Swiss Entrepreneurship Program

What Swiss Entrepreneurship Program does

Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (Swiss EP) is a government-backed development program that strengthens startup ecosystems in seven emerging-market countries — Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, and Vietnam — by transferring knowledge and connections from a global network of experienced founders, investors, and experts to local startup support organizations and growth-oriented ventures. It does not operate as a technology product company; rather, it delivers structured programs including the annual Women Entrepreneurs Week bootcamp in Zurich, Peer Exchange Meetups for ecosystem builders, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) placement program, the MXP (Market Experience Program) course on product-market fit, and tailored advisory services. Its service delivery relies on 28+ locally embedded team members operating across 8 countries on 3 continents, alongside a curated pool of 700+ contributing experts (628 of whom have actively engaged over the past 10 years) covering topics such as fundraising, marketing, sales, operations, and internationalization.

The business model is grant-funded development cooperation rather than commercial revenue generation. Swiss EP is enabled by Switzerland's State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) through its Economic Cooperation and Development division, and implemented by a consortium of Swisscontact (a Swiss non-profit development organization established in 1959) and J.E. Austin Associates, a consulting firm specializing in economic development and ecosystem building. SECO commissioned feasibility studies in 2014 and mandated the implementing partners in 2015. Services are provided to startup support organizations and entrepreneurs at no direct cost; the program does not sell subscriptions, license software, or charge fees, and no commercial pricing model is disclosed. As such, Swiss EP generates no commercial revenue and is funded through discrete multi-year phases — Phase 1 (2015–2019) in six countries, Phase 2 (2019 onward with Kosovo), and Phase 3 launched January 2024.

The program has operated continuously for a decade, celebrating its 10-year anniversary in Basel during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2025. Its core technology footprint consists of a corporate website, a YouTube channel, a LinkedIn presence, and a quarterly email newsletter distributed via MailChimp; there is no proprietary platform, mobile application, or API surface. Customer and partner relationships are bilateral and in-country, with named ecosystem partners in each country (e.g., UTEC Ventures, INTERA, Startup Club Skopje, ICT Hub Serbia) and core implementing/funder partners (SECO, Swisscontact, JAA).

Name

Swiss Entrepreneurship Program

Legal name

Swisscontact - Swiss Foundation for Technical Cooperation

Website

https://swissep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swiss Entrepreneurship Program (Swiss EP) is a SECO-funded development initiative that strengthens startup ecosystems across Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, and Vietnam by pairing local support organizations and scaling ventures with a global network of 700+ expert mentors, investors, and ecosystem builders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Ecosystem Development

NAICS

Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Startup ecosystem development
• Entrepreneurship capacity building
• Venture mentorship programs
• Innovation ecosystem support
• International development cooperation

Headquarters

HQ city

Zürich

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. Program Funding: Swiss EP is funded by Switzerland's State Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO) through the Economic Cooperation and Development division. It is implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates as consortium partners. As a development program, it does not generate commercial revenue but operates as a grant-funded initiative to strengthen emerging startup ecosystems.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Swiss Entrepreneurship Program collaborates with startup support actors and growth-stage ventures in seven emerging ecosystems (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, and Vietnam). It shares knowledge and connections through its global expert network and delivers structured offerings such as tailored advisory, peer exchange meetups, entrepreneur-in-residence placements, the MXP course, and women entrepreneurship initiatives. The program is funded by Switzerland's SECO and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates.

Product overview

Swiss Entrepreneurship Program is a startup ecosystem development initiative, not a traditional product company. It operates as a multi-faceted support program with several interconnected services: (1) Women Entrepreneurs Week - an annual bootcamp for female founders from 7 countries; (2) Peer Exchange Meetup - ecosystem builder exchange events; (3) Entrepreneur-in-Residence Program - placing international experts in local ecosystems; (4) Expert Network - 700+ mentors and subject-matter professionals; (5) MXP Course - Product-Market Fit training; and (6) Tailored Advisory Services for startup support organizations and scaling ventures. The program focuses on knowledge transfer, capacity building, and fostering connections within emerging startup ecosystems across Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Peru, Serbia, and Vietnam.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tailored Advisory Custom advisory engagements delivered to startup support organizations and ecosystem builders in the seven focus countries. Designed for incubators, accelerators, and innovation hubs seeking expert input on specific ecosystem challenges.
• Peer Exchange Meetup Networking and learning events for ecosystem builders, providing opportunities to exchange knowledge and connect with peers and Swiss counterparts. Targeted at leaders and program managers of startup support organizations.
• Entrepreneur-in-Residence Placements where experienced international experts are embedded with growth-stage ventures in the focus countries to provide hands-on mentorship and strategic guidance. Aimed at founders and senior teams of scaling ventures.
• Women Entrepreneurs Week A program or event series dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs across the focus countries, providing visibility, mentoring, and peer connections. Targeted at women-led ventures and ecosystem organizations promoting gender inclusion.
• MXP Course A structured course delivered through the MXP learning and exchange platform, providing knowledge content for ecosystem builders and entrepreneurs. Targeted at startup support professionals and founders seeking structured capacity-building content.
• Expert Network Access Curated access to a network of more than 700 international experts available to support ecosystem builders and ventures through mentorship, advisory, and matchmaking. Targeted at partner organizations and ventures in the focus countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 628 experts shared knowledge through engagements across 7 countries over 10 years

