Startup Stories: Early-Stage Challenges
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Every startup begins with a problem worth solving—but the leap from idea to execution is rarely smooth. Across industries, early-stage founders face similar setbacks: validating their market, building the right team, securing funding, and proving that their solution can scale. For many, joining programs like Venture Kick or Venturelab wasn't just a source of capital—it offered structure, exposure, and hard questions at just the right time.
Whether developing medical devices, reshaping food systems, or building next-generation robots, each of these startups turned to structured programs not just for funding, but for guidance, credibility, and a way to stress-test their ideas against real-world expectations.
In the case of Tethys Robotics, building autonomous robots for underwater cleanup presented both technical and logistical challenges. "For us, finding focus in the vast sea of opportunities - literally - was critical. Venture Kick pushed us out of the lab and into the field with real customers," explains Co-Founder and CEO Jonas Wüst. "That experience helped us cut through the noise and define where we belong today: in the offshore sector."
For the biotech company Navignostics, the challenge was different but just as steep: translating a deep scientific breakthrough into a viable biotech company. Founder Jana Fischer had to move from academic research into startup mode quickly, figuring out how to position a complex product in a space where clinical and commercial demands intersect.
“Transitioning from academic research to biotech entrepreneurship is challenging, especially when navigating complex healthcare systems. Each country has distinct regulations, reimbursement pathways, and market dynamics, which can overwhelm founders with purely scientific backgrounds," shares Co-Founder and CEO Jana Fischer. "Success requires understanding not only science but also regulation, health economics, and system operations. The Venture Leaders Biotech program helped us overcome these hurdles: in Boston—the heart of the U.S. biotech ecosystem—we connected directly with experts, investors, and industry leaders. This immersion offered crucial perspective on a key global market and accelerated our shift from academic innovators to entrepreneurs.”
"Venture Leaders Biotech program
helped us overcome hurdles."
helped us overcome hurdles."
Early credibility was also essential for Scanvio, "At the early stage, it’s essential to validate that you are solving a real, global problem and to build credibility with clinicians, partners, and investors," confirms Co-Founder and CEO Stefan Tuchschmidt. "Venture Kick and Venture Leaders helped sharpen our strategy, refine our storytelling, and connect to a strong network, allowing us to confirm real needs with clinicians, patients, and partners from day one, test ideas internationally, and secure early supporters who remain part of our journey today."
For the cleantech Bloom Biorenewables, the challenge lay more in identifying the right fit between its technology and the market. While the technical approach was clearly disruptive for the industry, the team needed to determine where it could deliver the most value and gain traction rapidly."Venturelab and Venture Kick played a central role in helping us engage with the market early on. The guidance and exposure enabled us to test key assumptions and refine our approach." notes Co-Founder and CEO Rémy Buser. "Furthermore, the financial support from Venture Kick allowed the team to implement the initial steps in the journey."
In Yourasset's case, building trust was paramount. The fintech startup aimed to offer wealth management tools for professionals, meaning there was little margin for error. "Yourasset partners with Swiss banks to provide financing solutions for purchasing luxury assets. Building such banking relationships is challenging, and being part of the Venture Leaders Fintech program in 2023 helped us in this regard," highlights Co-Founder and CEO Stephan Kolz. "Going through the rigorous selection process added to our credibility, which is a positive not just for our banking partners."
Ascento, the creator of two-legged security patrol robots, faced a question familiar to many robotics startups: is this a product for the future, or one the market is ready for now? Co-Founder and CEO Alessandro Morra says that the team tackled the work themselves to understand what to build, prioritize customer needs, and approach tasks. “Early support from Venture Kick with funding and training helped us move faster and get closer to becoming an established company,” he adds.
With the right ingredients for success, Planted, one of most visible Swiss foodtech companies, early success depended on more than just the product. Speed to market, supply chain planning, and clear communication all mattered. "In the very beginning, the biggest challenges were the same ones every young company faces: bringing an ambitious vision to life with very limited resources," explains Co-Founder Pascal Bieri. "We were convinced that we could make plant-based meat that truly excites people, but we had to solve questions around technology, scaling production, and building trust with our first customers, all at the same time."
"Venture Kick gave the team the push,
network, and validation to turn
a bold idea into a company with traction."
network, and validation to turn
a bold idea into a company with traction."
These stories span different industries and technologies, but the early-stage experience carries familiar themes: the need to validate, adapt, and learn quickly. One thing is clear: for these founders, the support from Venturelab or Venture Kick—whether through feedback, funding, or visibility—was essential in helping them progress.
