Innovaud

Economic Development Servicesinnovaud.ch

Innovaud is the government-backed innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It provides free advisory, financing facilitation, hosting, and networking services to startups, scale-ups, SMEs, and international companies seeking to establish a European presence.

Company typePrivate
Founded2013
HeadquartersLausanne, Switzerland
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Innovaud does

Innovaud is the innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud, in Switzerland's Lake Geneva region. Established as a government-backed non-profit association (CHE-157.711.872), the agency serves startups, scale-ups, SMEs, large technology firms, and foreign companies evaluating a European presence. Its core activity is ecosystem coordination: it provides free advisory services, facilitates access to financing, connects companies to hosting infrastructure, runs networking programs, and promotes Vaud internationally as a destination for innovation investment.

The agency operates a portfolio of named programs targeting specific company stages and needs, including Scale Up Vaud (growth-stage scaling), SyNNergy, InnoPME (SMEs), Scaling Up Sales (go-to-market), INNdustry (industrial innovation), Leadership for Founders, and La Cohorte IA (AI cohort). These programs are delivered alongside partnerships with world-class universities such as EPFL and HEIG-VD and engagement with the canton's broader base of 2,000+ technology companies and 50,000 skilled professionals across sectors including life sciences, micro/nanotechnologies, ICT, foodtech, sporttech, trusttech, healthcare, drones, space systems, cybersecurity, blockchain, and AI & Machine Learning.

Innovaud's business model is that of a publicly funded economic development agency rather than a commercial enterprise. All services are provided free of charge to recipients, with operating resources backed by the Canton of Vaud's Department of the Economy, Innovation, Employment and Patrimony (DEIEP). Marketing and outreach are conducted through the official website, newsletters, publications (e.g., "The Vaud miracle," Swiss startup ecosystem reports, TOP 100 Startup Magazine), events, and structured networking programs, with international outreach extending to markets such as India via the Vaud Economic Mission and Swiss-Indian Innovation Week.

Innovaud firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Innovaud
Legal name: Innovaud Association
Website: http://www.innovaud.ch
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2013
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Innovaud is the government-backed innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud, Switzerland. It provides free advisory, financing facilitation, hosting, and networking services to startups, scale-ups, SMEs, and international companies seeking to establish a European presence.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Innovaud industry classification

Industry

Product category: Economic Development Services
SIC: Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
akta.pro primary industry: Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

Keywords

Economic development agency
Innovation promotion services
Investment facilitation
Startup support programs
Business advisory services

Where Innovaud is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Lausanne
HQ country: Switzerland
HQ region: Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

Innovaud business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Innovaud product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Innovaud is the innovation and investment promotion agency for the canton of Vaud, Switzerland's Lake Geneva region. It provides free advisory services, financing support, hosting connections, networking, and promotion for startups, scale-ups, SMEs, and large tech companies, and acts as the gateway for foreign companies seeking to establish a presence in Switzerland.

Product overview

Innovaud is Vaud's innovation and economic promotion agency, not a technology product company. It provides free services including financing, support, promotion, hosting, and networking for startups, scale-ups, SMEs, and innovative international companies. The organization does not offer its own technology products, software, or platforms. Its offerings consist of advisory services, connections to the innovation ecosystem, and access to Vaud's network of over 2,000 technology companies, world-class universities (EPFL, HEIG-VD), and specialized sectors including foodtech, sporttech, trusttech, healthcare, digital technology, drones, and space systems. Programs offered include Scale Up Vaud, SyNNergy, InnoPME, Scaling Up Sales, INNdustry, Leadership for Founders, and La Cohorte IA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Scale Up Vaud: A scaling program for growth-stage companies in Vaud
SyNNergy
InnoPME
Scaling Up Sales
INNdustry
Leadership for Founders
La Cohorte IA

Products and services

Scale Up Vaud

Companies that use Innovaud

Customer profile

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Innovaud technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Innovaud partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Innovaud competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Greater Zurich Area: Cantonal/regional investment promotion agency for the Greater Zurich region. Directly comparable as a Swiss government-backed economic promotion body marketing the same FDI and innovation value proposition to foreign companies and startups.
Basel Area Business & Innovation: Innovation and investment promotion agency for the Basel region. Offers startup support, accelerator programs, and FDI services nearly identical in structure to Innovaud's mandate within another Swiss canton.
Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIG): Geneva's business and economic promotion body supporting companies with establishment, networking, and innovation services. Closely comparable as a neighboring French-speaking Swiss economic development organization.

Broad incumbents

Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE): Switzerland's official national trade and investment promotion agency. Broader geographic mandate than Innovaud, with overlapping FDI-promotion and export-support services at national level.
IDA Ireland: Ireland's national inward investment promotion agency with global mandate. Comparable institutional model: government-backed FDI agency attracting foreign tech companies into a regional ecosystem.
Business France: France's national agency supporting international development of French companies and inward investment. Comparable scope as a state-backed trade and investment promotion agency, though national rather than cantonal.
Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB): Government agency driving Singapore's economic growth via investment promotion and industry development. Comparable as a sovereign innovation promotion body, though operating at city-state scale rather than canton scale.

Regional players

Invest in Vaud (Canton of Vaud investment portal): Closely linked investment-promotion portal of Canton of Vaud. Operates as an extension of Innovaud's invest services, sharing stakeholders and branding.
Catalonia Trade & Investment: Public agency of Catalonia promoting foreign investment and supporting startups/scale-ups. Comparable mandate and structure: regional economic promotion with innovation and FDI services.

Emerging players

La French Tech: Public-private initiative supporting French tech startups and scale-ups. Comparable in mission (supporting the national/regional startup ecosystem with public backing) but operating in a different geography with a federal rather than cantonal structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Innovaud financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Innovaud leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Innovaud funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

Innovaud M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments34 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Innovaud

What does Innovaud do?

Is Innovaud a public or private company?

Innovaud is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Innovaud founded?

Innovaud was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Innovaud based?

Innovaud is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, in the Europe region.

Who are Innovaud's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Greater Zurich Area, Basel Area Business & Innovation and Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services (CCIG). Broad incumbents are Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE), IDA Ireland, Business France and Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). Regional players are Invest in Vaud (Canton of Vaud investment portal) and Catalonia Trade & Investment. La French Tech is listed as an emerging player.

Does Innovaud have an API?

No public API is recorded for Innovaud.

What industry is Innovaud in?

Innovaud's product category is Economic Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAD, Innovation & Design Thinking Programs. Its SIC code is 8742.