Venturelab
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Venturelab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Venturelab
- Legal name
- Venturelab
- Website
- https://venturelab.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Venturelab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Acceleration Services
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
Keywords
Where Venturelab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Venturelab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Accelerator / Startup Program Services: Venturelab runs the Venture Leaders program, a flagship Swiss startup acceleration initiative. The organization earns revenue through program fees charged to participating startups, sponsorship fees from corporate and institutional sponsors (e.g., Huawei, Swisscom Ventures, VISCHER for the Mobile track; EPFL, ETH Zurich, Canton of Vaud for Technology track), and government support from Swiss innovation agencies. Alumni success (capital raised, exits) reinforces sponsor and government investment in future programs.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Venturelab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Venturelab operates the Venture Leaders program — the Swiss National Startup Team — selecting elite Swiss startups through competitive jury applications (200+ applicants per track) and taking them on structured annual international roadshows to Boston, Silicon Valley, and Barcelona to pitch Tier 1 VC investors (Boost VC, Intel Capital, Playground Global, Partech) and corporate partners. The program runs four sector-themed tracks (Medtech, Biotech, Technology, Mobile), and alumni gain exclusive pipeline access to the CHF 100 million Swiss Champions Fund. Supporting offerings include the Sword Startup Challenge innovation competition and the IPO Readiness Workshop.
Product overview
Venturelab operates the Venture Leaders Program as its core acceleration platform, conducting international roadshows that connect Swiss startups with global venture capital. The program encompasses specialized tracks (Technology, Medtech, Biotech, Mobile) and the Swiss National Startup Team brand. Supporting infrastructure includes the Swiss Champions Fund (CHF 100M venture capital fund), the Sword Startup Challenge (wealth management innovation competition), and the IPO Readiness Workshop. Together, these offerings provide Swiss startups with international market access, investor connections, growth funding, and strategic development resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Venture Leaders: Swiss National Startup Team program that selects and supports Swiss startups through international roadshows to access global venture capital and expand into US and international markets
- Sword Startup Challenge
- IPO Readiness Workshop
Products and services
- Venture Leaders Program Flagship acceleration program running international roadshows that connect Swiss startups with Tier 1 venture capital firms, corporate partners, and US market entry support. Since 2006, it has accelerated 643 startups, facilitated over 3,500 investor pitches across more than 60 roadshows in 13 cities, helping alumni raise CHF 9.5 billion and create 20,550 jobs. Programs are delivered annually across Medtech, Biotech, Technology, and Mobile tracks.
- Swiss Champions Fund
Quantifiable outcome
- CHF 9.5 billion in capital raised by alumni companies
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Venturelab
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Venturelab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Venturelab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreEPFL is a key institutional partner in the Venture Leaders Technology 2026 roadshow, contributing to the selection and preparation of Swiss deep-tech startups for international expansion. EPFL's involvement provides academic credibility and access to a pipeline of research-based spin-offs.
- ETH ZurichcoreETH Zurich is an institutional partner in the Venture Leaders Technology 2026 roadshow, supporting the selection of high-potential Swiss tech startups and providing access to its deep-tech startup ecosystem for the program.
- Canton of VaudcoreThe Canton of Vaud is a regional government partner supporting the Venture Leaders Technology 2026 roadshow, contributing to the international promotion of Swiss startups and regional economic development objectives.
- Sword SwitzerlandcoreSword Switzerland collaborated with Venturelab to organize the Sword Startup Challenge 2026, a Swiss innovation competition for wealth management solutions. Venturelab contributed startup curation, program design, and ecosystem facilitation. The challenge selected eight AI, fintech, and cybersecurity startups from an original pool of 15 to compete for venture clienting engagements within the wealth management industry.
- HuaweiminorHuawei is a sponsor of the Venture Leaders Mobile 2026 program (4YFN–MWC Barcelona roadshow), providing marketing and financial support for the Swiss National Startup Team's participation at the Mobile World Congress.
- VISCHERminorVISCHER, a Swiss law firm, sponsors the Venture Leaders Mobile 2026 program, providing legal and regulatory expertise support for the cohort's participation at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Venturelab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus in Paris, hosting dozens of partner-run accelerator programs. Like Venturelab (which selects the Swiss National Startup Team), Station F curates cohorts and runs structured programs that combine workspace, programming, and investor access for selected early-stage startups, often with government backing.
