W.A. DE VIGIER
W.A. de Vigier Stiftung is a Swiss nonprofit foundation that runs Switzerland's oldest annual startup award, distributing up to CHF 600,000 in non-dilutive prize money (five awards of CHF 120,000) each year to early-stage, Swiss-incorporated entrepreneurs and providing access to its investor and alumni network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersSolothurn, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What W.A. DE VIGIER does
W.A. de Vigier Stiftung is a Swiss nonprofit foundation (Stiftung under Swiss law) established in 1989 by Bill de Vigier and headquartered in Solothurn, Switzerland. It operates Switzerland's oldest and most prestigious annual award program for young entrepreneurs, providing non-dilutive funding and access to a curated network of investors, alumni, and industry experts to early-stage Swiss startups. The foundation runs a multi-stage competitive selection process — Application (October 1 – January 5), Selection Day (Top 50), Connection Day (Top 15), Presentation Days (Top 10), and a final Award Ceremony — culminating in up to five prizes of CHF 120,000 each per year, with 2024 marking the largest single-year prize pool in the foundation's history.
The underlying product is an annual award program rather than a technology platform; the foundation's digital surface is a WordPress-based website at devigier.ch used for applications, communications, and media distribution. The technology stack is deliberately minimal — no APIs, SDKs, mobile apps, or proprietary software products — with operational complexity concentrated in event logistics, volunteer-driven selection committees, and donor relations rather than in engineering. Since 1989 the foundation has distributed approximately CHF 15.6 million in prize money to 160 startups, and roughly 80% of supported startups remain operational, making the program both a financial grant and a reputational certification.
The business model is a pass-through donation structure: the foundation receives donations from a tiered donor base (founding donor Bill de Vigier, major CHF 100K-tier contributors such as SFAG Holding AG and the Grisard family, supporting-tier corporate and family donors, and minor alumni-company donors) and redistributes 100% of donations as prize money to startups. Eligibility is restricted to for-profit companies incorporated in Switzerland (GmbH or AG) whose founders hold CEO or equivalent strategic leadership roles, are dedicated to the project full time, and have registered residence in Switzerland, meaning the addressable applicant pool is inherently domestic and limited. Leadership is a small executive team (CEO Hanna Byland, COO Céline Bedu) supported by a foundation board, selection committee, expert network, and ambassadors.
W.A. DE VIGIER firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- W.A. DE VIGIER
- Legal name
- W.A. de Vigier Stiftung
- Website
- https://devigier.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- W.A. de Vigier Stiftung is a Swiss nonprofit foundation that runs Switzerland's oldest annual startup award, distributing up to CHF 600,000 in non-dilutive prize money (five awards of CHF 120,000) each year to early-stage, Swiss-incorporated entrepreneurs and providing access to its investor and alumni network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
W.A. DE VIGIER industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Awards and Non-Dilutive Seed Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)
Keywords
Where W.A. DE VIGIER is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solothurn
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
W.A. DE VIGIER business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Prize Awards to Startups: The foundation distributes prize money to winning startups. Each year, up to five startups receive CHF 120,000 each (totaling up to CHF 600,000 annually). All donations are fully paid forward to startups as prize money.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
W.A. DE VIGIER product offering
Product offeringCore offering
W.A. de Vigier Stiftung runs Switzerland's oldest startup award program, providing non-dilutive prize money of CHF 120,000 to up to five early-stage Swiss startups annually (totaling up to CHF 600,000 per year). The foundation also grants award recipients access to its network of investors, alumni founders, and industry experts built over more than 35 years of operation.
Product overview
The W.A. de Vigier Stiftung operates Switzerland's oldest and most prestigious startup award program. The foundation runs an annual competitive selection process (Selection Day Top 50 → Connection Day Top 15 → Presentation Days → Award Ceremony), culminating in up to five startup awards of CHF 120,000 each. Winners receive not only non-dilutive prize money but also access to the foundation's network of investors, alumni, and industry experts. The foundation has awarded over CHF 15.6 million to 160+ startups since 1989, with approximately 80% of supported startups still operating.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- W.A. de Vigier Award Program Switzerland's oldest startup award program providing up to CHF 600,000 in annual non-dilutive prize money (up to five awards of CHF 120,000 each) to early-stage Swiss entrepreneurs, combined with access to a 34+ year network of investors, alumni, and industry experts. Targeted at founders of Swiss-incorporated for-profit companies (GmbH or AG) working full-time on their ventures with registered residence in Switzerland.
