What Swisscom Ventures does

Swisscom Ventures is the corporate venture capital (CVC) arm of Swisscom AG, Switzerland's largest telecommunications operator. Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Zürich with offices in Bern, Lausanne (EPFL Innovation Park / Swisscom Digital Lab), and Palo Alto (Swisscom Cloud Labs Ltd), the firm advises investment funds totaling USD 650 million for Swisscom and institutional investors, deploying minority equity stakes into Swiss and international technology startups from Seed to Series C stages with initial ticket sizes of $2-10 million plus reserves for follow-on rounds.

The firm's investment activity spans 90+ portfolio companies across diversified sectors including AI, deeptech and semiconductors (Spacetek Technology AG, Lumotive, Unisers), cybersecurity (Apono, OX Security, Cato Networks, Fireblocks), fintech and digital assets (amnis, Yokoy, Avrios, RiPSIM), robotics (ANYbotics, Flyability), agritech (xFarm Technologies, Ecorobotix), enterprise SaaS (Bitmovin, Labster, Cognism, Scandit), and workplace wellness (Kyan Health). Approximately 45 of these investments have been exited at a profit after an average holding period of six years, with notable recent outcomes including Preply reaching a $1.2 billion unicorn valuation in its $150M Series D (2026) and Cato Networks' $359M Series G at a $4.8B+ valuation.

Swisscom Ventures operates with an independent investment decision-making process and a dedicated team of investment professionals (Managing Partners Alexander Schläpfer and Stefan Kuentz, plus Investment Directors/Partners covering Deeptech, Enterprise SaaS, Cybersecurity, Fintech, and Digital Assets), while maintaining close working relationships with Swisscom's various business divisions. The firm sources deal flow through formal partnerships with ETH Zurich and EPFL, attendance at major European and US tech conferences, and direct founder outreach. Revenue is generated through management fees on advised AUM and carried interest on successful exits, with the firm functioning as a strategic financial investor leveraging Swisscom's telecom infrastructure expertise, enterprise customer relationships, and digital transformation capabilities as portfolio value-add.

Name

Swisscom Ventures

Legal name

Swisscom Ventures AG

Website

https://ventures.swisscom.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swisscom Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Swisscom AG, advising $650 million in funds to invest minority equity into Swiss and international tech startups from Seed to Series C, with deep focus on Swiss university spin-offs and sectors including cybersecurity, fintech, robotics, deeptech, and semiconductors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Late-Stage Venture Capital (Series C+) (FSANAAAC), Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Corporate venture capital
• Startup investments
• Tech equity investing
• Early-stage funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns and Management Fees: Swisscom Ventures generates returns through carried interest on successful exits and management fees from advising investment funds for Swisscom and institutional investors. Since 2007, they have sold almost 40 investments at a profit after an average of six years.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Swisscom Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Swisscom AG. It advises investment funds totaling USD 650 million for Swisscom and institutional investors, taking minority equity stakes in Swiss and international startups. The firm invests primarily in Swiss university spin-offs from Seed to Series C stages, with initial ticket sizes of $2 million to $10 million plus reserves for follow-on rounds, and provides strategic support by leveraging Swisscom's market-leading expertise in digital transformation.

Product overview

Swisscom Ventures is a venture capital firm that advises investment funds for Swisscom and institutional investors totaling USD 650 million. The firm invests in minority stakes in Swiss and international start-ups, typically from Seed to Series C stage, with initial investment tickets of $2 million to $10 million plus follow-on reserves. Since 2007, Swisscom Ventures has invested in over 80 start-up companies and achieved approximately 45 exits. The investment team works closely with Swisscom colleagues in various divisions, leveraging Swisscom's market-leading expertise in digital transformation. The firm focuses on investments in Swiss university spin-offs and companies in sectors including AI, cybersecurity, robotics, fintech, enterprise software, semiconductors, space tech, and sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Swisscom Ventures Investment Fund Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2007, Swisscom Ventures has invested in over 80 start-up companies and sold almost 40 investments at a profit after an average of six years

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• EPFLminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnership with EPFL as part of the Venture Leaders Technology 2026 program bringing Swiss startups to Silicon Valley.
• ETH ZurichminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnership with ETH Zurich as part of programs connecting Swiss startups with global venture capital.
• Canton of VaudminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Partnership with Canton of Vaud supporting the Swiss National Startup Team initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners (T-Venture / DTCP): Corporate venture arm of Deutsche Telekom focused on telecom-adjacent technology investments across multiple stages. Directly comparable as a European telecom CVC with strategic mandate, deep infrastructure access for portfolio companies, and similar focus on digital transformation and enterprise software investments.
• Orange Ventures: CVC arm of Orange (formerly France Télécom), investing in early to growth stage startups across cybersecurity, fintech, enterprise SaaS, and network technologies. Comparable as another major European telecom CVC with similar ticket sizes, strategic portfolio support, and access to operator customers.
• Telefónica Ventures (Wayra): Global CVC and innovation hub of Telefónica investing in telecom-adjacent startups worldwide. Comparable as a major European-headquartered telecom CVC with multi-stage investment approach and strong university ecosystem engagement.
• Vodafone Ventures: CVC arm of Vodafone focused on telecom infrastructure, IoT, cybersecurity, and enterprise software investments. Directly comparable as another European telecom CVC with strategic mandate to source innovation for the parent operator.
• Atomico: European-founded VC firm led by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström, focusing on late-stage technology investments across sectors overlapping with Swisscom Ventures (deeptech, enterprise SaaS, fintech). Comparable as a European-headquartered, multi-stage tech investor with similar ticket sizes.
• Speedinvest: European early-stage VC focused on Seed and Series A rounds across deeptech, fintech, enterprise SaaS, and industrial tech. Comparable in stage focus and European geography, frequently co-investing with Swisscom Ventures in Swiss and European deals.
• Earlybird Venture Capital: Pan-European early-stage VC investing across technology sectors including enterprise software, fintech, and deeptech. Comparable in stage focus, European geography, and multi-stage approach from seed through Series C.
• Balderton Capital: European early to growth-stage VC investing in technology, fintech, and enterprise software. Comparable in stage focus (Seed to Series C) and European geography, frequently co-investing with Swisscom Ventures in rounds such as Labster.

Broad incumbents

• Qualcomm Ventures: Corporate venture arm of Qualcomm with multi-billion dollar AUM investing broadly across 5G, AI, automotive, IoT, and semiconductors. Larger global CVC frequently co-investing alongside Swisscom Ventures in deeptech and semiconductor rounds (e.g., ANYbotics, Lumotive).
• Intel Capital: One of the largest and most active corporate venture arms globally, investing across deeptech, semiconductors, AI, and enterprise software. Comparable as a sector-focused CVC with similar Swiss/European exposure and preference for strategic-led investments with portfolio support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swisscom-ventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments152 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swisscom Ventures