immo!nvest – Die Plattform für Standorte und Immobilien

Tag: Startups

  • Canton of Zurich initiates pilot project for innovation potential of SMEs

    Canton of Zurich initiates pilot project for innovation potential of SMEs

    In a press release , the canton of Zurich announced the pilot program for SMEs and innovation to strengthen innovative strength in SMEs. It was developed over a three-year period by the cantonal location promotion department on behalf of Economics Director Carmen Walker Späh and in conjunction with the Canton of Zurich Location Promotion Network and the Zürcher Kantonalbank , the Zurich Chamber of Commerce ( ZHK ) and the Canton of Zurich SME and Trade Association ( KGV ) . The location support program provides for SMEs to receive guidance and support from specialists, especially from the private sector, and from innovation specialists in the early stages of planned innovations, so that they can apply for national funding.

    The innovative strength in companies with fewer than 100 employees harbors potential for improvement and is showing a downward trend compared to large companies and start-ups that are showing innovative activities. A lack of access to knowledge and low resources for the implementation of planned projects are given as reasons for the backlog. Many SMEs are also reluctant to join forces with other companies and universities. According to a study by the economics department in the Office for Economics and Labor in the Economics Directorate, there is also room for improvement in “networking and collaboration between SMEs”. The Corona crisis has additionally weakened the innovative power.

    Economics director Carmen Walker Späh wants to ensure that SMEs make a step forward in their innovation activities and thus ensure the diversity of industries “especially in times of crisis”. “Switzerland is an SME country. It is all the more important that our SMEs continue to provide jobs and training positions,” she is quoted as saying in the media release. heg

  • Strengthen Switzerland as a location for innovation and expand the lead

    Strengthen Switzerland as a location for innovation and expand the lead

    The Swiss economy is characterized by an enormously high level of innovation and has been able to secure its leading position worldwide in recent years despite the strong Swiss franc. The vocational training system, the close interaction between research and business, start-ups and corporations as well as the high willingness to found new companies are the cornerstones of the recipe for success. The pandemic and the associated restrictions have put great pressure on the economy in all European countries.
    This is a valuable opportunity for Switzerland to further expand its lead in key areas through targeted funding with existing or new instruments.

  • Lucerne location defies the pandemic

    Lucerne location defies the pandemic

    The canton of Lucerne was also able to attract new companies in the 2020 pandemic. According to a report by the Lucerne Economic Development Agency, a total of 19 companies have settled in the canton. Eight settlements came from abroad. The five immigrants from Great Britain stand out in particular. The other three foreign companies came from Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Overall, they want to create 329 jobs in the canton in the next three to five years, it is said.

    Even founders were not intimidated by the pandemic. If the whole of Switzerland is taken into account, the number of start-ups even rose to a record level in 2020. In the canton of Lucerne, too, the number of start-ups increased by 11.1 percent compared to the previous year, as the report shows. The Lucerne Economic Development Agency supports you in the initial phase, for example with start-up courses.

    Ivan Buck, Director of the Lucerne Economic Development Agency, speaks of an overall “challenging, but nevertheless successful” year. He is also pleased with the results of a satisfaction survey. This was carried out at over 200 companies as well as cantons and municipalities. Compared to the last survey three years ago, satisfaction could be increased at all levels. "A new record of 175 network partners rounds off this wonderful result," said Buck.

  • PropTech trend has reached investors

    PropTech trend has reached investors

    A lot of capital is currently flowing into startups. In 2020, over CHF 2 billion flowed into Swiss start-ups. Across Europe, more than 500 million euros per year have recently been invested in startups dedicated to digitizing the real estate industry (source: Swiss Venture Capital Report 2021, European PropTech Trends 2020). In addition to professional venture capital companies, it is increasingly corporate investors and business angels who want to cut a piece of the (PropTech) pie here. This is due, on the one hand, to the situation on the financial markets – keyword negative interest rates – but on the other hand it is certainly also due to the digital transformation and the efforts of companies to secure appropriate product know-how in the company.

    But how does a startup actually define itself? Not every young entrepreneur is automatically a startup entrepreneur. According to the definition of the Swiss Startup Radar, a scalable business model and ambitious growth plans must be in place and the focus must also be on international sales markets. The business model is based on a science and technology-based approach and a focus on innovation. Last but not least: the donors are return-oriented, their investments should pay off.

    Funding generally takes place in different financing rounds. Depending on the development stage, one speaks of seed investments, Series A and Series B financing rounds for the early phases, Series C, D, E, etc. for the later stages – until a possible exit follows at some point, for example through an IPO or the sale to a large investor. An exit is, so to speak, an indicator of the “maturity” of a startup ecosystem and is important for the system’s own dynamism: it produces selling (previous) investors and founders who, in turn, reinvest in new startups or re-establish startups.

    You can read more about innovation strategy and startup financing here:
    https://proptechmarket.net/impulse