Register now for the Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2023!

Register your Startup for the 11th Swisscom StartUp Challenge by 11 June 2023 and win a customised acceleration programme.

The 11th Swisscom StartUp Challenge is looking for deep tech start-ups. With their solutions in the areas of industry, robotics, space, fintech, agtech, edtech, smart cities and clean tech, they make an active contribution to social issues such as climate protection, education and location attractiveness. Swisscom supports the finalists and winners during the growth phase by networking with investors, mentors and companies in Switzerland and Silicon Valley.

 

Because although Switzerland is one of the most innovative countries in the world, we lag behind when it comes to financing the growth of deep tech companies. Time to change that. Together as the Deep Tech Nation Switzerland.

Almer Technologies AG

Almer focuses on bringing High-Tech augmented reality glasses using Swiss-made hardware/software to businesses. Almer Technologies is currently offering its remote assistance service to companies with subsidiaries all over the world. With its service, Almer alleviates several problems that companies face: time spent by an expert to go to a foreign subsidiary; the expert's transportation costs; and finally reducing the company's carbon footprint. Almer Technologies is therefore focusing on a B2B market and wants to diversify its B2B use cases in the medium to long term.

ECCO2 Solutions AG

ECCO2’s reduces heating energy consumption in buildings by an average of 15% with an IoT/AI/data-based solution, and compiles ESG-relevant building data. Institutional real estate owners are challenged by high energy consumption. Energy cost, legal obligations, and social pressure are real pains. Energy efficiency impacts market value for tenants and investors. ECCO2 Solution is fast, affordable, fits anywhere and is subsidized by Swiss government.

mobileup

Mobileup is a platform for selling and buying used smartphones and tablets. All devices come with a 12-month warranty and 30 days right to return. When it comes to buying a refurbished device, price and product range are key factors for customers. Thus, we established APIs to the largest European suppliers of refurbished smartphones and tablets. Our algorithm identifies the devices with the best price-quality-ratio. This mechanism helps to match our supply with the customer's demand.

SmartHelio Sarl

SmartHelio is the fastest growing cleantech data intelligence company in the world. A Bcorp and Y Combinator company, their solution is used by top solar developers in Europe, Asia and USA to make solar assets profitable and sustainable. Having invested $15 Mn in R&D, they have developed a software which predicts faults in solar PV plants in real-time to prevent downtime and increase revenue up to 10%.

Swiss Vault AG

Swiss Vault is a data innovation company that helps the world efficiently manage their data forever with low environmental impact. Our mission is to provide organizations with technology that combines hardware and software solutions for better, economical, resilient and environmentally sustainable data management.

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What awaits the winners during the Exploration Programme

Individual Acceleration Programme in Swisscom Outpost Silicon Valley

The Acceleration Programme is individually tailored to your specific needs and objectives.


Access to expert knowledge

Support and mentoring by Swisscom experts and partners.

Access to Swisscom services

Access to applications and existing Swisscom services and infrastructure in Switzerland, also in areas close to the customers.


New cooperation and financing opportunities

Building a network of potential customers and business partners. Consideration given to an investment from Swisscom Ventures. Possibility of a pilot project with Swisscom.


What applicants offer

  • A solution that is based strongly on technology (deep tech) in the fields of industry, robotics, space, fintech, agtech, edtech, smart cities or clean tech
  • The team must be able to present the prototype or the product in a functional way during the Acceleration Programme
  • It must be possible to use the deep tech solution in Switzerland and it must have international growth potential
  • An ambitious and visionary startup team (founded in the last five years)

What the winners can expect

  • Acceleration Programme in Swisscom Outpost in Silicon Valley with experts from Swisscom and access to the Swisscom eco system (the time will be clarified during an individual meeting with the startup)
  • Mentoring from Swisscom experts and partners in Switzerland and Silicon Valley
  • Development of marketing and sales skills​
  • Individual pitch training and coaching from our partner Venturelab
  • Sharing of experience with top entrepreneurs and venture capitalists
  • Building a network of potential customers and business partners
  • Consideration given to a business partnership with Swisscom as well as investment from Swisscom Ventures
  • Participation in the NOAH Zurich 2023 Conference for the online voting winner
  • «The Startup Challenge has brought us a decisive step forward on our growth path.»

    Jürgen Biefang, Head of Marketing and Sales
    ECCO2 Solutions AG, Swisscom StartUp Challenge Winner 2022

    Portrait
  • «I was thrilled by the commitment and level of support the entire Swisscom team has invested into the startup challenge to help us and fellow startups along our journey.»

