Business Angels Switzerland (BAS)

What Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) does

Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) is a non-profit association founded in 1997 and domiciled under articles 60ff of the Swiss Civil Code, operating as a private business angel club with approximately 100 members split between its Zurich section (40 members) and Romandie section (60 members). The organisation connects early-stage Swiss startups with private investors by screening approximately 350 startup applications per year, inviting around 60 to pitch, and facilitating financing for 10-15 startups annually. BAS organises 20 dinner pitch meetings per year in Zurich and Lausanne/Geneva, bi-weekly Angel Talks informal sessions in Zurich, and BAS Academy educational workshops; its online member access and startup applications run on the third-party Dealum platform.

The core products are the dinner-meeting pitch platform, the Dealum-backed member portal, structured due-diligence support led by designated Deal Leaders, and BAS Academy educational programming on topics including blockchain, AI, IP protection, and due diligence. BAS does not charge commissions, finder fees, or transaction fees on investments — investments are made individually by members as personal bets, not pooled by the association. Since 1997, BAS members have invested in over 130 startups across ICT, life sciences, cleantech, and deeptech sectors; since 2016 alone, CHF 22.7 million has been deployed across 46 startups, with an average consolidated ticket of approximately CHF 200,000 per company.

The business model is purely subscription-based: a non-refundable CHF 1,600 entrance fee plus an annual fee of CHF 1,800 for individual members or CHF 3,600 for institutional/fund members, with ancillary revenue from CHF 120 guest dinner fees and CHF 100 startup pitch fees. Notable portfolio companies include Abionic (raised CHF 37 million), Ecorobotix (USD 52 million Series C), BioVersys (CHF 19 million Series B), HAYA Therapeutics (USD 23 million seed), and Goodwall (scaled to 1 million+ users). Strategic partnerships span VCI/Technopark Luzern, ImpactHUB Bern, Genisuisse, Microcity, Bluelion, Mirabaud, Lombard Odier, SECA, and Global Entrepreneurship Week, with a leadership team led by President Frédéric Lauchenauer and General Manager Ramon Zurbuchen.

Name

Business Angels Switzerland (BAS)

Legal name

Business Angels Switzerland

Website

https://businessangels.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) is a non-profit association founded in 1997 that connects early-stage Swiss startups with approximately 100 private angel investors through monthly dinner pitch meetings in Zurich and Lausanne/Geneva, sustained by membership fees rather than transaction commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: BAS operates as a non-profit association under Swiss Civil Code articles 60ff. Revenue comes from membership fees: one-time entrance fee of CHF 1,600 and annual membership fee of CHF 1,800 for individuals or CHF 3,600 for institutions and funds. These fees cover dinner meetings and management costs. No commissions, finder fees, or investment-related charges are collected.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) is a non-profit association operating a private investor network that connects Swiss early-stage startups with experienced business angels for minority equity investments. Each year BAS organizes approximately 20 dinner pitch meetings in Zurich and Lausanne/Geneva where pre-screened startups present to members, supported by an online Dealum platform for deal management and due diligence, plus BAS Academy workshops and Angel Talks for education and engagement.

