Prix Strategis

What Prix Strategis does

Prix Strategis is a national Swiss entrepreneurship competition organized by HEC Espace Entreprise, the student-run entrepreneurial association of HEC Lausanne (University of Lausanne). Founded in 1993, the competition is now in its 33rd edition and awards an annual prize of CHF 40,000 to the best Swiss startup (defined as a company under five years old with Swiss headquarters). Each edition selects 8 semi-finalists, then 5 finalists, and a final winner through a multi-stage jury evaluation process in which HEC bachelor students, organized into 8 teams of 4 with senior consultant support, conduct on-site analysis of semi-finalist companies.

The organization operates no proprietary technology platform and generates no product revenue from participants; it runs on a sponsorship model with Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers and additional in-kind partnerships. Flagship institutional partners include HEC Lausanne (Gold sponsor and host academic institution), Forvis Mazars Group (Silver sponsor), R&D Finance (Bronze sponsor), media partner L'Agefi, and venue host Centre Patronal in Paudex. The jury draws from VI Partners, B Lab Switzerland, EPFL Innovation/Bühler Group, CONDIS Group, Kyos, Pulse Incubateur HES, and Y-Parc, providing investor, sustainability, and academic-tech perspectives.

Past winners include LeShop.ch (1999), Jobup.ch (2004), Volumina Medical (2019, which subsequently raised over CHF 21 million), Corintis (2023), HeroSupport (2024), and Lightium AG (2025). The competition is wholly student-run and is structurally a non-commercial academic initiative rather than an investable enterprise, with no disclosed revenue, headcount, funding rounds, M&A activity, or expansion into new geographies.

Name

Prix Strategis

Legal name

Prix Strategis (organized by HEC Espace Entreprise)

Website

https://prixstrategis.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prix Strategis is a student-run Swiss entrepreneurship competition organized by HEC Espace Entreprise at HEC Lausanne, awarding CHF 40,000 annually to the best Swiss startup under five years old, now in its 33rd edition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Competition

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Decathlon & Interdisciplinary Competitions (EDAMAGAG)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship competition
• Startup awards program
• Venture recognition awards
• Innovation competition
• Startup ecosystem events

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: Prix Strategis generates revenue through sponsorship tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze sponsors) and partner relationships. Sponsors include HEC Lausanne, Forvis Mazars Group, R&D Finance, and various partners who gain visibility and access to the Swiss startup ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Prix Strategis is a national Swiss entrepreneurship competition organized by HEC Espace Entreprise (HEC Lausanne) that annually awards CHF 40,000 to the most innovative Swiss startup (maximum 5 years old, headquartered in Switzerland). The competition runs an annual selection cycle culminating in a ceremony where semi-finalists, finalists, and a winner are evaluated by a jury of recognized Swiss economic figures, with the 33rd edition scheduled for April 30, 2026.

Product overview

Prix Strategis is a single-product entrepreneurship competition organized by HEC Espace Entreprise (HEC Lausanne). The core offering is the annual Prix Strategis Competition, a national Swiss startup award that awards CHF 40,000 to the winning startup. The competition follows a structured selection process: applications are submitted in September-October, 8 semi-finalists are selected, student teams conduct field visits, 5 finalists are chosen, and a winner is announced at the annual ceremony. Additionally, the 'Lancement et développement de start-up' course provides educational value by engaging HEC students as consultants who analyze semi-finalist startups, feeding into the competition's evaluation process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Prix Strategis Competition An annual national Swiss entrepreneurship competition that awards CHF 40,000 to the best innovative Swiss startup. The competition selects 8 semi-finalists from online applications, has student teams conduct site visits, then selects 5 finalists who compete at a public ceremony. The competition is free to enter and is targeted at Swiss-headquartered startups less than 5 years old.
• Lancement et développement de start-up (Start-up Launch and Development Course) An academic course offered to HEC Lausanne bachelor students that provides hands-on consulting experience by assigning student teams (8 teams of 4 students) to analyze semi-finalist startups during field visits, with their reports feeding into the jury evaluation process.

Quantifiable outcome

• CHF 21M+ raised by Volumina Medical post-victory
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• HEC Lausanne (UNIL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor and organizing institution. HEC Lausanne is a major player in management education and research, offering quality training and contributing to economic and social development. The school provides academic credibility and student resources for the competition.
• Forvis Mazars GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor - an international partnership present in 100+ countries, specialized in audit, outsourcing, tax, and advisory. In Switzerland, 400+ professionals in major cities support SMEs and large enterprises. Provides financial expertise and credibility to the jury process.
• L'AgefiflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial media partner and reference in Swiss economic and financial press. Covers the competition annually and highlights participating startups, providing significant media visibility for winners.
• Centre PatronalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner providing the venue for the annual ceremony in Paudex. Offers a professional and friendly setting for exchanges between entrepreneurs, investors, and economic stakeholders.
• B Lab (Switzerland) FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainability organization represented by Founder & CEO Jonathan Normand on the jury, contributing ESG/sustainability expertise to evaluation criteria.
• EPFL Innovation / Bühler GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPFL Innovation Satellite Manager Nicolas Dorsaz serves on the jury, providing academic and innovation ecosystem perspective.
• EldoraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the competition ecosystem.
• TaylorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the competition ecosystem.
• InfomaniakminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the competition ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Regional players

• >>venture>> Award: Swiss competition for startups in the top federal research institutions (ETH, EPFL, etc.). Overlaps on Swiss scope but is anchored to a different institutional network than HEC Lausanne.
• EPFL Spin-offs / Innovation Park: Regional Swiss academic innovation platform that surfaces and supports startups, including some Prix Strategis participants/jury. Comparable as a feeder ecosystem for Swiss founders competing for visibility.

Broad incumbents

• MassChallenge: Global startup accelerator/competition offering equity-free cash prizes and mentorship. Overlap is in the award + visibility model, but operates a year-round multi-track program far larger than Prix Strategis.

Direct peers

• Venture Kick: Swiss early-stage startup competition that awards seed capital (up to CHF 130,000 per startup). Direct competitor for the same Swiss startup applicant pool and sponsor/mindshare ecosystem as Prix Strategis.
• Seedstars: Swiss-headquartered global startup competition with local editions, awards, and visibility programs. Comparable in format (competition + visibility + networking) but operates at global scale, demonstrating an expansion path.
• ClimateLaunchpad: Global cleantech startup competition with national rounds. Comparable competition format targeting early-stage founders, particularly relevant given Prix Strategis winners in carbon capture and energy storage.
• W.A. de Vigier Foundation Award: Long-running Swiss startup competition awarding up to CHF 100,000 to young entrepreneurs. Targets the same max-5-years-old Swiss startup demographic and competes for sponsor attention.
• MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition: University-organized entrepreneurship competition with multi-decade history, prize funding, and pitch-driven evaluation. The structural template for academic student-run competitions like Prix Strategis.
• INSEAD Venture Competition: School-organized venture competition for early-stage founders. Direct comparator on academic institution backing, jury composition, and student-driven evaluation model.
• Hello Tomorrow: Global deep-tech startup competition awarding prizes and exposure to investors. Closest analogue in deep-tech prize competitions and audience of mission-driven founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=aMlFelVvAGQ
• Xx.com/prixstrategis
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prix-strategis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Prix Strategis