Think of European startup hubs, and places like Berlin, London, Amsterdam and Paris invariably spring to mind. Switzerland, and its capital Zurich, as a rule, does not, yet this country, best known for its banks, cheese, watches and chocolate, is home to some cool and very exciting tech startups . Swiss startup success/Photo credit: pixabay This is a nation of contrasts. It is located in the heart of Europe, but not a member of the EU. And in spite of its eye watering living costs, Zurich is one of the world’s most liveable cities, according to Mercer ’s Quality of Living Rankings. More importantly however, the country also has a robust economy, and can attract the investment needed to drive innovation in digital technologies; and that has made Zurich and other Swiss cities ripe for entrepreneurial success.
The high living costs that make it so expensive to start and run a business are offset by a high quality startup support, including financial support, provided through the accelerator programmes and incubators. And many of these are being run by some of Europe’s top academic institutions, like ETH Zurich, and various government bodies. As startups reach their next stage of growth and Series A rounds, VC companies like Venture Kick and Redalpine come into play.
Fintech is a key area of Swiss innovation, perhaps not surprising in a country with a legacy of financial privacy. Zurich, or at least the town of Zug based some 20 miles away, boasts its own ‘CryptoValley’, rich in blockchain and bitcoin startup activity, and home to brands such as ShapeShift, Xapo, and Monetas .
Monetas provides a platform for financial transactions in both national and digital currencies, enabled by cryptographically secured digital notary, according to the company website. Monetas also offers bitcoin integration.
Swiss startups are disrupting a number […]
