Founders' view on American VCs and trade-offs

Timestamps:

9:05 - Big March Funding Rounds

24:13 - ETH Zurich Record Pipeline and Startup Ecossystem

35: 22 - The Future of Robotics and Industrial Tech in Switzerland

43:53 - Investment Strategies (Spray and Pray vs Focused Approach)

This episode was co-produced with ⁠⁠⁠Swiss Startup Days⁠⁠⁠, the leading Swiss deep-tech catalyst event for startups, investors, enablers, and corporates.Checkout Newcomers - the ultimate pitching format for pre-seed and seed startups in Switzerland. Applications open in December 2025.

Episode Summary:

In this March Swisspreneur Briefing, we go live with ⁠⁠Sophie Lamparter⁠⁠ (Founder & Managing Partner at ⁠⁠VitaminºC⁠⁠) and ⁠⁠Laurent Decrue⁠⁠ (Co-Founder & Co-CEO of ⁠⁠Holycode⁠⁠) to break down what’s moving and shaking in the Swiss startup ecosystem in the last month - from funding rounds and deep tech momentum to the structural challenges founders still face when trying to scale globally.

The conversation explores three major themes shaping Switzerland’s startup landscape right now. First, why significant funding rounds are still happening in Switzerland despite the global AI hype, particularly in sectors like medtech, biosensing, and crypto. Second, the growing impact of ETH Zurich as a startup engine with their 2025 Ventures report, where they had record spin-offs, stronger investor interest, and improving conditions for founders commercializing research. And third, why robotics and industrial tech could become one of Switzerland’s most important breakout sectors in the coming years.

Along the way, the discussion goes deeper into some of the structural questions behind the headlines: why Switzerland excels at inventing but often struggles to scale, why American investors still dominate late-stage rounds for Swiss startups, and how culture, risk appetite, and ecosystem incentives shape the kinds of companies that ultimately emerge. The episode also touches on the role of programs like Venture Kick, the growing international attention on Swiss deep tech, and what the ecosystem still needs to produce more global category leaders.

The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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