2018 Startup GUIDE - 10th Edition

22 | COVER STORIES
Canton of Vaud
A vibrant location to move your
innovation forward and strengthen
your business
A direct connection with world-class academic and research institutes, a dense network of internationally oriented SMEs and innovative
startups, and a vibrant location offering favorable conditions to expand your business. Welcome to the canton of Vaud !
Innovative people find fertile ground to develop their ideas in the canton of Vaud:
• A unique concentration of leading Swiss academic and research institutions (EPFL, UNIL-CHUV, HEIG-VD, IMD and ECAL), ensuring
appropriate scientific expertise to develop new research from the laboratory straight to the market !
• One-third of the 100 Top Swiss startups are based in the canton of Vaud – including 4 among the 10 best ones in 2018*. In total,
about 2,000 high-tech companies are established in the canton.
• Highest amount of venture capital funds in Switzerland raised by Vaud startups in 2017 (CHF 298 million).
• An effective network of partners to provide your company with specialized coaching and business support, networking opportunities
with major actors in your field and specific funding for startups.
• A suitable setting to develop your ideas and business in one of our six incubators and innovation parks.
Discover below the specific services provided by your key partners in the canton of Vaud to help you develop your business.
INNOVAUD – The hub of innovation in
Vaud
Are you a startup, scale-up or an SME wanting to develop technology-based
innovations within your company ? Innovaud helps
you to :
• find investors and financial support from the FIT (www.fondation-fit.ch)
and SPEI. We offer advice on financing strategy and
facilitate contact with various sources of investment.
• find the ideal location in incubators and innovation parks.
Privi leged working relationships can then be established with
research institutes in collaboration with the six innovation parks
in Vaud.
• access certified coaches (eg. Innosuisse, Startup Coaching, platinn
and Alliance) who can support your company in areas such
as business strategy and models, partnerships, organization,
and financing.
• connect with the right partner within a vast ecosystem of
companies and organizations, in order to speed up the innovation
process.
• highlight and promote your innovation projects and your businesses
via various channels.
FIT: financing startups and digital
innovation at all stages
The Foundation for Technological Innovation (FIT) offers :
• 3 types of support for financing startups at all stages and supporting
the development of innovative technological projects
(FIT Tech)
FIT TECH GRANT
CHF 100,000
A grant to the project’s
principal initiator
working in
an institute or a
university located
in the Canton of
Vaud.
FIT TECH SEED
CHF 100,000
A loan for companies
of less than
1 year in Western
Switzerland.
FIT TECH
GROWTH
CHF 300,000 to
500,000
A loan for companies
of 1 to 3 years
old based in the
Canton of Vaud.
• 3 types of support for supporting entrepreneurs who develop
digital projects in the canton of Vaud (FIT Digital)
innovaud.ch
vaud.digital: who are the digital innovators
in the canton of Vaud ?
Find out which labs, startups, SMEs and large corporations are
leading the way, whether you’re looking for:
• business opportunities,
• investment ideas,
• information about digital services in Vaud
FIT DIGITAL
GRANT
CHF 20,000
A loan for testing
the business model’s
hypotheses.
FIT DIGITAL SEED
CHF 50,000
A loan for validating
the value proposal
and for acquiring
the first
customers.
FIT DIGITAL
GROWTH
CHF 200,000
A loan for putting
in place and
exe cuting the first
growth strategies.
vaud.digital
fondation-fit.ch
SWISS STARTUP GUIDE 2018