Collect direct feedbacks 
from experienced CEOs Understand their expectations/considerations 
from Switzerland regarding: • SMI Companies
• Government
• Funding

1. Swiss Ventures Survey!
60 startups
2014
Author: Raphaël Briner
Promotors: Fathi Derder and Fabrice Delay
Creative Commons Share-alike 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Twitter hashtag: #CH60

2. #CH60 Startups Survey
Objectives of the survey
Collect direct feedbacks
from experienced CEOs!
Understand their expectations/considerations
from Switzerland regarding: !
• SMI Companies
• Government
• Funding

3. #CH60 Startups Survey
Recognized startups
+150 high-level startups invited
by email
based on 3 listings
• Venture leaders list (2007-2011)!
• Bilan list (2014)!
• inno-swiss.com

4. #CH60 Startups Survey
A startup.
Having a disruptive product
that can scale and impact an
industry!
Having enough traction to
motivate investors to increase
growth and/or R&D!
Taking risks to sell a product
with a new business model

5. #CH60 Startups Survey
Does your company
still exist ?
80 %
20 %
Yes, growing
Yes, but struggling
Zero NO

6. #CH60 Startups Survey
Did any law (725Co, bills) put once
your company in serious troubles ?
80 %
20 %
No
Fiduciaries and taxes don’t wait
Yes

7. #CH60 Startups Survey
Is there any chance that your company
will generate more than
10mio of revenues per year in 3 years ?
28 %
72 %
Yes
No
That’s a ±700Mio opportunity

8. Startups business plans are complex

9. #CH60 Startups Survey
Sector
7 %2 %5 %
7 %
7 %
8 %
7 %
5 %
52 % IT
Biotech
Medtech
Cleantech
Micro/nano
Electronics/mechanics
Material-chemicals
Financial services Others

10. It’s not only about innovation

11. #CH60 Startups Survey
Funding phase
<100k
010203040
Région 1
>100k >400k >800k >2mio >4mio >10mio
A: missing some angels here!
B: missing some bold Series A
A B
15% 18% 3% 34% 10% 14% 5%

12. #CH60 Startups Survey
Did you do any pivot ?
31 %
32 %
37 %
A small one
No
69% had to change
A big one

13. #CH60 Startups Survey
Did you have any direct sales discussion
with a CEO from a SMI company ?
81 %
10 %
9 %
No, only on other
stock exchanges
such as Nasdaq,
Cac40, Nyse
No
While startups are strategic for future growths
Yes

14. #CH60 Startups Survey
Are SMI employees motivated to use
innovative swiss technologies through
internal programs ?
63 %
37 %
No
What about the Swiss made ?
Yes

15. #CH60 Startups Survey
Do you expect them to have
their own funds ?
32 %
68 %
No
We need more corporate funds such as Ringier, Zuhlke,
Debio, Swisscom… in order to avoid conflict of interest
Yes

16. #CH60 Startups Survey
Did you have a pilot
within a SMI company
78 %
7 %
15 %
No
Note: not applicable for all startups
Yes, pilot only
Yes, a full extended project
still in production

17. #CH60 Startups Survey
Région 1
0 15 30 45 60
Could Swiss government do
more to help in priority?
Smaller but quicker r&d support (automatic) ! ! 47%!
Bigger but restricted r&d support (as it is now) ! 16%!
More funds through 1% “pension funds” allocation ! 53%!
Fiscal incentives at commercial level ! ! ! ! 39%!
Fiscal incentives for rich foreign residents to invest! 37%
Fiscal at swiss investors level ! ! ! ! ! 37%
A
A: New model of subvention distribution to design!
B: US allocation model is 5%. In CH we have 0%
B

18. #CH60 Startups Survey
How much Swiss VC funds did you consider !
as strategic for your business ?
2 %
7 %
91 %1 to 5
We need more competition and
attract foreign funds
11 to 15
6 to 10

19. #CH60 Startups Survey
How quick are Swiss VC
investors in their analysis process?
5 %
49 %
45 %
Medium
Fast
Slow
Not enough competition, again

20. #CH60 Startups Survey
How many strategical angels did you meet !
and shared with you more than 4 phone
calls ?
12 %
38 %
50 %
1 to 3
We need 10x more angels, supported
with qualified crowdfunding
8 to 15
4 to 7

21. #CH60 Startups Survey
If you could restart your company and story
from scratch, would you do it in Switzerland
again ?
27 %
10 %
2 %61 %
Asia
Other regions were also available
North America
Here, in
Switzerland
EU

22. #CH60 Startups Survey
Does the votation "no mass immigration" !
will have a direct impact on your startup ?
Région 1
0 12.5 25 37.5 50
Yes, on employment
Yes, on fundraising
No
Yes, on my startup localization
Yes, on sales
44%
5%
15%
15%
44%

23. Join the conversation
twitter.com/search?q=ch60!
!
Find the full extended report here!
lereseau.ch/ch60
Now you can give us your own opinion
through the Twitter hashtag: #CH60
Special thanks to the entrepreneurs who took
time to fill the survey, instead of doing sales
#CH60 Startups Survey