This article was updated on March 9, 2026 with an up-to-date FAQ section.
Startup competitions are an incredible experience, whether or not you end up on the podium. By participating you will gain visibility, learn how to present your start-up in the best possible way, and get valuable feedback how you are perceived.
STARTUPS.CH
What: Startups.ch reward the best business idea in the area of small business.
When: In 2017 there will be the next edition. Stay tuned! Subscribe to the Swiss-startups awards newsletter.
What can you win: 50,000 CHF.
AXA Winterthur
What: The submission is open to innovative startups that offer a new product, process, business model and with strong growth ambitions.
When: In 2017 there will be the next edition. Stay tuned! Subscribe to the Swiss-startups awards newsletter.
What can you win: 50,000 CHF.
Axpo
What: The competition is open to Start-ups focusing on energy. From production to storage of energy.
When: In 2017 there will be the next edition. Stay tuned! Subscribe to the Swiss-startups awards newsletter.
What can you win: 50,000 CHF.
PostFinance
What: PostFinance rewards business ideas in the area of “Digital Business”:
When: In 2017 there will be the next edition. Stay tuned! Subscribe to the Swiss-startups awards newsletter.
What can you win: 50,000 CHF.
De Vigier-Preis
What: The Philosophy of the organizer of the competition is “promoting active economic development by directly financing young people with innovative business ideas with strong ambitions in Switzerland.”
When: End of January 2017
What can you win: 100,000 CHF each.
The International Create Challenge
What: The International Create Challenge is a full concept which includes top-of-the-class coaching and mentoring. The program goes on during three weeks. To be eligible for the ICC, you should exploit information and communication technologies (ICT) as fond on Idiap.
When: Keep an eye on their website. Dates will be announced soon.
What can you win: 2,500 – 5,000 CHF. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but their core value is really their coaching program.
Swiss Economic Award
What: If you have a startup, then you should know this award. Startups that are active in High-tech/Biotech or Manufacturing/trade will have the opportunity to participate.
When: During the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken.
What can you win: 25,000 CHF. Moreover, you will gain great visibility.
Venture
What: There are two tracks, the business idea and the business plan. Depending on the stage of your project, you need to choose which track you want to enter, as you can’t enter the same project to both tracks in the same year.
When: In 2017 there will be the next edition. Stay tuned! Subscribe to the Venture newsletter.
What can you win: The prize structure is: first place CHF 60,000, second place CHF 30,000, third place CHF 15,000, fourth place CHF 10,000 and fifth place CHF 5,000.
startup.ch
What: Each year the 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups are picked by top startup experts.
When: You can already apply for 2017
What can you win: You will be on the most desired magazine by startup owners in Switzerland, which will ensure you are getting some exposure to all sorts of shareholders.
Venture kick
What: Venture Kick, funding in part by jetzt noch Aktien kaufen, is a three stage funding model initiated to support Swiss startups with enough funding to kick-start their entrepreneurial success. After each individual stage, promising entrepreneurs are also offered professional guidance in developing their business through the 2-day kickers camps.
When: You can apply for the first of the three steps every month. According to the major investment newsletters, every month, eight projects are selected and given the opportunity to present their business ideas in front of a jury of successful entrepreneurs and investors.
What can you win: 130,000 CHF
Start-up Elevator Pitch
What: The Pitching battle will be infront of Investors and participants. There are three stages and 3 min per pitch. Startups that can partecipate are ICT, Services, Fintech, Social Impact, Bio-, Med-, Micro/Nano- & Cleantech.
When: In 2017 there will be the next edition. Stay tuned! Subscribe to the Swiss-startups Day newsletter.
What can you win: 1ST PRIZE CHF 1000, RUNNER UP CHF 500. The winners get a voucher to be redeemed for any credible Start-up event in the following 12 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which Swiss startup competitions should you enter first?
- Are startup awards Switzerland worth it without winning?
- How do Swiss startup competitions compare with startup funding?
- Which pitch competition formats suit pre-seed founders best?
- What do Swiss startup competitions judges usually expect?
- When should you apply for startup awards Switzerland?
- How can Swiss startup competitions improve business development?
Which Swiss startup competitions should you enter first?
Swiss startup competitions are most useful when you match your stage, sector, and goal to the right format first.
