Pitch competitions
5 programmes. Of these, 2 say they take no equity, and 3 have applications open.
A Swiss startup competition for early-stage founders, running for 30 years. It awards CHF 590,000 in non-dilutive funding each year, with jury feedback and mentoring, and takes no equity.
Funding not published · equity-free
An annual award and fellowship for women-run impact businesses from any country. Regional winners receive grants of up to US$100,000 and join a year-long fellowship programme.
US$100k grant · equity not published
An eight-month innovation programme and competition for startups and SMEs based in Switzerland. Up to 100 projects get seminars, coaching and mentoring across three pitch rounds, with prize money of up to CHF 32,500.
Funding not published · equity not published
A Swiss startup award from the W.A. de Vigier Foundation in Solothurn. Up to five winners each receive CHF 120,000 in non-dilutive prize money and access to the foundation's network of investors and alumni.
CHF 120k prize · equity-free
A yearly Swiss innovation prize for young technology start-ups close to market entry. A jury picks three finalists; the winner receives CHF 100,000 and each runner-up CHF 10,000 at a ceremony at Technopark Zurich.
CHF 100k prize · equity not published
We list 5 programmes: >>venture>> Startup Competition, Cartier Women's Initiative, Swiss Innovation Challenge, W.A. de Vigier Award and ZKB Pionierpreis Technopark. Each listing links to the programme's own pages and shows the day we last verified it.
2 of the 5 say they take no equity: >>venture>> Startup Competition and W.A. de Vigier Award. 3 do not publish their equity terms.
Applications are open for >>venture>> Startup Competition (closes 30 November 2026), W.A. de Vigier Award (closes 4 January 2027) and Swiss Innovation Challenge (closes 31 March 2027). The deadlines page lists every date we track.
Zurich (2), Meyrin (1), Pratteln (1) and Solothurn (1). Delivery varies: each listing says whether the programme runs in person, remotely or both.
Send us your dates and terms and we will publish them with a link to your own pages.