Product overview

Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) operates as a business angel network connecting Swiss startups with seasoned investors. The organization provides a platform for early-stage investment facilitation through dinner meeting pitches, due diligence support, and mentorship. Core offerings include the BAS Dinner Meeting Platform (20 monthly pitch events in Zurich and Lausanne/Geneva), the Dealum Member Portal for member access and deal management, BAS Academy for investor education, and a portfolio of supported companies. BAS functions as a non-profit association with approximately 100 members who invest as individuals in Swiss startups, with average consolidated investments of CHF 200,000 per startup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BAS Individual Membership Annual membership for individual private investors providing access to up to 10 dinner pitch meetings per year, the BAS database and deal flow, member directory, and a BAS email address. Includes structured deal screening and co-investment opportunities.
• BAS Institutional/Fund Membership Annual membership for institutions and funds providing the same benefits as individual membership with CHF 3,600/year pricing for organizational angel investing activities.
• BAS Dinner Pitch Meetings Monthly in-person pitch events in Zurich and Lausanne/Geneva where pre-screened startups present to assembled BAS angel investors. Each meeting features 2-3 company presentations with Q&A, investor feedback, and follow-up evaluation by interested members. Startups pay CHF 100 per pitch session and angel members participate as part of their membership.
• Guest Dinner Meeting Participation One-time guest access for prospective members to attend BAS dinner meetings at CHF 120 per meal, with the option to attend up to 2 meetings before deciding whether to apply for full membership.
• Angel Talks Bi-weekly informal coffee meetings in Zurich where early-stage startups can meet BAS members to ask questions about funding applications, receive guidance, and connect with potential mentors before pitching at formal dinner meetings.
• BAS Academy Workshops Educational training workshops held in Zurich and Lausanne covering topics relevant to business angels and startups, including crypto, AI, blockchain, VR, gaming, IP protection, storytelling, and due diligence. Designed to develop angel investor capabilities and support startup founders.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ startups funded since 1997 with CHF 22.7 million invested since 2016 alone
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VCI (Venture Club Innerschweiz) / Technopark LuzerncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help selected ambitious start-ups with innovative technology or business models quickly establish and grow. VCI supports startups in solving main problems with 'securing financing' as the biggest challenge they help address.
• ImpactHUB BernminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpactHUB Bern combines elements of workspace, idea lab, business incubator and network to shape the future of business and society in Bern and beyond.
• GenisuisseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoaching for startups supporting market entry to economic independence across all industries and sectors from tourism to sports and culture. Entrepreneurs act as generalists, coaches and mentors.
• Global Entrepreneurship WeekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal annual initiative each November dedicated to entrepreneurship, ecosystems, networking and matchmaking. BAS participates in Swiss chapter activities.
• BoardOwlminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatching service between companies (start-ups, SMEs, non-profits) and vetted professionals for corporate and advisory board positions. Also offers education on board-related topics.
• MicrocityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Canton of Neuchâtel, stimulates, supports, and promotes innovation projects from startups, SMEs and large companies establishing in the region.
• BluelionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZurich-based incubator helping startups grow sustainably with workspace, mentoring and more. BAS gives startups from Bluelion preferred consideration for pitch meetings.
• DealumcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform used for member access (events, deals, data room, BAS toolbox) and startup application submissions. Hosts the BAS Dealroom with 5852 as the organization ID.
• Swiss Startup Invest / SECAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBAS members can participate in events of Swiss Startup Invest and SECA without own membership in these organizations.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SECA (Swiss Private Equity & Venture Capital Association): Umbrella organization for Swiss private equity and venture capital, with BAS members cross-participating in SECA events. SECA operates the broader Swiss investment ecosystem that BAS plugs into as an angel-tier member.
• Band of Angels: One of the largest and most established US angel groups with predominantly technology-experienced members investing in early-stage startups. Directly comparable to BAS in model (curated membership of operators, structured pitch events, individual member investments).
• Tech Coast Angels: Largest US angel investor network with structured screening, due diligence, and pitch processes. Operates a similar model to BAS: curated deal flow, member due diligence, and individual angel investments rather than fund-level investing.
• European Business Angels Network (EBAN): Pan-European federation of business angel networks and early-stage investors. EBAN represents the broader ecosystem in which BAS operates and provides benchmarking, policy advocacy, and cross-border deal flow relevant to BAS's Swiss-only mandate.
• Angel Capital Association: US trade association for angel investors and angel groups, providing best-practice standards, education, and peer learning. Comparable to BAS in serving as a hub for accredited individual investors deploying capital into early-stage companies.
• Keiretsu Forum: Global angel investment network with chapters across North America, Europe, and Asia. Operates the same structured pitch/diligence/co-investment model as BAS, serving as a reference point for international angel network scaling.

Emerging players

• AngelList: Digital platform connecting early-stage startups with angel investors and rolling funds. Represents the technology-enabled evolution of the angel model that traditional networks like BAS must increasingly complement or compete with.

Regional players

• BlueLion: Zurich-based startup incubator with workspace and mentoring. Directly comparable as a Swiss German-region startup support organization that receives preferential pitch-meeting consideration from BAS, making them both collaborator and adjacent competitor for early-stage deal flow.
• Fongit: Geneva-based startup incubator and seed investor. Operates in the same Swiss Romandie geography as BAS's Romandie section, providing co-investment and overlap in the regional early-stage ecosystem.

Others

• Venture Kick: Swiss pre-seed funding program that often precedes angel rounds. Many Venture Kick graduates feed into BAS's pitch pipeline, making it an upstream feeder in the same Swiss early-stage capital stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-angels-switzerland

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

Investments104 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Business Angels Switzerland (BAS)