A Trainer's Perspective – What Innosuisse Trainers Look for in Startups
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Trainers from the Innosuisse Entrepreneurship Training work with founders across every stage and sector. Their goal: help founders turn bold ideas into executable action plans — and achieve their next milestones, whether it's securing funding, building a prototype, landing their first customer or boosting growth.
Whether it's life sciences, ICT, engineering, or social sciences, trainers at Innosuisse Entrepreneurship Training sit across hundreds of early-stage entrepreneurs every year. And while each field has its specifics, they all share commonalities what potential looks like — and what's missing.In the life sciences track, the science is often at the center. But trainers also look for founders who can communicate the bigger picture: why it matters, what it will take to and that have the ability to learn, adapt, and sharpen their vision.
«For me, it clicks when a founder explains the problem and market need in under 30 seconds—using clear, non-technical language. Then they walk me through the science just as clearly. That shows real technical command and cross-disciplinary communication skills.I also look for signs they’ve spent time in the shoes of future users—clinicians, lab techs, patients,» explains Mélanie Aregger, Co-Founder and CEO of Avelo, and Innosuisse Life Sciences trainer.
«If they’ve built around real-world constraints—budgets, workflow friction, resistance to change—not as afterthoughts, but as part of the product and go-to-market plan, that’s a strong signal.
Prototype sales, commercial agreements with financial contributions, or incoming RFQs (requests for quotation) all point to the same thing: they’re not just technically brilliant—they’re building something the world actually wants.»
For startups developing deeptech engineering solutions, the challenge goes beyond building a working prototype. Trainers need to focus on whether the team understands the real needs of the market — and whether they can translate technical innovation into a product that industry customers will pay for. It's about more than execution — it's about product-market fit, and closing the first deals.
«My confidence comes from my own journey and that of like-minded startups that have successfully transformed technical projects into businesses by addressing clear, validated market needs,» states Margaux Peltier, Founder and CEO of Enerdrape and Innosuisse Engineering trainer.«While technical solutions often disrupt existing markets or redefine how problems are solved, much like past scientific breakthroughs they prove their viability when they create new, tangible value that customers are willing to adopt.»
«Clarity around a real need reveals whether your technical innovation can become a solution. Turning tech into a product requires iteration, learning, and wrapping it in a clear use case — a skill Swiss innovators consistently apply,» adds Carlos Ciller, Co-Founder and CEO RetinaAI and Innosuisse Engineering trainer. «Mastering this cycle is often what separates successful startups from the rest.»Digital startups face a different kind of test. Rapid iteration and user orientation matter. But trainers also watch closely for how well founders can filter signal from noise — and build with intent.
«Technology evolves rapidly, but real problems persist. I look for strong startup teams that have identified a genuine pain point that people/companies are willing to pay to solve. The best founders can articulate their customer's problem better than the customers themselves, and have evidence that their solution is not just technically feasible, but desired by the market and economically viable,» shares Jonas Baer, fractional CFO at InnoSpark and Innosuisse ICT trainer.When it comes to social sciences and business, founders need to design solutions that are not only impactful, but also scalable and financially viable. It's about bridging purpose and the entrepreneurial execution.
«In my experience, especially working with early-stage startups in the social sciences and business fields, one of the most decisive factors is the quality and composition of the founding team,» highlights Christian Winkler, Co-Founder of asc impact and Innosuisse Social Sciences trainer. «What makes a project truly stand out is when the core team combines: > A "builder": someone with deep tech or product expertise.
> A finance and operations lead.
> A sales-driven person, ideally with the energy of a car salesperson. You will need to convince other people first hires and customers.
When these individuals are deeply committed, have skin in the game, and complement each other's skills while being aligned on a shared vision, the project has real potential,» he adds. «Equally important is that they establish clear governance structures early on – to ensure they're building not only a product, but also a sustainable organization.»
For trainers, potential isn't measured by sector or stage alone. What tends to stand out is a founder's clarity of purpose, openness to feedback, and willingness to refine their approach. While technology or research may catch the eye, it's often the mindset behind it that convinces a trainer to invest their time — and that gives a startup a stronger shot at building something that lasts.