    Max Lüpertz, Sales Director
    Code Intelligence GmbH StartUp Challenge Winner 2021

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  • «I never imagined that the Swisscom StartUp Challenge would provide myself and qiio with such an abundance of insights.»  

    Felix Adamcyk, CEO qiio
    StartUp Challenge Winner 2020

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  • «We received valuable feedback on our future developments and increased our network to possible partners and customers.»

    Dominic Jud, ETH Robotic Systems Lab
    StartUp Challenge Winner 2020

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  • «Our collaboration with Swisscom is always very supportive and is based on trust and respect. »

    Stefan Merz, CEO of Swisscom Venture
    SEC Consult (Schweiz) AG

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Timeframe

25 April - 11 June 2023

Application

Your Startup offers a deep tech solution? Then apply now.

12 June – 3 September 2023

Selection

Swisscom will select the 10 finalists from all applications.

29 August 2023

Pitch Training

The 10 finalists will benefit from "pitch training" with Swisscom and Venturelab (remote option).

4 September 2023

Announcement of the 10 finalists

4 - 21 September 2023

Public voting

The audience will vote online for their favourite.

21 September 2023

Pitch Session

The 10 finalists pitch in front of the jury (remote option).

21 September 2023 

Announcement of the three winners

22 September 2023

Short briefing on the Acceleration Programme

The preparations have now been started. The collaboration begins.

Acceleration Programme Swisscom Outpost Silicon Valley

Dates will be arranged individually with the 3 winners.

This is the Hall of Fame from 11 years of the Swisscom StartUp Challenge.

The Swisscom StartUp Challenge’s jury and partners

The jury consists of members of the Swisscom Group Executive Board and top management, tech experts, Swisscom Ventures and our programme partner Venturelab, among others. The topic experts from Swisscom and Venturelab will accompany the three winners during the Acceleration Programme.

  • roger-wüthrich-hasenböhler-portrait

    Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler

    Chief Digital Officer, Swisscom

     

     

     

     

    jurybild philippe vuilleumier

    Nicola
    Blum
     

    Lecturer for innovation & sustainability, ETH Zürich / Professor for social entrepreneurship, Bern University

    kathrin-hösli-portrait

    Isa
    Müller-Wegner

    Chief Group Strategy & Development (from June 2023)

     

     

     

     

    jurybild cyrill peter

    Marcus
    Dahlén
     

    Head of Swisscom Outpost

     

     

     

     

     

    jurybild dusan vuksanovic

    Pär
    Lange

     

    Partner Swisscom Ventures

     

     

     

     

     

  • egon-steinkasserer-portrait

    Andreas
    Tölke

    Head FinTech & Digital Trust at Swisscom

     

    dominique-megret-portrait

    Laure
    Willemin

    Executive Vice President of Data, Analytics & AI at Swisscom

     

    egon-steinkasserer-portrait

    Thorsten
    Jaecks

    Director Customer Experience Design, Swisscom 

     

    alice-sauerer-portrait

    Thomas
    Zasowski

    Head of Innovation

     

     

     

    stefan-steiner-portrait

    Beat
    Schillig

    Founder & President, Venturelab

     

     

  • mark-van-heijningen-portrait

    Mark van
    Heijningen

    Chief Digital Officer, Cablex

    mark-van-heijningen-portrait

    Luigi Stefano
    Bianchi

    Manager of Innovation, Fastweb

Program partner




Media partner




Outreach partner

More insights

teaserbild-artikel

«We should be creating 100,000 new jobs in young tech companies in Switzerland.»

If Switzerland wants to hold its own among the international players in cutting-edge technology, it needs more investment capital. Here we talk to Dominique Mégret, Head of Swisscom Ventures, about his vision of Switzerland as a globally successful «deeptech nation».

teaserbild-challenge

Two cleantech startups intensify collaboration with Swisscom

After winning the Swisscom Startup Challenge Cleantech, two startups have started projects with Swisscom. SmartHelio will use its technology to test the company’s solar panels in Ittigen, while Ecco, besides installing their energy solution, became a 3rd party service provider for Swisscom.

teaserimage-challenge

Five Swiss start-ups win the Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2022

The winners were Almer Technologies Ltd, ECCO2 Solutions Ltd, mobileup, SmartHelio Sarl and Swiss Vault Ltd from the regions of Basel, Berne and French speaking Switzerland. They will now benefit from a customised Exploration Week with Swisscom and Venturelab.