Swiss start-ups raised a total of CHF 2.6 billion in the first half of the year through 163 financing rounds. This jump of 50% over one year is likely to run out of steam, a majority of investors expecting a decline in capital injections.
A high number of major financing rounds explains this increase, with some 13 investments exceeding 50 million francs concluded between January and June, according to the Swiss Venture Capital Report published Thursday by the online news portal Startupticker.ch, the association of investors Seca and startup.ch.
Three new companies – Sonarsource, Climeworks and Scandit – have even achieved ‘unicorn’ status, with a valuation of over $1 billion.
‘The strong first-half figures are also due to the post-corona recovery,’ the report’s authors explained. But the latter warn that ‘the analysis of the first half nevertheless reveals the first signs of a slowdown’.
A survey conducted by Seca among 80 Swiss venture capitalists indicates that the majority of investors expect a decline in total invested capital of up to 25%. They also expect a decline in takeovers and IPOs.
But two thirds of the investors questioned want to invest at least 20 million francs in Swiss start-ups over the next three years and a third even more than 50 million.
/ATS