What Alliance-innovation does

Alliance-innovation (legally Association Alliance), headquartered at EPFL Innovation Park in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a non-profit membership association that acts as an industrial liaison between companies and academic research institutions in French-speaking Switzerland. Its core activities are identifying innovation needs among member companies, defining project scopes, matching companies with suitable academic partners (EPFL, HE-Arc, HEIA-FR, HEIG-VD, University of Fribourg, SDSC, CHUV), and supporting Innosuisse funding applications. In 2025 the association supported 159 projects that collectively raised CHF 20.1 million from Innosuisse, compared with over 150 projects and CHF 16.1 million in 2024.

Alliance does not develop proprietary technology. Its product portfolio consists of advisory and facilitation services: innovation project support, network facilitation with research institutions, funding application assistance (primarily Innosuisse), member-exclusive Brainstorming workshops, student project brokerage, and curated networking events such as Hack Pilot Day. Distribution is direct, via the Alliance website and member referrals, supplemented by referral partnerships with regional innovation agencies (Innovaud, Platinn, Alp ICT) and programs like [seal].

Revenue is generated entirely through tiered annual membership fees, with five tiers calibrated to member type and size: ordinary members (CHF 1,000-7,000/year by employee count), supporting members (CHF 10,000/year), academic support members (CHF 10,000-50,000/year by agreement), institutional members (CHF 1,500/year), and fee-exempt startup members (free for five years). As of 2025 the network comprises 107 member companies and research institutions, and leadership is shared between Director Antoine Jourdan and co-manager Pascale Van Landuyt (both in role since January 1, 2024), supported by specialized innovation mentors covering ICT, Medtech, Biotech, and Foodtech domains.

Name

Alliance-innovation

Legal name

Association Alliance

Website

https://alliance-innovation.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Alliance-innovation is a non-profit association in French-speaking Switzerland that connects member companies with academic research institutions (EPFL, HE-Arc, HEIG-VD, University of Fribourg) and supports them in securing Innosuisse funding for joint innovation projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Consulting Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ), Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Innovation consulting services
• Academic-industry partnerships
• Technology transfer advisory
• Innovation funding assistance
• Research collaboration network

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Alliance operates as a non-profit association generating revenue through membership fees. The organization provides innovation support services including identifying academic partners, helping with project definition, and assisting with funding applications (Innosuisse, direct mandates).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Association Alliance operates a non-profit innovation catalyst membership association connecting companies in French-speaking Switzerland with academic research institutions. The organization provides three core services: identifying innovation needs and helping define projects, finding academic partners (primarily EPFL and partner universities), and supporting funding applications (mainly Innosuisse). Members include SMEs, startups, and large enterprises across diverse sectors including ICT, Medtech, Biotech, Foodtech, and engineering.

Product overview

Alliance-innovation is an innovation catalyst association that serves as an industrial liaison program for French-speaking Switzerland. Rather than offering a unified software product, Alliance provides a portfolio of advisory and facilitation services including innovation project support, network facilitation with academic institutions (EPFL, HEIA-FR, HE-Arc, HEIG-VD), and funding assistance for Innosuisse applications. The organization also offers member-exclusive services such as brainstorming workshops and student project facilitation. The core value proposition is connecting companies with research institutions to develop technological innovation projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Innovation Project Support Services End-to-end scoping and support for innovation projects: identifying member company needs, helping define projects, matching with academic partners, and guiding the project through to Innosuisse funding application and beyond. Targeted at member SMEs, startups, and large companies seeking to develop innovation projects with academic partners.
• Network Facilitation Connecting member companies with relevant academic research partners, primarily EPFL and partner universities in French-speaking Switzerland. Includes identification and matching of companies to academic expertise across ICT, Medtech, Biotech, Foodtech, and engineering.
• Innosuisse Funding Application Support Specialized support for members applying to the Innosuisse innovation funding program, including needs analysis, project scoping, partner identification, and application preparation. Delivered by accredited Innosuisse innovation mentors. In 2025, Alliance-supported projects raised CHF 20.1 million through Innosuisse.

