Switzerland becomes Deep Tech leader

While global attention often focuses on innovation hubs like Silicon Valley, Berlin, and Paris, a new report reveals Switzerland’s rise as one of the world’s most advanced and efficient Deep Tech ecosystems. Deep Tech refers to advanced technologies rooted in scientific or engineering breakthroughs, aimed at solving complex problems with potential for large-scale impact.

The Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025, a Deep Tech Nation Switzerland initiative, offers a comprehensive new dataset and analysis on the Swiss Deep Tech ecosystem. It was curated in close collaboration with Dealroom.co, Startupticker and venture capital firms Founderful and Kickfund.

The report is the first of its kind to map the full scope of Switzerland’s Deep Tech performance. It covers research institutions, patents, venture activity and late-stage outcomes.

_{Photo courtesy Swiss-deep-tech-report-2025.}

Findings include:

• Swiss Deep Tech companies have created more than $100-billion in combined enterprise value.
• From 2019 to 2025, Switzerland allocated 60% of its total venture capital into Deep Tech – more than any other country globally. 
• Over the same period, Switzerland ranked first in Europe and third worldwide for Deep Tech VC funding per capita, backed by both a strong domestic research base and increasing levels of international capital. 
• Nearly 96% of late-stage Deep Tech rounds in Switzerland were led by global investors, with US and EU firms now accounting for most capital inflow. 
• Behind Oxford and Cambridge, two of the top four universities creating Deep Tech spinouts in Europe are Swiss: ETH Zurich and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

The report establishes a benchmark for the strength of Switzerland’s Deep Tech ecosystem and indicates its global potential. It is based on an analysis of more than 1,500 Swiss Deep Tech startups and over five years of data. It identifies Switzerland as a centre of academic excellence and a producer of science-based innovation and venture outcomes at global scale.

“Switzerland has long excelled in fundamental research, but we believe the next decade belongs to the scientists and engineers who turn that research into global companies,” said Alex Stöckl, founding partner of Founderful. “This report is about making that transformation visible – about telling the story of Swiss Deep Tech in hard data and positioning it clearly on the world stage. Founderful is proud to lead that effort.”

The report highlights a new generation of Swiss startups driving that shift. AI/ML already accounts for 23% of companies founded since 2021, almost double its previous share. Climate and Energy, Robotics, and TechBio have each expanded at speed. The strength of this cohort reflects a deeper pipeline forming at the intersection of academic excellence, local entrepreneurial talent, and increasing support from sector-focused investors.

The international visibility of these startups is growing rapidly. However, local capital remains limited at later stages, presenting both a challenge and an investment opportunity.

Geraldine Naja, European Space Agency director for commercialisation, industry and competitiveness, says: ‘‘With the launch of the European Space Deep Tech Innovation Centre in Villigen, Switzerland is proving how precision science, agile industry and open collaboration can propel space technologies from lab to orbit.

“This new hub is more than a facility – it’s a testbed where European autonomy meets global opportunity. At ESA, we see Switzerland’s deep tech strengths as a catalyst for advancing Europe’s technological sovereignty, commercial competitiveness and innovation resilience.’’

Severin Schwan, Roche chairman, said: “Switzerland has long been a global hotspot for biotech innovation. The exceptional concentration of pharma expertise around Basel, combined with academic excellence and access to capital, continues to make it one of the world’s most fertile grounds for breakthrough biomedical innovation.”

Investors are shifting capital toward emerging AI-focused verticals. In 2024, nearly one-third of all Swiss Deep Tech funding was directed to AI-first startups, including areas such as generative protein design, industrial autonomy and foundation-model safety. This reflects a threefold increase compared to the share recorded in 2020.

This funding surge is matched by a rising cohort of growth-stage companies such as Scandit, Distalmotion and Climeworks, underscoring Switzerland’s ability to turn lab breakthroughs into mission-critical products for Fortune 500 customers.

Chris Keller, AWS MD for Central Europe, says: “Switzerland stands at the forefront of global AI innovation, leading with the highest AI patents per capita and one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems.”

The report’s authors intend to expand the dataset and monitor sector performance across key hubs such as Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva and Basel. The aim is to provide founders, investors and policymakers with a consistent view of progress and a data-driven basis for assessing the country’s position in Deep Tech.

* Read the full report here.