Venture Kick

Venture Kick, a leading philanthropic initiative in Switzerland, has been instrumental in supporting early-stage startups since its inception in 2007. The program provides up to CHF 150,000 in pre-seed funding through a structured, three-stage process, aimed at helping science-based startups transition from innovative concepts to market-ready businesses. With a portfolio of over 1,000 supported startups, Venture Kick has contributed significantly to the Swiss startup ecosystem. Their efforts have led to the creation of more than 13,300 jobs and attracted over CHF 8 billion in investments. Notable successes from their alumni include Climeworks, a leader in direct air capture technology, which recently raised CHF 600 million to scale its operations, and YASAI, a vertical farming company that has secured investment from the Bell Food Group to boost its growth​​. The foundation’s focus spans various high-tech sectors, including ICT, life sciences, cleantech, and advanced manufacturing. In 2023 alone, Venture Kick reviewed 781 applications and supported 118 projects, demonstrating its robust selection process and broad industry impact. The initiative aims to scale its model further, with ambitious goals of supporting 3,000 high-tech companies and creating 100,000 jobs by 2033​.