For many founders, the strongest shortlist starts with >>venture>> for broad early-stage exposure, Venture Kick for structured pre-seed support, the W.A. de Vigier Award for high-profile recognition, the Swiss Economic Award for visibility at a major national forum, and Top 100 for ecosystem credibility. If you are very early, prioritize programs that combine feedback, mentoring, and investor access rather than prize money alone.
Tip: build a simple target list by sector and maturity, then use the Swiss AI startup map example from SalesWings to benchmark how clearly your category and positioning come across.
How can Swiss startup competitions improve business development?
Swiss startup competitions can strengthen business development by creating trust, sharpening positioning, and giving founders warmer reasons to start conversations.
A competition is not only a funding or PR opportunity; it is also a structured way to learn which messages attract interest from partners, customers, and investors. The best founders use applications, semifinal interviews, and live pitches to refine how they talk about value, objections, and timing. That makes post-event outreach much stronger because the market language has already been tested.
Tip: follow the relationship-first advice in this Paul van den Brande interview on business development and turn every competition contact into a thoughtful follow-up instead of a hard sell.
Are startup awards Switzerland worth it without winning?
Startup awards Switzerland can pay off even without a win because the real value often comes from feedback, credibility, and introductions.
A strong application forces you to sharpen your story, pressure-test your market logic, and explain traction in language outsiders understand quickly. Finalist status, shortlist mentions, and pitch-stage exposure can also help with hiring, fundraising, partnerships, and media outreach long after the event ends. In Switzerland especially, where trusted networks matter, repeated appearances can compound your reputation faster than one-off cold outreach.
Tip: treat every competition as a messaging sprint and capture the judges’ objections for your next deck, landing page, and investor update.
How do Swiss startup competitions compare with startup funding?
Swiss startup competitions rarely replace startup funding, but they can meaningfully improve your odds of raising it.
Prize money is useful, yet the bigger advantage is often de-risking: founders gain external validation, coaching, investor-facing practice, and warmer access to the ecosystem. That matters because investors usually respond better when a startup already shows selection signals, disciplined milestones, and traction-oriented storytelling. Some Swiss programs also combine cash with structured support, which can be more valuable than a small standalone grant.
Tip: if you need both learning and non-dilutive capital, study how Venture Kick structures staged support for Swiss startups before deciding where competitions fit in your broader funding plan.
Which pitch competition formats suit pre-seed founders best?
A pitch competition works best for pre-seed founders when it rewards clarity, coachability, and market insight instead of polished theatrics alone.
Short-stage formats are useful for testing whether your problem statement, use case, and differentiation land quickly with non-experts. Longer, multi-stage competitions are usually better when you need mentoring, iteration, and follow-up conversations with juries or investors. In practice, founders with early evidence but incomplete scale metrics often benefit most from competitions that explicitly welcome pre-seed or seed teams.
Tip: prioritize formats where you can meet people after the pitch, because conversations in the hallway often matter more than the applause on stage.
What do Swiss startup competitions judges usually expect?
Swiss startup competitions judges usually look for a credible problem, a specific customer, strong execution signals, and founder-market fit.
They want to understand why this team should win now, not someday. That usually means a concise explanation of the pain point, proof that customers care, a believable route to revenue, and evidence that the team can execute in the Swiss or international market they target. Sector-specific judges may also probe regulation, technical defensibility, and timing, especially in deeptech, health, climate, and fintech.
Tip: prepare one version of your pitch for experts and another for generalist juries so you can stay precise without sounding overly technical.
When should you apply for startup awards Switzerland?
Startup awards Switzerland are best timed when your narrative is clear, your traction is recent, and your next milestone is easy to explain.
Most founders apply too early with an idea-heavy story or too late after momentum has already plateaued. The sweet spot is usually when you can show a live product, early customer proof, technical progress, or a strong market validation signal, even if revenue is still modest. Because deadlines and eligibility windows change each year, older lists should be treated as inspiration rather than a calendar.
Tip: keep one rolling competition file with your latest metrics, founder bios, deck, and deadlines so you can move quickly when applications open.
SalesWings
Fully automated add-on for advanced Lead Activity Scoring. Combine SalesWings with your Outbound Sales Development tool, Gmail, Outlook and even LinkedIn, to track in real-time when your Leads visit your website – and to understand who’s most engaged, outside of your Inbox!
It automatically notifies the sales team about a lead’s interest, acting as an opportunity radar.
I thought you might be interested in this article:
> 7 steps to define your customer target persona in a B2B market
