The TOP 100 Investor Summit 2022 connects international investors with promising startups

The sixth TOP 100 Investor Summit was the place to be for entrepreneurs and investors: Selected TOP 100 startups pitched their innovations to Swiss and international investors who were looking for innovations with big potential. The invitation-only event included a spirited exchange of ideas, inspiring presentations, and in-person networking. The TOP 100 Investor Summit 2022 was supported by Kellerhals Carrard, PitchBook, Canton of Vaud, Zühlke, and Zürcher Kantonalbank

Selected TOP 100 Startups impress an exclusive group of investors 
Handpicked investors with more than CHF 21 billion in venture capital came to the TOP 100 Investor Summit 2022 to listen to startup pitches, meet entrepreneurs, and connect with fellow investors. The goal? Identify the best gems that have what it takes to join Switzerland’s highflying TOP 100 Alumni, such as Climeworks, GetYourGuide, or NBE-Therapeutics. Swiss and international super angels, venture capitalists, corporate investors, and family office representatives from all around the world participated in the invitation-only Investor Summit 2022. 

"It is very effective to have investors and startups meet up in one place for a day. You're able to see so many people and create a network, it's very efficient. I recommend that investors participate in the TOP 100 event."
Bertrand Mueller, DAA Capital Partners

"I think this kind of event is amazing for startups because it brings together the investment community with the startups. What's often a bit difficult for us is getting an audience or a meeting with investors at the beginning. So having a stage like that is really fantastic, to be able to meet all these people and have all these exchanges."
Luc Piguet, ClearSpace
 
A packed schedule to discover the Swiss startup gems 
The quality of the innovations and the expectations of the investors were high, when Stefan Steiner, co-managing director of Venturelab, welcomed the guests and kicked off the Investor Summit 2022. Karim Maizar, Partner at Kellerhals Carrard and startup and VC lawyer, then provided an overview of the Swiss venture capital market and explained framework conditions for startups in Switzerland, including threats and opportunities.

Throughout the morning, 18 TOP 100 Swiss Startups—both early-stage and growth-stage and covering a range of industries, including medtech, biotech, ICT, and engineering—pitched in front of national and international investors and demonstrated the quality and potential of Switzerland’s innovation ecosystem.

Exclusive one-on-one meetings in the afternoon gave entrepreneurs and investors the chance to connect and lay the foundation for fundraising success stories.
 
Glimpsing into the future: What's next for the Swiss startup ecosystem?
After the networking lunch, the investors and founders gathered for a panel discussion titled "Adapting to a Turbulent Financing Market" that was led by Jordi Montserrat, managing partner Venturelab, and included panelists Patrick Griss, Executive Partner at Zühlke Ventures; Nils Granath, Senior Investment Director Private Equity at Zürcher Kantonalbank; and Nalin Patel, Lead Analyst, EMEA Private Capital at PitchBook.
 
The Swiss startup ecosystem continues to make headlines with growth funding, large rounds, and several IPOs. 2022 has brought several global surprises and challenges, so the TOP 100 Investor Summit panel discussion centered around the resulting reduction in venture capital investments and the impact this downturn will have on startup fundraising, valuations, and exits. We collected some quotes from the TOP 100 Investor Panel and edited them for length and clarity.
 
Assessing venture capital activity in 2022 thus far:
"There's been a decline in liquidity due to challenges in public markets, but 2021 was more of an anomaly. Valuations have remained flat compared to last year, however, there's still a lot of activity taking place. Investors will be more selective about where they deposit capital and might look more inwards, toward existing clients. In addition, the exit market has been a lot quieter this year."
Nalin Patel

"2021 was a kind of crazy year, but things cooled down and are more back to normal now. Many funds have raised a lot of money and need to deposit capital. It's an illiquid market and investors have come to terms with valuations being down."
Nils Granath

"The industry is definitely cooling down. For revenue-based companies, it's a difficult time to fundraise. There are so many concurrent uncertainties, I've never seen so many come together at once. We know that we have to adapt, and we know that it's going to be interesting."
Patrick Griss

Patrick Barbey and Raphael Conz from Vaud Region presenting at TOP 100 Investor Summit

Predictions for 2023 and beyond:
"Swiss VC activity has reached about two billion [CHF] this year. There's still a lot of activity taking place, and Switzerland does well in VC investments, despite its size."
Nalin Patel

"The trend favoring technology and digitalization is going to accelerate quickly and the corporate purchase of startups will continue to increase."
Nils Granath

"Recovery is going to take time and it's going to be tough to create returns in the coming years. I think it's going to be tougher to sell companies."
Patrick Griss

Find out what investors had to say about the TOP 100 Swiss Investor Summit 2022:  
The TOP 100 Investor Summit 2022 was supported by Kellerhals Carrard, PitchBook, Canton of Vaud, Zühlke, and Zürcher Kantonalbank.