Foundation for technological innovation

What Foundation for technological innovation does

The Foundation for Technological Innovation (Stiftung für technologische Innovation STI) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in 2005 by Berner Kantonalbank (BEKB | BCBE) and Bern University of Applied Sciences – Engineering and Information Technology (BFH-TI). Headquartered in Biel/Bienne and co-located at BFH-TI, the foundation targets early-stage technology startups in the Espace Mittelland region of Switzerland (Cantons BE, SO, FR, NE, JU). It addresses a specific financing gap: technology founders with market-ready ideas typically cannot access bank loans (which require collateral) and are usually too early for venture capital. STI fills this gap with interest-free loans, expert evaluation through a Committee of Experts, and one-on-one coaching through its implementation partner be-advanced.

STI operates as a grant and loan platform rather than a product or SaaS business. Its core "product" is structured seed financing: each year the foundation board evaluates roughly 10 projects, providing interest-free loans to those with credible technological and commercial potential, alongside a personal coach assigned via be-advanced. The foundation capital stood at CHF 10 million as of 2019 (increased twice from the original CHF 3.5 million at founding), with a stated target of CHF 20 million. Loan repayments are recycled into the foundation capital base, and additional capital is raised from successful entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and institutional supporters. The foundation has supported approximately 90 loan-financed projects since 2005, spanning MedTech, biotech, sustainability, robotics, AI, mobility, energy storage, and legal tech — among them STIMIT AG, which was acquired by Dräger for its non-invasive diaphragm stimulation technology.

STI's underlying technology is its applicant evaluation and coaching workflow, not a software platform. The proprietary features are interest-free capital, the Committee of Experts review process, and tight integration with the regional innovation ecosystem (BFH-TI, University of Bern, Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne, and Innosuisse-funded projects). The go-to-market is sales-led and highly targeted: founders apply through be-advanced, are screened by experts, and (if approved) receive a loan plus a coach. There is no commercial pricing; "revenue" is the recycled capital base plus donations. Governance is provided by a foundation board chaired by Dr. Raoul Waldburger, with Marcel Oertle (BEKB executive board) as Vice-President and Peter Brunner (Head of Research at BFH-TI) serving as CEO.

Name

Foundation for technological innovation

Legal name

Stiftung für technologische Innovation STI

Website

https://sti-stiftung.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Foundation for Technological Innovation (STI) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation that provides interest-free loans and coaching to early-stage technology startups in the Espace Mittelland region of Switzerland. Co-founded in 2005 by Berner Kantonalbank and Bern University of Applied Sciences, it has supported 90 projects with a CHF 10M capital base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Seed Financing and Startup Funding

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Seed financing
• Startup funding
• Interest-free loans
• Entrepreneurship coaching
• Technology innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Biel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Loan-based financing: STI provides early-stage interest-free loans to technology startups as seed financing. The foundation generates revenue through loan repayments and aims to grow its foundation capital through donations from successful entrepreneurs and supporters. The foundation is a non-profit organization focused on fostering innovation rather than generating commercial returns.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Foundation for Technological Innovation (STI) is a Swiss non-profit foundation that provides interest-free seed loans combined with coaching and personal mentorship to early-stage technology startups in the Espace Mittelland region (Cantons BE, SO, FR, NE, JU). The foundation fills the gap between bank financing (which requires collateral) and venture capital (which typically arrives too late for very young entrepreneurs) by evaluating approximately 10 projects per year through its Committee of Experts and providing interest-free financial support along with expert coaching.