- Startupbootcamp: Startupbootcamp operates vertical-specific accelerator programs (fintech, health, smart cities, etc.) in multiple global cities, with cohorts sponsored by corporate partners. Both Venturelab and Startupbootcamp monetize via corporate sponsorship of vertical cohorts and run competitive selection processes for early-stage startups seeking market access.
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge operates globally distributed, equity-free accelerator programs with cohort-based structures and corporate-sponsored tracks - directly comparable to Venturelab's distributed roadshow model (Boston for medtech/biotech parallels MassChallenge Boston). Both leverage institutional partnerships, sponsor-backed verticals, and demo/roadshow events to connect founders with capital.
- Techstars: Techstars runs a global network of accelerator programs in multiple verticals (now merged with Rocket Internet-style programs), each cohort selecting startups for 13-week structured programs with mentor networks and demo days. Techstars' thematic-vertical model (fintech, healthtech, etc.) closely mirrors Venturelab's Medtech/Biotech/Mobile/Technology tracks, and both monetize via corporate sponsorships and post-program equity.
- Founder Institute: Founder Institute is a global pre-seed accelerator running structured 3-4 month programs in 100+ cities, selecting founders through competitive applications and providing mentorship, pitch training, and investor introductions. Comparable to Venturelab in its structured cohort format, founder education focus, and global geographic distribution.
- Antler: Antler is a global early-stage VC and accelerator with operations in 25+ countries, running cohort-based programs that select founders and provide structured support, mentorship, and early capital. Comparable to Venturelab's structured cohort-to-capital pipeline and its international geographic reach across multiple hubs.
- Plug and Play: Plug and Play runs a global network of industry-specific accelerator programs (fintech, health, brand & retail) heavily sponsored by corporates such as Deutsche Bank, Visa, and Mastercard. Like Venturelab, it monetizes through corporate sponsorship of vertical-specific cohorts and connects selected startups with corporate venture partners.
- Y Combinator: Y Combinator is the world's premier startup accelerator, operating twice-yearly cohorts that select and accelerate early-stage startups through structured programming, demo days, and introductions to a global investor network. Both YC and Venturelab operate selective cohort-based startup acceleration programs that connect founders with venture capital and serve as government/institutionally-anchored talent identifiers (YC's ties to Silicon Valley parallel Venturelab's Swiss National Startup Team mandate).
- 500 Global: 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups) is a global venture firm and accelerator that runs thematic cohort programs and provides startups with international market access through a network of regional offices. Like Venturelab, 500 Global combines accelerator programming with downstream capital and emphasizes international expansion pathways for founders.
Regional players
- Swiss Startup Association: The Swiss Startup Association is a Zurich-based industry body representing and supporting Swiss startups through events, policy advocacy, and ecosystem programs. While not a direct accelerator operator, it sits in the same Swiss ecosystem as Venturelab, serves overlapping founder constituents, and competes for institutional/sponsorship mindshare within Switzerland's startup support landscape.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Venturelab social profiles
Digital presenceVenturelab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Venturelab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Venturelab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Venturelab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Venturelab
What does Venturelab do?
Venturelab operates the Venture Leaders program — the Swiss National Startup Team — selecting elite Swiss startups through competitive jury applications (200+ applicants per track) and taking them on structured annual international roadshows to Boston, Silicon Valley, and Barcelona to pitch Tier 1 VC investors (Boost VC, Intel Capital, Playground Global, Partech) and corporate partners. The program runs four sector-themed tracks (Medtech, Biotech, Technology, Mobile), and alumni gain exclusive pipeline access to the CHF 100 million Swiss Champions Fund. Supporting offerings include the Sword Startup Challenge innovation competition and the IPO Readiness Workshop.
Is Venturelab a public or private company?
Venturelab is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Venturelab founded?
Venturelab was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Venturelab based?
Venturelab is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Venturelab make money?
One revenue line is on record: accelerator / Startup Program Services.
Who are Venturelab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Station F, Startupbootcamp, MassChallenge, Techstars, Founder Institute, Antler, Plug and Play, Y Combinator and 500 Global. Swiss Startup Association is listed as a regional player.
Does Venturelab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Venturelab.
What industry is Venturelab in?
Venturelab's product category is Startup Acceleration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated), with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its SIC code is 8742.