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% of supported startups still operating in the market
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use W.A. DE VIGIER
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
W.A. DE VIGIER technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
W.A. DE VIGIER partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
W.A. DE VIGIER competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Swiss Entrepreneurs Foundation: Swiss foundation supporting entrepreneurship through education, mentorship, and seed funding. Comparable in mission to channel private philanthropic capital into Swiss early-stage entrepreneurship support.
- Venture Kick: Swiss non-profit initiative that provides non-dilutive seed funding (up to CHF 130K plus follow-on) to early-stage Swiss startups through a multi-stage jury process. Directly comparable to W.A. de Vigier in target segment (Swiss early-stage founders), funding model (non-dilutive grants), and competitive selection approach.
- ETH Zurich Pioneer Fellowship: ETH Zurich's fellowship program offering non-dilutive funding (CHF 150K) and coaching to ETH-spinout founders. Highly comparable to W.A. de Vigier in prize size, non-dilutive structure, and focus on young technical entrepreneurs in Switzerland.
- EPFL Startup Launchpad / Innogrant: EPFL's startup support program providing non-dilutive grants and mentorship to EPFL-affiliated founders. Comparable to W.A. de Vigier in funding Swiss early-stage academic-spinout founders through competitive selection.
- ZKB Pionierpreis (Technopark): Swiss innovation prize awarded annually to pioneering Swiss startups through Technopark Zurich. Directly comparable competition for prestige-driven Swiss startup recognition, although cash prizes differ in structure.
- Fondation pour l'Innovation Technologique (FIT): Swiss foundation providing seed loans and grants to technology-oriented startups in Switzerland. Comparable in being a Swiss grantmaking foundation targeting early-stage ventures, though FIT uses repayable loans rather than prizes.
- Gebert Rüf Stiftung: Swiss science and innovation foundation providing non-dilutive funding to Swiss startups and research projects. Comparable as a private Swiss foundation channeling philanthropic capital into innovative ventures.
Broad incumbents
- Innosuisse: Swiss Innovation Agency that distributes non-dilutive innovation grants and supports startups and SMEs. Overlaps with W.A. de Vigier in funding Swiss early-stage ventures but operates at much larger scale with broader mandate including research-to-market translation.
- MassChallenge: Global non-profit startup accelerator running competitive cohort-based programs offering non-dilutive awards and mentorship. Comparable in non-dilutive competition model and network access, though it operates at much larger scale and is global rather than Switzerland-only.
Regional players
- Seedstars: Swiss-founded emerging-markets-focused startup competition and accelerator. Comparable competitive award structure and Swiss roots, but operates primarily in emerging markets rather than Switzerland — a regional peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
W.A. DE VIGIER social profiles
Digital presenceW.A. DE VIGIER financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
W.A. DE VIGIER leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
W.A. DE VIGIER funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
W.A. DE VIGIER M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments13 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about W.A. DE VIGIER
What does W.A. DE VIGIER do?
W.A. de Vigier Stiftung runs Switzerland's oldest startup award program, providing non-dilutive prize money of CHF 120,000 to up to five early-stage Swiss startups annually (totaling up to CHF 600,000 per year). The foundation also grants award recipients access to its network of investors, alumni founders, and industry experts built over more than 35 years of operation.
Is W.A. DE VIGIER a public or private company?
W.A. DE VIGIER is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was W.A. DE VIGIER founded?
W.A. DE VIGIER was founded in 1989. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is W.A. DE VIGIER based?
W.A. DE VIGIER is headquartered in Solothurn, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does W.A. DE VIGIER make money?
One revenue line is on record: prize Awards to Startups.
Who are W.A. DE VIGIER's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Swiss Entrepreneurs Foundation, Venture Kick, ETH Zurich Pioneer Fellowship, EPFL Startup Launchpad / Innogrant, ZKB Pionierpreis (Technopark), Fondation pour l'Innovation Technologique (FIT) and Gebert Rüf Stiftung. Broad incumbents are Innosuisse and MassChallenge. Seedstars is listed as a regional player.
Does W.A. DE VIGIER have an API?
No public API is recorded for W.A. DE VIGIER.
What industry is W.A. DE VIGIER in?
W.A. DE VIGIER's product category is Startup Awards and Non-Dilutive Seed Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAA, Private Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.