Highlights from the Venture Leaders 2025 Graduation Ceremony

26.01.2026 16:30, Rita Longobardi

On January 21, the Venture Leaders 2025 gathered at the startup space in Schlieren to mark the conclusion of another year of global investor and business development roadshows. The graduation ceremony of the Swiss National Startup Team celebrated the participants’ experiences in some of the world’s leading innovation hubs and formally closed the 2025 program cycle.

Since 2006, Venturelab has been selecting and supporting the Swiss National Startup Team. The Venture Leaders, members of this team, have traveled to major global startup hubs including Boston, Silicon Valley, New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, South Africa, Barcelona, London, and Munich, engaging directly with international entrepreneurial ecosystems, world-class investors, and industry leaders. To date, the program has supported more than 630 entrepreneurs in building their companies and taking their first steps toward international expansion, collectively raising over CHF 9 billion in investment. With the ambition of becoming global players, founders benefit from targeted investor and industry roadshows designed to facilitate access to capital and international markets.



In 2025, the program once again brought together Switzerland’s most promising startups across six technology verticals: Mobile, Medtech, Technology, Biotech, Cleantech, and Fintech. The selected founders participated in international investor and business development roadshows, presenting their companies to world-class investors, strategic partners, and key stakeholders in leading global startup ecosystems, with a clear focus on fundraising and global growth.



During the ceremony in Schlieren, founders shared insights gained from direct interactions with investors and international market players. Topics such as market opportunities, product-market fit, and cultural differences highlighted how the investor roadshows influenced strategic decision-making and accelerated the development of their ventures.

“Seeing so many promising Swiss startups emerge gives me great hope that Switzerland will continue to compete confidently on the international stage. We can’t wait to see what they achieve next,” highlighted Venturelab Co-Managing Director Stefan Steiner.



 

 

Let's see how the Venture Leaders valued the experience firsthand

"MWC was incredible. I’ve attended many industry events, but its scale was on another level. Without the congress, it would have been hard to cut through the noise and pitch to so many investors," said Gabriele Iobbi, CEO and co-founder of PROVUU and Venture Leaders Mobile team captain, "The community we connected with was truly impressive, and the team has stayed together beyond the roadshow... real, lasting connections."

"Having a clear reimbursement strategy makes adoption in the US much smoother. Investors are more cautious now, so the Boston roadshow was a perfect gateway, giving me direct access to the contacts we needed for our US reimbursement strategy," explained Nour Ghalia Abassi, CEO and co-founder of DigeHealth and Venture Leader Medtech.

"In Silicon Valley we learned a lot, and the roadshow gave us a chance to follow up on our progress. Everyone in the team grew more confident, and we’re already seeing positive results from some team members," reflected Mohsen Falahi, CEO and co-founder of DAAV and Venture Leaders Technology team captain.

"Even with funding challenges for startups, there’s light at the end of the tunnel in terms of early deals. The Boston roadshow showed me how strong connections can be. Networking really does open unexpected doors," noted Kelvin Stott, CEO and co-founder of Amporin Pharmaceuticals and Venture Leaders Biotech team captain.

"The encouragement from the Munich ecosystem was impressive. Cleantech isn’t always the top priority right now, so it’s important to keep sustainability visible. I hope these efforts continue in the future," observed Murielle Schreck, CEO and co-founder of qCella and Venture Leaders Cleantech team captain.

"The Swiss market has complex regulatory processes, but once you navigate them, customer protection is strong. The London roadshow helped us make the right connections and better understand how to explain our products to clients," highlighted Anina Lutz, CEO and co-founder of Calingo Insurance and Venture Leader Fintech.

OVERVIEW: SWISS NATIONAL STARTUP TEAM 2025

Venture Leaders Mobile 2025
Barcelona, 4YFN @ Mobile World Congress 2025 | March
Startups: Algorized, Alivion, Atlas, CYSEC, databaum, Galeri, Hydromea, NovoViz, Optiverse, and PROVUU.
Organized by Venturelab and supported by Huawei, Swisscom Ventures, and VISCHER.

Venture Leaders Technology 2025
Silicon Valley | April
Startups: Aurigin.ai, Brightside Technologies, DAAV, DPhi Space, Hoshii, Miraex, Mondaic, PROUD, Rapidata, and viboo.
Organized by Venturelab and supported by DPD, EPFL, ETH Zürich, Kellerhals Carrard, Rothschild & Co, Unicorn Anchor, and the Canton of Vaud.

Venture Leaders Biotech 2025
Boston | June
Startups: Abrinca, Amporin Pharmaceuticals, Apricot Therapeutics, Aukera Therapeutics, ENANTIOS, Encelta, HemostOD, InkVivo Technologies, Juvion Health Sciences, and Nerai Bioscience.
Co-organized by Venturelab and Swissnex in Boston and New York and supported by the University of Basel, EPFL, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard, and VISCHER

Venture Leaders Medtech 2025
Boston | September
Startups: Augury Medical, Babylat, Clee Medical, dEEGtal Insight, DigeHealth, Hemetron, Inteeth, NX-Spine, OrthoSens, and Scanvio Medical.
Organized by Venturelab and supported by EPFL, ETH Zürich, Hansjörg Wyss, Helbling Technik, Health Innovation Hub Aargau, Kellerhals Carrard, Canton of Vaud, and VISCHER.

Venture Leaders Cleantech 2025
Munich | November
Startups: CellX Biosolutions, eightinks, etavalve, Grensol, H2REMA, Iron Energy, qCella, Rematter, Verretex, and Wasteflow.
Organized by Venturelab and supported by EPFL, ETH Zurich, Helbling Technik, Rentsch Partner, Canton of Vaud, Vischer, and Canton of Zurich.

Venture Leaders Fintech 2025
London, Fintech Connect | November
Startups: Allasso, Calingo Insurance, Calvin Risk, Insurteam, MachinaLabs, Poncho Insurance, Recoveris, rezonanz, Selma Finance, and TransferChain. 
Co-organized by Venturelab and Swissnex, supported by EPFL, ETH Zurich, PostFinance, and Walder Wyss.

 

Join the Venture Leaders

Every year, the ten most promising Swiss startups in biotech, cleantech, fintech, medtech, mobile, and technology are given the unique opportunity to expand their global investor and business networks. Become a member of the Swiss National Startup Team to pitch to leading investors, gain international exposure, expert feedback, a powerful global network, and access to some of the world’s most vibrant innovation venues.
 

As a Venture Leader, you will:

Apply for the next Venture Leaders program!