports.

Startupticker.ch
Startupticker.ch is Switzerland’s official startup news platform, publishing daily updates, market insights, and in-depth reports on the country's entrepreneurial landscape. It is supported by a network of public and private partners and serves as a trusted source of information for investors, policymakers, and founders. Startupticker also produces the annual Swiss Venture Capital Report, a key resource tracking investment activity and startup performance across regions and sectors.

Kickfund
Kickfund is a venture capital firm based in Switzerland that invests in Deep Tech startups at the pre-seed and seed stages. The fund works closely with Venture Kick, a national accelerator that supports university spinouts and academic entrepreneurs. Kickfund has backed over 100 high-potential startups emerging from ETH Zurich, EPFL, and other leading research institutions. Its portfolio includes several globally recognised Deep Tech firms in areas such as AI, climate tech, and semiconductors.

Founderful
Founderful is Switzerland’s leading pre-seed venture capital fund focused on backing early-stage founder teams building high-tech, scalable businesses. The fund has a strong track record of identifying and supporting transformative companies from their inception. Founderful combines hands-on mentorship with capital and network access to help founders navigate the path from lab innovation to market leadership. It has become a cornerstone investor in the Swiss startup ecosystem, advocating for greater visibility and internationalisation of Swiss Deep Tech ventures.