W.A. DE VIGIER

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.

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

Product category

Startup Awards and Non-Dilutive Seed Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Startup awards program
• Entrepreneur grant funding
• Seed stage prize
• Nonprofit foundation grants
• Early stage startup funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Solothurn

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct 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

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/w-a-de-vigier
• Xx.com/devigier
• Facebookfacebook.com/WA-de-Vigier-Foundation-217982898228709

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments13 records

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Frequently asked questions about W.A. DE VIGIER