Switzerland has more than 600 cleantech start-ups

"If we wait, the bill left to future entrepreneurs will be unsustainable"

"For SMEs and micro-enterprises, which make up a large majority of the Swiss economic fabric, the transition is no longer a mere environmental option, but a strategic necessity to ensure our prosperity," says Christophe Barman, national co-president of the FSE.

Seven years after a first edition, CleantechAlps publishes a new panorama presenting the evolution of the ecosystem of start-ups active in sustainable development. "Given the international context, we suspected an acceleration of activities in cleantechs. But, for lack of serious and up-to-date data, it was difficult to gauge its extent. It therefore became necessary for us to get back to work to establish a new state of affairs," says Éric Plan.

Secretary General of the association based in Sion, he recalls that start-ups are the best way to "feel the pulse of an economic sector and the vitality of its innovation." In a work of around 120 pages, CleantechAlps offers a very comprehensive panorama of the ecosystem using numerous statistics but also the presentation of a fairly substantial and, above all, diverse number of actors that compose it.

We summarize everything for you in a few key points.

1️⃣

Historical background: The report begins with a quick look back in order to understand how Switzerland, and more specifically certain cantons, managed to stand out over the years. Between 2000 and 2005, the sector was marginal with only 12 start-ups active in sustainable development. It was not until 2010 that the sector really took off. As the authors of the study indicate, the increase in their number is not "linear but correlated with major events" such as Fukushima, the Paris agreements or in Switzerland, the Energy Strategy Act.

2️⃣

Start-up portfolio analysis: The in-depth study shows the most active sectors. In total, 615 start-ups were recorded during the period 2000-2023. Interestingly, 90% of the start-ups are still active, which shows a limited bankruptcy rate, although not all will become unicorns. The authors also examined other elements such as the evolution of their business, their technology and their number of employees.

3️⃣

Investments: In the world of start-ups, money is the lifeblood. Over 15 years, the start-ups raised 3 billion francs, including 600 million by Climeworks alone. However, these dazzling figures hide a complex reality: access to funds remains a challenge, especially for young cleantechs that face a double "valley of death," that period when revenues do not cover expenses and when the need to raise funds is urgent.

4️⃣

Problems with data collection: The authors point out the absence in Switzerland of a centralized and systematic census system allowing the monitoring of the ecosystem's evolution. "This lack of quality data is detrimental. It is always more difficult to chase after data than to organize their collection at the source. This deficit slows the progress of the ecosystem and harms Switzerland's overall competitiveness."

5️⃣

Start-up profiles: The panorama presents a wide range of start-ups. Although the objective is not to present all the companies in the ecosystem, the authors made sure to offer a diversified sample. This concerns notably the sector in which they are active (agritech, ecomobility, energy efficiency, water, etc.), but also their target markets and the regions where they have established themselves. This provides a complete view of the situation and highlights the important role of certain cantons such as Vaud or Valais for French-speaking Switzerland.

In the field of cleantechs, Switzerland has undeniable and globally competitive assets. But to establish itself and remain at the cutting edge of innovation, the issue of funding will be crucial. "We can act, we must act, we will act... The question is simply how much longer will we wait," conclude the authors of the panorama.

This article has been automatically translated using AI. If you notice any errors, please don't hesitate to contact us.

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