Quantifiable outcome

• 159 projects supported in 2025, raising CHF 20.1 million from Innosuisse
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPFL is the primary academic partner, hosting Alliance's headquarters at the EPFL Innovation Park. The collaboration enables companies to access EPFL laboratories and researchers for innovation projects.
• HE-Arc (Haute École Arc)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHE-Arc's Surface Engineering Group collaborates with Alliance member companies on surface treatment and coating projects, with multiple Innosuisse-funded initiatives.
• HEIA-FR (Haute École d'Ingénierie et d'Architecture de Fribourg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEIA-FR's iRAP (Institute for Applied Plastics Research) conducts ceramic injection molding research with Alliance member companies, including collaborations with Straumann.
• HEIG-VD (Haute école d'ingénierie et de gestion du canton de Vaud)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHEIG-VD partners with Alliance on various projects including data science, fuel cells, and engineering innovations through institutes like COMATEC.
• University of FribourgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Fribourg collaborates with Alliance member companies (Bracco, Limula) on cell and gene therapy research through the OnePot project.
• Swiss Data Science Center (SDSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDSC, a joint EPFL-ETH Zurich initiative, collaborates with Alliance to provide data science and AI expertise for member company projects through Innosuisse funding.
• BraccocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBracco is a member of Alliance and collaborated with Limula and University of Fribourg on the OnePot Innosuisse project for cell therapy production.
• LimulacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimula is a member of Alliance and collaborated with Bracco on the OnePot Innosuisse project, developing automated cell therapy manufacturing solutions.
• CHUVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois collaborates on health-related innovation projects with Alliance member companies.
• [seal] ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVaud's innovation program for digital trust and cybersecurity collaborates with Alliance on industrial cybersecurity projects, offering funding opportunities for member companies.
• InnovaudcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVaud's innovation and investment promotion agency refers companies to Alliance and collaborates on programs like the SyNNergy AI initiative.
• Hack SummitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHack Summit organizes the Hack Pilot Day event connecting Swiss SMEs with international ClimateTech startups, with Alliance participation.
• PlatinncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWestern Switzerland coaching platform for business innovation complements Alliance's technology focus, providing coordinated support for member companies.
• Swiss AI Center for SMEsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHES-SO initiative supporting SME AI adoption collaborates with Alliance on events and member company support.
• Alp ICTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDigital promotion platform for Western Switzerland collaborates on AI events and member support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• [seal] program (Vaud): Vaud's digital trust and cybersecurity innovation programme that funds SME security projects — competing/overlapping intermediary for funding application support in a specific tech vertical.
• Hack Summit / Hack Pilot Day: Matchmaking event organiser pairing Swiss SMEs with international ClimateTech startups — a thematic niche intermediary that overlaps Alliance's project-facilitation role in the ClimateTech vertical.
• Swiss AI Center for SMEs: HES-SO initiative supporting SME AI adoption that co-hosts events with Alliance and pools AI demand from SMEs across the Romandie.

Broad incumbents

• CSEM: Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology, a national applied-research intermediary running industry-collaboration R&D projects (e.g. CSEM Digital Journey Award); overlaps with Alliance's Medtech/ICT verticals at greater scale.
• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's largest applied-research intermediary running industry-sponsored R&D across institutes; structurally similar at much larger scale and often used as a benchmark for the industry-academia intermediation model Alliance operates at regional level.

Direct peers

• Euresearch: National non-profit that helps Swiss organisations access EU R&D funding (Horizon Europe, Eureka) — a near-perfect functional peer: intermediary connecting SMEs with academic/public R&D funding, just on a different funding programme.
• Platinn: Western Switzerland business innovation coaching platform that complements Alliance's technology focus with management coaching, serving the same SME base and frequently co-engaged by Alliance members.
• Innovaud: Vaud's innovation and investment promotion agency; matches closely with Alliance as a publicly-backed intermediary that refers SMEs to Alliance and runs parallel programmes such as the SyNNergy AI initiative.
• Alp ICT: Digital promotion cluster for Western Switzerland supporting ICT and AI adoption among regional SMEs, organising events on the same thematic ground as Alliance's AI/STIM programming.

Others

• Innosuisse: Swiss federal innovation agency and primary funding source Alliance helps SMEs access; not a competitor but the upstream ecosystem enabler whose budget gates Alliance's growth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@allianceinnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alliance-innovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Alliance-innovation