Ten years of Kickstart Innovation

Kickstart Innovation, one of Europe's leading open innovation platforms, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and looks back on a decade of driving collaboration between start-ups, scale-ups and established organizations in Switzerland and beyond. As part of the 10th edition of its annual program, Kickstart has announced over 20 new innovation partnerships in the form of pilot projects, proof-of-concepts (PoCs) and commercial projects, cementing its role as a cornerstone of the Swiss innovation ecosystem.

Financing worth over 3 billion francs

Since its foundation in 2015, Kickstart Innovation has supported more than 500 start-ups and scale-ups and facilitated 400 innovation deals with leading Swiss and international companies. Start-ups collaborating with the help of Kickstart have received over CHF 3.1 billion in funding for innovative solutions that address the most pressing challenges of our time - from sustainability and energy transition to digital transformation and AI-powered efficiency.

«Celebrating 10 years of Kickstart means celebrating hundreds of collaborations that have turned ideas into impact,» says Katka Letzing, CEO and Co-Founder of Kickstart Innovation. «Our mission from the beginning has been to bridge the gap between startups and established organizations to develop meaningful solutions together. The demand for responsible, technology-driven and scalable innovation is greater than ever - and we are proud that Switzerland is leading the way.»

«AI for Good» takes the lead

This year, the participating start-ups from 14 countries are presenting groundbreaking solutions - from deep fake detection and preventive health to data-driven innovations in retail that are made possible by AI. An impressive 95 % of the new solutions integrate AI, underlining the growing importance of «AI for Good» - a technology that focuses on sustainability, transparency and people.

To further advance this vision, Kickstart co-initiated the Swiss {ai} Weeks in early 2025: a new national platform that brings together researchers, entrepreneurs and policy makers to promote dialog and collaboration on ethical, sustainable and inclusive AI. This initiative positions Switzerland as a global hotspot for responsible AI.

Proven partners and transformative solutions

Renowned Swiss companies and institutions, including AXA, the City of Zurich, Coop, Mobiliar, MSD, PostFinance/VNTR and Swisscom, have helped to support the next generation of innovators. «Over the past 10 years, Kickstart has built a bridge between the entrepreneurial spirit of start-ups and the market expertise of established organizations,» explains Andreas Schönenberger, CEO of Sanitas. «This cooperation model enables us to test and scale solutions faster, respond to changing customer needs and at the same time contribute to Switzerland's innovation leadership.»

A decade of growth and global impact

From early collaborations such as Planted with Coop and decentriq with PostFinance to more recent partnerships in fintech, healthtech and climatetech - such as with Fini and Pacifico Biolabs - Kickstart's approach to open innovation has consistently delivered results. Alumni include some of the most successful Swiss and international start-ups, including KernTec and Multimodal, which are now recognized for their transformative impact.

On the occasion of its 10th anniversary, Kickstart is also expanding Mission 2050 - a long-term initiative launched in 2023 to support organizations in developing innovations for a more sustainable and equitable future. Through Mission 2050, partners such as IKEA Switzerland, Mondelēz and other companies are developing both technological and environmental solutions, creating measurable impact today for decades to come. «At IKEA, we are moving towards a circular business model. In recent years, IKEA Switzerland has tested recycling solutions for operational wood waste. One of our highlights was the global scouting for innovative start-ups together with Kickstart Innovation. We worked with one of the finalists, Lixea Sweden, in a lab project and are very pleased to announce the continuation of this proof of concept with them,» says Monika Wülser, Sustainability Business Partner at IKEA Switzerland.

Kickstart is also further expanding its Academy - with hackathons, innovation workshops, expert forums and programs to promote internal innovation projects. The Academy supports companies in accelerating their internal innovation processes and promoting entrepreneurial thinking on a large scale.

Source: Kickstart Innovation