Venture Kick and Venture Leaders Ranked Among Europe's Leading Startup Hubs 2026
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For the third consecutive year, the Financial Times has published its ranking of Europe's Leading Startup Hubs. In the 2026 edition, Venture Kick and Venture Leaders are once again featured among the continent's top startup support programs. While Venture Kick returns to the list, Venture Leaders enters the ranking for the first time, placing among the 25 best startup hubs in Europe, highlighting their continued contribution to Switzerland's innovation landscape.
Both Venture Kick and Venturelab’s Venture Leaders program are included in the Financial Times 2026 ranking of Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs. Venture Leaders’ debut, directly among the top 25 hubs in Europe, is a milestone for the international acceleration program, alongside Venture Kick’s continued presence in the list.
Venture Kick: Scaling early-stage innovation
Since 2007, Venture Kick has supported 1,251 Swiss startup projects with CHF 102 million provided by private donors. Through a structured three-stage funding process, combined with coaching and investor access, the initiative has contributed to the launch of 986 startups and the creation of more than 16,100 jobs.
Alumni companies have raised CHF 10.2 billion in follow-on investments and account for 66 ventures listed in the Top100 Swiss Startups in 2025. By 2035, Venture Kick aims to support 3,000 startups, helping them raise CHF 50 billion and generate 100,000 jobs. In 2026, the program plans to increase the number of supported projects by 15%, backed by foundations and private donors.
Venture Leaders: Driving international expansion
Since 2006, Venturelab has organized the Venture Leaders roadshows with the Swiss National Startup Team. The acceleration program selects ambitious founders seeking funding and global growth, connecting them with international investors and markets through targeted roadshows in leading startup hubs.
To date, Venture Leaders has delivered 63 global roadshows, supported more than 600 startups, and contributed to CHF 9+ billion in investments raised. Alumni companies have completed 76 exits and three IPOs, reflecting the program’s impact on the international scale-up of Swiss ventures.
Their inclusion in the Financial Times Europe’s Leading Startup Hubs 2026 ranking confirms the sustained contribution of both initiatives to Switzerland’s startup ecosystem and its international visibility.
