Swiss Venture Capital Report 2026 (SECA (Swiss Private Equity and Corporate Finance Association))

Summary

• Venture capital investment in Swiss start-ups increased by 23.9% in 2025 to a total of CHF 2.95 billion.p.6
• Software and internet companies in the ICT sector attracted CHF 773.6 million, an increase of nearly 150% compared with 2024.p.6
• The biotech sector achieved a record CHF 946.4 million in funding, approximately 25% higher than its previous record.p.6
• Early stage financing rounds grew 73% to reach CHF 1.116 billion, while seed rounds grew 23.8% to CHF 298 million.p.6
• Start-ups in Canton Zurich secured CHF 1,192.5 million in capital, representing an 89.5% increase year-on-year.p.6
• Canton Basel-Stadt set a new investment record of CHF 572.3 million, driven primarily by strong biotech funding.p.6

Key insights

1. A record 32 financing rounds exceeded the CHF 20 million threshold in 2025, demonstrating a growing volume of Swiss scale-ups.p.6
2. The three largest financing rounds accounted for 14.7% of total capital, marking a historically low concentration of outlier mega-deals.p.6
3. Nine trade sales achieved valuations above CHF 100 million in 2025, setting a new record for high-value exits.p.6
4. Biotech early stage financing quadrupled compared to the previous year to reach a record high of CHF 545 million.p.20
5. The median financing round capital across all deals dropped 12% from CHF 3.0 million to CHF 2.6 million.p.20
6. The top five cantons of Zurich, Vaud, Basel-Stadt, Zug, and Geneva represented 91.2% of total capital invested.p.24
7. A survey of investors revealed that 66% plan to launch a new fund in 2026 compared to 40% in the previous year.p.29
8. Despite a challenging fundraising landscape, 74% of surveyed investors expect Swiss venture capital investment volume to grow by at least 25% in 2026.p.29