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SwisscontactcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2015Swisscontact is an independent non-profit development organization established in 1959. They are the implementing partner responsible for operationalizing Swiss EP programs across the 7 countries.
• J.E. Austin Associates (JAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015JAA specializes in helping businesses, governments, and organizations improve productivity, enhance competitiveness, and facilitate economic development. They helped develop and support entrepreneurial ecosystems globally and conducted feasibility studies in 2014.
• Startup Support Organizations (Various)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss EP partners with local incubators, accelerators, co-working spaces, angel networks, VC funds, governments, and entrepreneurs. Country-specific partners include: Albania (Junior Achievement Albania, E-Commerce Association, Uplift Albania, Coolab); Bosnia-Herzegovina (INTERA, SPARK, Foundation 787, BHBAN); Kosovo (Makerspace, VentureUP); North Macedonia (Startup Club Skopje, Zephyr Angels, SEED, CEED Hub, SEEUTechPark); Peru (UTEC Ventures, StartUp Perú, PECAP, Wayra); Serbia (Startup Centar, ICT Hub, DSI, Tenderly); Vietnam (DNES, ThinkZone, WISE, ICM).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Shell Foundation: Shell Foundation is a UK-registered charity that supports enterprise-based solutions to global development challenges, including entrepreneurship programs in emerging markets. It operates as a larger, more diversified development funder with overlapping capacity-building activity.
• TechnoServe: TechnoServe is a large international non-profit that works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. It complements Swiss EP's entrepreneurship focus with broader private-sector development programming across Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Direct peers

• J.E. Austin Associates: J.E. Austin Associates is the other consortium partner implementing Swiss EP, commissioned by SECO in 2014 to conduct feasibility studies and operationalize the program. JAA specializes in economic development consulting and entrepreneurship ecosystem building globally, making it a direct functional peer.
• Endeavor: Endeavor is a non-profit that selects and supports high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging and underserved markets, including the Balkans, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Its model of curating founders and providing mentorship networks directly parallels Swiss EP's scaling-venture support pillar.
• Swisscontact: Swisscontact is the implementing consortium partner of Swiss EP and the parent operating entity. As an independent non-profit development organization established in 1959, Swisscontact runs multiple international development programs analogous to Swiss EP, including entrepreneurship and SME support initiatives across emerging markets.
• Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE): ANDE is a membership-based organization supported by the Aspen Institute that supports small and growing businesses in developing countries. It works with accelerators, capacity builders, and investors across emerging markets — closely matching Swiss EP's capacity-building mandate and target geographies.
• Global Accelerator Network (GAN): GAN is a network of accelerators that supports startup ecosystem development globally, including in emerging markets. Its member accelerator model and peer-learning approach for ecosystem builders mirrors the role Swiss EP plays with its partner incubator/accelerator network.
• infoDev (World Bank Group): infoDev was a World Bank Group global trust fund program that supported entrepreneurship and innovation in developing countries through capacity building, research, and grants. It operated across emerging markets with a mandate structurally similar to Swiss EP, including startup ecosystem development in Western Balkans, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): GIZ is Germany's federal development agency and operates numerous entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem programs on behalf of BMZ in emerging markets. Like Swiss EP, GIZ delivers government-funded capacity building for incubators, accelerators, and scaling ventures across multiple developing countries.
• Startup Genome: Startup Genome produces the Global Startup Ecosystem Report and runs ecosystem development programs in partnership with public-sector funders. It works with governments and development agencies on emerging-market ecosystem building, closely aligning with Swiss EP's mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SwissEntrepreneurshipProgram
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swiss-entrepreneurship-program
• Xx.com/swissepvn
• Facebookfacebook.com/SwissEPVietnam

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Swiss Entrepreneurship Program