Swiss Entrepreneurs Foundation

The Swiss Entrepreneurs Foundation supports the Swiss startup ecosystem and promotes entrepreneurship, centred on its UpScaler growth programme, close cooperation with policymakers and authorities, and a fund of CHF 250 million for growth financing. It is privately funded and operates under the patronage of Guy Parmelin. The foundation publishes commentary on scaling, including on the value strategic investors can add beyond capital, such as market access and credibility, and it profiles UpScaler alumni companies expanding internationally, for example into new regions or through partnerships with larger corporate investors. One example it cites is UpScaler alumnus properti, which has deepened a partnership with PostFinance that began as an investment and has since grown into a strategic collaboration giving properti more direct access to potential customers. Another, the Swiss cybersecurity firm Anapaya, has been expanding its presence and local team in the Benelux region as part of its international growth.