Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation
Project Switzerland: 20 top entrepreneurs join national initiative to scale the country's next tech leaders
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Zürich, Switzerland (ots)
Today marks the launch of Project Switzerland, a national initiative to secure the country's technological sovereignty and long-term prosperity by scaling the next generation of global market leaders. While Switzerland leads the world in innovation, the initiative addresses a critical gap: the specialized expertise required to turn a local success into a global heavyweight.
The project connects 20 of Switzerland's most successful entrepreneurs - including unicorn founders and serial entrepreneurs - with high-growth scale-ups. This creates a unique environment where peers can spar together and share strategic experiences.
"Switzerland is strong in technical innovation, but we lack a deep bench of operators who know how to scale," says Bettina Hein, Serial Tech Entrepreneur and Project Switzerland Role Model. "Project Switzerland is the place where you learn to scale."
A national task force committed to giving back
The heart of the initiative is a group of 20 "Role Models" behind some of Switzerland's greatest tech successes - individuals who have built companies with unicorn valuations or revenues exceeding CHF 100 million. Among others the lineup includes:
- Samuel Müller: CEO and Co-Founder of Scandit
- Bettina Hein: Serial Tech Entrepreneur
- Tobias Rein: Co-Founder of GetYourGuide
- Olivier Gaudin: CEO and Founder of SonarSource
- Adrien Treccani: Serial Entrepreneur, Founder of Metaco
- Vincent Bieri: Co-Founder of Nexthink
These leaders provide direct support to help younger companies avoid the expensive mistakes that often derail growth. "It's important to give back and help others avoid the pitfalls we encountered while driving Scandit to global success", says Samuel Müller.
Program and nominations
Project Switzerland targets high-potential scale-ups headquartered in Switzerland with the foundations for rapid international expansion.
"We're looking for founders with global ambition and a commitment to learning from those who've done it before", says Michael Sauter, responsible lead for Project Switzerland. "This is about turning personal lessons into collective strength for the entire Swiss ecosystem".
The 12-month program includes:
- Direct access to the 20 Role Models (at least two hours of monthly support from role models).
- Curated matchmaking focused on execution challenges like international expansion and high-performance leadership.
- Lifelong access to an exclusive alumni community of exceptional entrepreneurs.
Nominations are open until February 15, 2026. Investors, board members, and ecosystem actors can nominate scale-ups at project-switzerland.ch. Selected companies will be announced on March 31.
About Project Switzerland
Initiated by the Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation, the project is supported by a coalition including HSG START Accelerator, Swiss Startup Association, SICTIC, Startup Days, Fongit, and Follow the Gradient. The University of St. Gallen provides scientific backing to identify proven patterns for successful Swiss scaling.
For more information visit: project-switzerland.ch
About Deep Tech Nation Switzerland
Deep Tech Nation Switzerland Foundation is a private, not-for-profit initiative backed by leading companies, foundations, and universities. Acting as a neutral catalyst, it shapes the future for Switzerland, so that others can create, scale, and invest.
"Switzerland is a world champion in innovation, but our biggest challenge remains the growth gap. We initiated Project Switzerland to bridge the scaling expertise of our most successful entrepreneurs with the next generation of founders, securing Switzerland's technological sovereignty and long-term prosperity." - Joanne Sieber, CEO Deep Tech Nation Switzerland
For more information visit: deeptechnation.ch
Contact:
Andreas Punter
andreas.punter@deeptechnation.ch
+41 76 722 72 56