Entrepreneur Club Winterthur

What Entrepreneur Club Winterthur does

Entrepreneur Club Winterthur (ECW) is a Swiss non-profit association (Verein) founded in 2017 in Winterthur that operates as the central hub of the regional startup ecosystem. It provides free community membership and organizes over 25 events annually across a portfolio of branded programs, including Startup Nights (described as the largest startup event in Switzerland and a 2026 member of the Swiss Startup Association), Hack Winterthur, and Fuckup Night Winterthur. The organization serves three primary personas: startup founders seeking networking, investor access, and media visibility; startup-interested individuals looking to engage with the ecosystem; and founders-in-waiting seeking structured pathways from idea to launch. Beyond events, ECW functions as a referral and distribution layer, directing members to partner-provided professional services including free legal advice (Wenger & Vieli), trust and accounting services (Consultive), and business plan development (Kramer Businessplan), as well as to an incubator/accelerator (Launch Control) and an investor-connection platform (Winti Ventures). ECW also co-publishes the Founded magazine for startup visibility and provides discounted co-working access through Home of Innovation at two Winterthur locations.

ECW's business model is sponsorship-driven and non-transactional to its users: all member-facing services and events are provided free of charge, while the organization sustains operations through a multi-tier corporate sponsorship structure. Gold Sponsors include UBS and Mobiliar; Silver Sponsors include Wenger & Vieli, Consultive, and HAW (Handelskammer und Arbeitgebervereinigung Winterthur); and Basic Sponsors include Sanitas, Helvetia, and Autoneum. Operations are volunteer-led, with one full-time staff member responsible for administration, communications, and event coordination and the remainder of the team operating on a volunteer basis, supported by a board (Vorstand) covering President, Community, Operations, Programme, and Finance functions. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, member networking, and active community participation rather than a traditional sales motion. Geographic focus is exclusively regional (Winterthur and surrounding area), with no global footprint claim.

Name

Entrepreneur Club Winterthur

Legal name

Entrepreneur Club Winterthur

Website

https://ec-w.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Entrepreneur Club Winterthur is a Swiss non-profit startup community organization founded in 2017 in Winterthur that provides free membership and organizes 25+ events annually, including Startup Nights (Switzerland's largest startup event), connecting founders with investors, mentors, and corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winterthur

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: The organization sustains itself through sponsorship agreements with corporate partners at various tiers (Gold, Silver, Basic Sponsors) including UBS, Mobiliar, Sanitas, Helvetia, Autoneum, Consultive, Wenger & Vieli, and HAW. These sponsors provide financial support in exchange for branding visibility at events and within the startup community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Entrepreneur Club Winterthur is a non-profit association that provides free community-based support to startup founders and entrepreneurs in the Winterthur region of Switzerland. Its offerings include networking events, mentorship from experienced founders, access to co-working spaces, and introductions to investors and corporate partners, all delivered through a volunteer-led Verein structure.

Product overview

Entrepreneur Club Winterthur is a startup support organization that operates as a community network and event platform rather than a single software product. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including Startup Nights (Switzerland's largest startup event), Launch Control (incubator/accelerator), Hack Winterthur (hackathon), Fuckup Nights (networking events), Founded Magazine (media publication), and community membership. Additional services include co-working space access, legal services, trust/accounting services, and business plan support—all delivered through partner organizations. The ecosystem is designed to support founders from ideation through growth stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Startup Nights: The largest startup event in Switzerland, organized by Entrepreneur Club Winterthur, scheduled for November 5-6, 2026 in Eulachhallen Winterthur.
• Hack Winterthur
• Fuckup Night Winterthur
• Founded
• Launch Control

