A new report has identified Switzerland as a major centre for Deep Tech entrepreneurship, with startups in the sector now generating a combined value exceeding USD $100 billion.
The Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025, compiled by Deep Tech Nation Switzerland in collaboration with Dealroom.co, Startupticker, Founderful and Kickfund, offers an analysis of the country's Deep Tech ecosystem, including data on venture capital trends, research performance, and startup outcomes.
Venture capital focus
According to the report, Switzerland directed 60% of its venture capital investments into Deep Tech between 2019 and 2025, the highest proportion globally for that period. The country also leads European rankings in Deep Tech venture capital funding per capita and is third globally, demonstrating strong support both from domestic and international investors.
Nearly 96% of late-stage Deep Tech financing rounds in Switzerland have been led by foreign investors, particularly from the United States and European Union, who now provide the majority of capital for these companies. This international capital inflow is cited as a key factor in the sector's expansion.
The report states that Switzerland's research universities are central to this progress, with institutions such as ETH Zurich and EPFL ranking among the top four universities in Europe for producing Deep Tech spinouts, only surpassed by Oxford and Cambridge.
Academic-industrial pipeline
Over 1,500 Swiss Deep Tech startups were analysed for the report. The findings highlight how the nation's longstanding focus on scientific research is translating into high-growth businesses addressing technological needs across Europe and beyond.
"Switzerland has long excelled in fundamental research, but we believe the next decade belongs to the scientists and engineers who turn that research into global companies," said Alex Stöckl, Founding Partner at Founderful. "This report is about making that transformation visible - about telling the story of Swiss Deep Tech in hard data and positioning it clearly on the world stage. Founderful is proud to lead that effort."
The report notes a notable rise in startups developing AI and Machine Learning (AI/ML) technologies. Since 2021, AI/ML accounts for 23% of new Swiss Deep Tech firms—almost double its previous share. There has also been rapid growth in the Climate & Energy, Robotics, and TechBio sectors, with significant fundraising rounds for companies such as Windward Bio and Neural Concept. The report attributes this to a strong innovation pipeline emerging at the intersection of academic excellence, entrepreneurship, and support from specialist investors.
Although global investment is increasing, the report emphasises that domestic investment, especially at late growth stages, remains limited, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for local capital markets.
Space and biotech roles
Switzerland's role in space technology and biotech continues to attract attention. Geraldine Naja, Director for Commercialisation, Industry and Competitiveness at the European Space Agency, said: ''With the launch of the European Space Deep Tech Innovation Centre in Villigen, Switzerland is proving how precision science, agile industry and open collaboration can propel space technologies from lab to orbit. This new hub is more than a facility—it's a testbed where European autonomy meets global opportunity. At ESA, we see Switzerland's deep tech strengths as a catalyst for advancing Europe's technological sovereignty, commercial competitiveness and innovation resilience.''
Severin Schwan, Chairman of Roche, commented: "Switzerland has long been a global hotspot for biotech innovation. The exceptional concentration of pharma expertise around Basel, combined with academic excellence and access to capital, continues to make it one of the world's most fertile grounds for breakthrough biomedical innovation."
Rise of AI and growth-stage companies
Investors have increasingly shifted their focus to AI-powered verticals. The report found that in 2024, nearly a third of all Deep Tech funding in Switzerland was channelled to AI-first startups—covering areas like generative protein design and industrial autonomy—tripling the share from 2020.
This period has seen a surge in growth-stage companies, including Scandit, Distalmotion and Climeworks, who are cited as examples of Swiss firms that have translated laboratory breakthroughs into products for major corporate customers globally.
Chris Keller, Managing Director Central Europe at AWS, added: "Switzerland stands at the forefront of global AI innovation, leading with the highest AI patents per capita and one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems."
Future monitoring
The report's authors plan to expand their dataset and monitor performance across key Swiss cities such as Zurich, Lausanne, Geneva, and Basel. With more Swiss Deep Tech startups expected to reach scale, the intention is to provide reliable data for founders, investors, and policymakers regarding the ecosystem's progress and emerging leadership in Deep Tech.
