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Pitch your startup on stage

A unique chance to pitch your idea to top investors, win prizes, and boost your startup’s visibility.

Apply for Pitching Competition

Pitching competition

Verticals

This year’s Pitching Competitions are divided into three dedicated categories:

  • Impact Tech
  • Deep Tech
  • Health Tech

When applying, you’ll choose the track that best fits your startup.

Apply now

Why you should pitch at Startup Nights 2025

Present your idea to investors, experts, and media

Win prizes worth CHF 30,000

Get real-time feedback from experienced juries

Grow your confidence, visibility, and network

STEP BY STEP

How the Pitching Competition Works

1

Application

Submit your application via the online form (LinkedIn login required). This year, pitches will be grouped by vertical: Deep Tech, Health Tech, and Impact Tech.

2

Pre-Selection

Our jury will carefully review all applications. Selected startups will be invited to pitch live on Day 1 of Startup Nights (6 November).

3

Qualifying Round – Day 1

You’ll pitch your startup on stage in a fast-paced format: 3′ to pitch your idea
Followed by 3′ of live Q&A with the jury.

4

Finals – Day 2

The top teams from each category will advance to the Finals on Day 2 (7 November) and pitch again.

5

Winners

The winners will be chosen by the community via live voting.
The best teams will win prizes worth CHF 30,000.

Pitching competition

How to apply

  • Click the “Apply Now” button
  • Log in with your LinkedIn profile
  • Submit your startup details via the form
  • We will carefully review all applications and reach out to you with the next steps
Apply now

What You Need to Know

Application Criteria

  • Founding year after 2020
  • Minimum viable product (MVP) available
  • Headquarter in Switzerland
  • Team size between 3 and 20 employees
  • Initial funding already secured
Apply now

Checklist

Pitch Deck Requirements

Please ensure the pitch deck includes the following standard information:

  • Team
  • Market / Customer Segments
  • Technology
  • Business & Revenue Model
  • Strategy
  • Financials
  • Funding
  • If you apply for Impact Tech: Impact Assessment – Quantified positive environmental and/or social impact

Meet the jury

Impact Tech Jury Members

Annina Winkler

Senior Investment Manager at Emerald Ventures

Annina Winkler

With a background in Environmental Sciences, Annina conducts technical due diligence on 100+ startups per year and supports portfolio companies such as Believer Meats, Imagindairy, Meeat Food Tech, and Vytal.
She also works closely with limited partners including Nestlé, Avery Dennison, and Evonik, and serves as a cleantech expert for the Swiss Technology Fund.

Robert Boer

Former Director at Blue Horizon

Robert Boer

Robert started his impact investing journey 10 years ago at UBS, where he led, grew and institutionalized the UBS Global Visionaries program supporting over 50 impact startups. Afterwards, following his passion for sustainable food systems, Robert joined impact investor Blue Horizon as the director responsible for the (pre-)seed portfolio investing in over 60 agrifoodtech startups globally. Currently, Robert is advising several impact investing funds and agrifoodtech companies.

Lukas Reinhardt

Head UBS Growth Advisory

Lukas Reinhardt

Lukas Reinhardt is a corporate finance executive with a long professional career holding different roles in M&A advisory, debt and equity capital markets and investment banking in the US and Switzerland. Over the past 5 years he created and built the UBS Growth Advisory team that has become one of the largest suppliers of growth financing solutions for scaleup companies in Switzerland. In his role he assesses and analyses young enterprises on a daily basis. He is also a coach and mentor to Swiss startup companies. Lukas holds a master degree in finance from the University of St. Gallen, is a CFA charter holder and a graduate of the Global Executive MBA Program at INSEAD.

Enrique Alvarado Hablutzel

Co-Founder & CIO of Chi Impact Capital

Enrique Alvarado Hablutzel

 He’s an Investment Readiness expert and the Co-Founder & CIO of Chi Impact Capital, an impact firm driving systemic change through regenerative and circular economy models. Formerly a Partner at Bamboo Capital Partners, he led global efforts to scale SDG-aligned startups. Today, he advises family offices, funds, and ventures across Europe and Latin America, and is also active as a business angel in high-potential early-stage startups. He holds a Master’s in Management and Innovation from University of Lausanne and the EPFL, and is part of IMD’s Venture Asset Management program.

Philipp Furler

 CEO & Co-Founder of Synhelion

Philipp Furler

Dr. Philipp Furler is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Synhelion. Synhelion is a Swiss clean energy company that produces solar fuels to decarbonize transportation. The technology developed by Synhelion uses high-temperature solar heat for the production of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Their solar jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline can directly replace fossil fuels and are fully compatible with existing global fuel infrastructure. Philipp Furler holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich since 2014. In 2018, he completed his Executive MBA at the University of Strathclyde. Philipp has more than ten years of experience in high-temperature solar chemistry and reactor engineering. Prior to joining Synhelion, Philipp co-founded the ETH spin-off company Sunredox, which was merged with Synhelion in 2018.

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