Bildnachweis: Claudia Jehle, EDA .
The 2026 European Deep Tech Report, published by Lakestar, Walden Catalyst, and Dealroom, places Switzerland at the top of Europe’s deep tech landscape. ETH Zurich is the global leader for alumni-founded deeptech start-ups, producing 192 companies since 2020. This accounts for nearly triple Cambridge’s output and more than five times MIT’s. EPFL Lausanne ranks second in Europe with 94 companies. Combined, Switzerland’s two federal institutes of technology account for 286 alumni-founded deep tech start-ups in five years. Europe’s deeptech ecosystem reached a record scale in 2025, with venture capital-backed companies valued at USD 690 billion and investment reaching USD 20.3 billion, representing 32% of total venture capital – more than double the share from a decade ago. Within this landscape, Switzerland demonstrates exceptional concentration: 60% of Swiss venture capital flows into deeptech, the highest share globally.
From Research to Enterprise Value
The conversion of research into commercial outcomes distinguishes the Swiss ecosystem. ETH Zurich and EPFL rank first and third respectively in European spin-out value creation, having produced 289 venture capital-backed spinouts, eight unicorns, and USD 24.2 billion in combined enterprise value.
Per capita deeptech venture capital investment from 2020 to 2025 positions Switzerland third globally at approximately $800 per capita, behind Sweden and roughly level with Finland. This intensity reflects an ecosystem where deeptech represents the default rather than a niche.
Sector Leadership and Emerging Strengths
Zurich holds the number one European position in novel robotics, with four companies in the sector’s top 100 list, ahead of Paris and Munich. Swiss cities also feature prominently in novel AI, novel Energy, and space sectors. AI and machine learning already account for 23% of companies founded since 2021, while climate and energy, robotics, and techbio have each expanded at speed. The Alpine Tech Cluster, centred on Zurich, Lausanne, Grenoble, Munich, Milan, and Vienna, hosts more than 1,100 venture capital-backed deeptech start-ups, representing 13% of the European total.
What distinguishes the Swiss Model
Switzerland’s technology transfer framework ranks among the most progressive and founder-friendly in Continental Europe. The country’s ability to attract international talent, combined with exceptional research infrastructure and strategic positioning between major European markets, creates conditions where scientific excellence translates directly into commercial formation. For both established companies and high-potential start-ups, Switzerland offers an ideal platform to scale innovation internationally, combining access to top talent, advanced infrastructure, and proximity to key European markets. Switzerland’s combination of research output, entrepreneurial density, and growing international investor participation positions the country as a defining axis of Europe’s deeptech future.
About the author:
Claudia Jehle serves as Head of Investment Promotion at Swiss Business Hub Germany, part of Switzerland Global Enterprise, the official Swiss organisation for investment and export promotion.