Product overview

The Foundation for Technological Innovation (STI) is a seed financing foundation that provides early-stage financial support in the form of interest-free loans and coaching to technology-oriented startups in the Espace Mittelland region of Switzerland (Cantons BE, SO, FR, NE, and JU). STI does not offer its own product portfolio; rather, it supports and funds innovative technology startups across sectors including MedTech/Biotech, Energy, Industry/Digitalization, and others. The foundation works in partnership with be-advanced for project evaluation and coaching, and cooperates closely with Bern University of Applied Sciences and the University of Bern.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Interest-Free Seed Loans Interest-free financial support provided to early-stage technology startups in the Espace Mittelland region (Cantons BE, SO, FR, NE, JU) to bridge the financing gap between bank loans (which require collateral) and venture capital (which is typically too early-stage for young entrepreneurs). The foundation evaluates approximately 10 projects per year through its Committee of Experts.
• Startup Coaching and Mentorship Personal coaching and mentorship for technology startup founders provided through the be-advanced partner platform. Each supported startup is assigned a personal coach and benefits from evaluation by a Committee of Experts drawn from business and academia.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 loan-financed projects supported since foundation (as of January 2023)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers44 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Bern University of Applied Sciences - School of Engineering and Computer Science (BFH-TI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Co-founder of STI Foundation in 2005. The Technology Transfer Office of BFH-TI runs the STI office. Peter Brunner, Head of Research at BFH-TI, serves as CEO of STI. Dr. Ina Goller, programme director at BFH-TI, is a board member.
• be-advancedcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partnerbe-advanced organizes the Committee of Experts and the application process on behalf of STI. Christian Lundsgaard-Hansen is Head of Startup at be-advanced. Each startup receives a personal coach from be-advanced.
• University of BernmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTI cooperates closely with the University of Bern, leveraging technology-oriented research results as innovation potential. Abrinca is a spin-off from University of Bern.
• Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/BiennemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFelix Kunz, Board Delegate and Co-Founder of Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne, serves on the STI Foundation board, connecting the foundation to the innovation park ecosystem.
• DrägermajorOthersDräger acquired majority shares of STIMIT AG to further develop non-invasive respiratory muscle stimulation therapy for ICU patients.

Scale indicators5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fondation Gebert Rüf: Fondation Gebert Rüf is a major Swiss science and innovation foundation that funds pioneering projects at Swiss research institutions and spin-offs, operating a similar grantmaking-plus-coaching model aimed at converting research into market-ready ventures.
• Venture Kick: Venture Kick is a Swiss private-sector initiative that provides seed funding (and increasingly larger follow-on tranches) to early-stage Swiss technology startups, with a structured evaluation and jury process analogous to STI's Committee of Experts model.
• EPFL Foundation (Fondation EPFL): EPFL Foundation channels philanthropic capital to support EPFL research, education, and innovation projects including spin-offs, mirroring STI's university-anchored grantmaking model for technology transfer in a different Swiss region.
• Ernst Göhner Stiftung: Ernst Göhner Stiftung is a Swiss independent foundation that supports innovative and entrepreneurial projects across Switzerland, with comparable grant-based funding of technology, culture, and social innovation initiatives.
• Hans Wilsdorf Foundation: Hans Wilsdorf Foundation is a major Swiss philanthropic foundation supporting education, research, and social innovation projects, operating with a comparable long-tenured, foundation-governed approach to funding innovation in the public interest.

Broad incumbents

• Wyss Foundation: The Wyss Foundation is a much larger US/Swiss philanthropic foundation funding science, conservation, and innovation; it operates at far greater scale but provides a structural parallel in foundation-driven technology and innovation funding.
• Swisscom Ventures: Swisscom Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Swisscom that invests in Swiss and European early-stage technology companies, providing a broader, equity-returning incumbent counterpart to STI's regional grantmaking model.
• Innosuisse: Innosuisse is the Swiss Innovation Agency that funds science-based innovation projects and startups nationally, including the Innosuisse-funded project at STI portfolio company IRIS; it operates at national scale as a broader, government-backed counterpart to STI's regional foundation model.

Others

• Fondation de l'Hermitage: Fondation de l'Hermitage is a Swiss philanthropic foundation based in the broader Swiss Romande region that supports cultural and innovation-related projects; included as an adjacent example of a regionally-anchored Swiss foundation supporting innovation-adjacent activities.

Regional players

• be-advanced: be-advanced is STI's operational partner in the Espace Mittelland that organizes the Committee of Experts, application process, and personal coaching for STI-funded founders; while a partner rather than competitor, it serves the same regional cohort of early-stage tech entrepreneurs with adjacent support services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sti-stiftung

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments5 records

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Frequently asked questions about Foundation for technological innovation