According to the Swiss Deep Tech Report 2026, more than half of all Swiss venture capital investments flow into future technologies — a higher share than in any other country worldwide. However, institutional Swiss investors such as pension funds remain largely absent during the growth stage.
No country in the world invests a larger proportion of its venture capital in economically relevant key technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence and biotechnology than Switzerland. Some 63 percent of all domestic venture capital investments are directed towards so-called deep-tech companies — more than in China or the United States, and almost twice as much as in Germany or the United Kingdom. These are among the findings of the Swiss Deep Tech Report 2026, published by the Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation together with Founderful, Kickfund, Startupticker.ch and Dealroom.co.
Switzerland is therefore among the few countries worldwide where future technologies are both researched and commercialised at the highest level. Capital is following suit: Measured per capita, 1,470 dollar (1,175 francs) is invested in deep tech for every resident. This places Switzerland first in Europe and among the global leaders alongside Israel and the United States. Since 2015, investment volumes have increased almost fivefold to 2,6 billion dollar.
Joanne Sieber, CEO of Deep Tech Nation Switzerland, says: «Switzerland has demonstrated that a country does not need to be large to become a global leader in the technologies of the future. The next step is to turn this advantage into globally leading companies.»
Global Leadership Position
According to the report, the Swiss ecosystem is currently undergoing a fundamental transformation. Deep-tech companies are increasingly remaining in Switzerland, scaling from within the country and attracting international investors directly. Whereas investors previously had to be convinced to even consider Switzerland, they are now approaching the market on their own initiative. Entrepreneurs who have already achieved successful exits abroad are returning to Switzerland to build new ventures.
Alex Stöckl, Partner at Founderful and co-author of the report, comments: «Since our launch in 2019, we have never seen such a high concentration of ambitious entrepreneurs tackling globally relevant technical challenges. The pace of these founding teams is reminiscent of San Francisco or Israel. I am convinced that Zurich will become home to at least a dozen global market leaders over the coming decade.»
ETH Zurich and EPFL Driving Growth
Behind these figures lies a structural advantage. ETH Zurich and EPFL in Lausanne rank among Europe’s most research-intensive universities and are among the continent’s most productive sources of deep-tech spin-offs.
Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, President of EPFL, notes: «We experience this every day at EPFL: discoveries made in our laboratories are becoming the deep-tech companies of tomorrow.»
Since 2023, the two institutions have further widened their lead over European competitors, according to the study. This generation of startups is now reaching the stage at which companies typically experience their fastest growth — shortly after securing their first major funding round.
The Alpine Tech Cluster
Switzerland forms part of one of Europe’s two major deep-tech clusters. The so-called Alpine Tech Cluster — centred around Zurich, Lausanne and Basel, and complemented by Munich — comprises more than 1,500 venture-backed deep-tech startups. Alongside the London–Paris cluster, it is one of only two European regions that can compete on a global scale.
For the Swiss economy, this integration is highly significant. The cluster creates synergies with the country’s existing industrial and research base and strengthens Switzerland’s attractiveness as a location for international technology companies.
Growth Areas: AI and Robotics
One particularly notable trend is the shift within the ecosystem itself. Today, one in four newly founded Swiss deep-tech companies operates in artificial intelligence and machine learning — more than twice as many as just a few years ago. In robotics, the share has almost doubled. Switzerland is therefore expanding precisely in those sectors that attract the highest levels of global investment and are expected to create the future-proof jobs of tomorrow.
Swiss Investors Missing from the Growth Stage
The report also highlights a structural weakness. In financing rounds ranging from 15 million to 100 million dollar, 82 percent of capital comes from foreign investors, compared with 60 percent across Europe on average. Institutional Swiss investors, including pension funds, play only a limited role during this growth phase.
Unlike Germany, France or the United Kingdom, Switzerland does not have a state-backed venture capital programme of comparable scale. Wanja Humanes, Partner at Kickfund and co-author of the report, says: «We have built one of the world’s most deep-tech-intensive economies — without government venture capital.»
Given the overall quality of the ecosystem, domestic late-stage capital remains significantly underrepresented. According to the report, this gap also represents a substantial opportunity.
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