A spring board for your
technology enterprises
Jean-Philippe Lallement
Lan Zuo Gillet
Jump Start Your Business
2
Start-up statistics
in Switzerland
•
•
•
•
Most survive > 80% after 10 years
Few grow rapidly: average 7 staff after 5 years
Reliance on public funding – for research projects
All good projects get funded – but speed is the
issue
• Not enough (big) exits
Myth & reality
Tech entrepreneurship in CH
Pro’s
• World leader in research and
innovation
 Applied research culture
 Foreign professors and
students
• 20+ years of experience in
start-up creation and support
• About 200 new high-tech
start-ups every year
Con’s
• Risk-averse culture
• Low unemployment
• Small domestic market,
complex EU market
• (still) Insufficient critical
mass of serial, successful
entrepreneurs &
experienced investors
Safe landing at EIP
• Co-working space
• Garage
• Office and labs
• Corporate units
Flexible
office
solutions
Sector
specific
coaching
• ICT
• Medtech
• Nano /Microtechnology
• Material
Financing
Acceleration
programs
• Prix Vittoz
• Venture Leaders
• Sales Angels
Start-up booster
Fast track
Training
• Workshops
• Project based
training (CTI E’ship)
• By Seasoned
entrepreneurs
Valeur ajoutée
Board
Members
Academy
M&A
support
Focused
workshops
Sales Angels
&
Funding
Internationa
l
Community
building &
Networking
Training
Coaching &
Mentoring
Corporate
relations
La Forge
Le
Garage
Flexible
offices &
Labs
Corporate
Tailor made office
solutions
The Garage
Co-working space
Flexible offices and labs
Corporate R&D units
CTI Entrepreneurship
Training
Students
Inspired
Students
Project
owners
Start-up
founders
Business
Ideas
Business
Concept
Business
Creation
Business
Develop.
Feel the startup groove
1 afternoon
Develop
Business Idea
10 evenings
Convince future
investors
5 days
Learn to seize
markets
5 days
By seasoned
entrepreneurs
CTI Start-up
Coaching
Hands-on, sector specific
support by
Coaches with start-up
experience
Mentors with deep
industrial knowledge
Having international profile
>120 projects
coached
Profile of EPFL projects
that we support
• 1 to 3 co-founders, PHD students or graduates; some
Professor involvement
• Patented / patentable technology
• Initial prototype
• Unvalidated business concept
• Initial funding sought or obtained : Venturekick 1 or
Innogrant
• One or a couple of partnerships discussions – sometimes
originating from academic work with commercial
partners
• Very low
run rate
Myth
& reality
Acceleration Programs Sales Angels
Seasoned sales executives as Sales Angels
•
•
•
•
Improve sales skills of start-up founders
Generate first sales
Define commercial strategy and staffing plans
Raise earmarked capital to finance sales plan
• Up to 10 start-ups / year
• Max 50’000 CHF per start-up
• 50% cost paid by the start-up
EPFL
Innovation Park
Acceleration Program Venture Leaders
10 day organized study trip in the USA and in China
• Presentation to local experts and investors per industry sector
• Advanced entrepreneurship training in business development,
IP, corporate affairs etc.
• "Execution workshops" focusing on developing your company
• Group feedback sessions
• Networking events with the high-tech entrepreneurs' scene
Acceleration Program Prix Vittoz
Individual business trips to Asia & USA
• Access and validate market opportunities
• Meet potential partners, agents, clients and employees
• Rapidly build a powerful and effective business network
• Up to 5 start-ups / year
• Up to 30’000 CHF reimbursement of trip expenses
Financing – the right door
at the right time
Successful stories
Diving, flying and having fun!