Products and services

• Community Membership Free membership providing founders and aspiring entrepreneurs access to community events, networking, and partner services in Winterthur, Switzerland.
• Networking Events Regular in-person meetups and networking gatherings for local founders, investors, and ecosystem partners in Winterthur.
• Mentorship Program Connections between early-stage founders and experienced entrepreneurs/advisors offering guidance on building companies.
• Co-working Space Access Member access to co-working workspaces provided by partner organizations in the Winterthur region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80 startup events organized since 2017, with more than 25 events per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Winti VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWinti Ventures is a key partner providing startups with investor connections, fundraising facilitation through exclusive pitch events, and strategic advisory services. The ECW directs founders to Winti Ventures for investment readiness support and helps connect startups with the venture network.
• Launch ControlcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunch Control is an incubator and accelerator program that ECW promotes to its community. It provides workshops with industry experts and entrepreneurs, pitch opportunities before expert juries, and structured programs to help founders advance their ideas. ECW refers members to Launch Control programs.
• Home of InnovationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome of Innovation operates the largest startup and co-working space in Winterthur across two locations (Klosterstrasse 34 and Stadthausstrasse 14), hosting 13 startups and 10 coworking members on 1300 sqm. ECW is headquartered there and collaborates on workshops, networking, and community events. ECW members receive a 50% discount on their first month of coworking.
• Technopark WinterthurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnopark Winterthur provides free coworking access to ECW members (3 free 'Flexible' Workeria subscriptions) and collaborates on events and ecosystem development for startups in Winterthur.
• Wenger & Vieli (Silver Sponsor)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWenger & Vieli is a leading Swiss law firm providing ECW members with monthly free legal advice sessions and roundtable discussions on legal topics. They specialize in startup, venture capital, and M&A law, providing expertise on financing rounds, employment contracts, IP registration, and more.
• Consultive (Silver Sponsor)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsultive is an auditing and accounting firm providing ECW members with free trust and accounting services including company founding support, financial planning, payroll, VAT, and annual financial statements. They participate in free roundtable events organized by ECW.
• HAW — Handelskammer und Arbeitgebervereinigung Winterthur (Silver Sponsor)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHAW contributes to Winterthur's economic attractiveness and supports startups through services including free legal advice, network facilitation, and policy advocacy. They are a valuable ECW partner providing startups with essential resources for successful establishment.
• Founded MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFounded is an online and print magazine covering Swiss startups and innovation, co-created by ECW. It provides startups with media visibility and storytelling opportunities. The magazine serves as a platform for regional founders and companies to gain exposure within the startup ecosystem.
• House of WinterthurmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouse of Winterthur operates location promotion, economic development, and tourism marketing. They support startups by providing access to micro-credits through the 'GO! Ziel selbstständig' association, free initial consultations, help finding suitable premises, and network introductions. ECW and House of Winterthur share the common goal of promoting the Winterthur startup ecosystem.
• ZHAW (Zurich University of Applied Sciences)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZHAW is a key academic partner, particularly through the RUNWAY program at its entrepreneurship department. ECW's origins as a student association and its ongoing collaboration with ZHAW create a pipeline of student talent and academic resources for the startup community.
• startups.chminorStrategic or Co-development Partnerstartups.ch is listed as a partner supporting the ECW ecosystem, providing startup formation and related services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Swiss Startup Association: National umbrella association for Swiss startups that Startup Nights joined in 2026. Provides policy advocacy, networking, and ecosystem coordination across Switzerland, comparable to ECW but operating at national rather than regional level.
• Kickstart Innovation: Swiss innovation platform run by digitalswitzerland running corporate-startup collaboration programs, scale-up acceleration, and large-scale events. Comparable in orchestrating corporate-startup partnerships and major Swiss startup events.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator and founder development program with chapters worldwide. Comparable to Launch Control's structured programming and ECW's founder-development mission, but operates at international scale with equity participation.

Direct peers

• Startup Weekend (Techstars): Global weekend-long hackathon-style events for aspiring founders to build companies in 54 hours. Closely mirrors Hack Winterthur's format and ECW's community activation approach.
• SICTIC (Swiss ICT Investor Club): Swiss angel investor network connecting early-stage startups with investors through pitch events and a curated deal flow platform. Comparable to Winti Ventures' investor-facing role and ECW's investor-connection function.
• Impact Hub Zurich: Zurich-based impact-focused coworking and startup community with event programming, incubation, and a membership network. Operates a similar community+events+partnership model targeting founders and innovators, just at a larger urban scale.
• Startup Grind: Global startup community that organizes local chapter events featuring founder talks, networking, and sponsorships. Closely mirrors ECW's event-led, community-driven model with corporate sponsorship monetization.
• MassChallenge Switzerland: Global non-profit accelerator with a Swiss presence running equity-free startup programs, mentorship, and corporate partnerships. Comparable as a non-profit ecosystem builder with sponsor-funded acceleration offerings.

Regional players

• Technopark Zurich: Zurich's flagship technology and startup center offering coworking, incubation, events, and corporate partnerships. Operates a comparable startup-support ecosystem with events, partner network, and tenants, but in Zurich rather than Winterthur.
• F10 FinTech Incubator & Accelerator: Swiss fintech incubator and accelerator running programs for early-stage financial services startups with corporate partners. Comparable as a Switzerland-based, sponsor-funded startup support program, though fintech-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCs7Cf9Z3kyqv4ITCunzM05w
• Facebookfacebook.com/ECWinterthur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/entrepreneur-club-winterthur
• Instagraminstagram.com/entrepreneur_club_winterthur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Entrepreneur Club Winterthur