Boston, Geneva, December 13, 2015 – MassChallenge today announced the expansion of its global accelerator network to Switzerland, and detailed plans to launch a MassChallenge accelerator there in 2016. The accelerator will combine MassChallenge’s no-equity, competition-based model with the energy and potential of Switzerland’s startup ecosystem. Based in Geneva or Lausanne, the accelerator will focus on promising startups across all of Switzerland and will also serve as an attractive entry-point for entrepreneurs all over the world who are eager to access Switzerland’s thriving innovation economy.
Four partners are supporting MassChallenge for their launch in Switzerland. Bühler Group, already a diamond sponsor of MassChallenge in Boston, Nestlé, Inartis Foundation and Swiss Economic Forum are the founding partners of MassChallenge Switzerland. The first programme will take place in June 2016. The initiative is backed by a high profile supervisory board.
“Switzerland is one of the most successful countries with an outstanding performance in entrepreneurship,” said MassChallenge Founder and CEO John Harthorne. “Launching a new accelerator in Switzerland that is connected with other global hubs dramatically expands the MassChallenge community, which will provide entrepreneurs in Switzerland and all over the world better access to global resources.”
The state of Switzerland was selected based on the strength of the innovation ecosystem and its potential to further expand the growing global network of MassChallenge entrepreneurs.
Annual MassChallenge accelerator programs in Boston and London support large cohorts of startups (128 in Boston, 90 in London) from anywhere in the world, in any industry. Entrepreneurs receive mentorship, office space, education, access to a vast network and other resources during four months of acceleration. At the conclusion of the programs, MassChallenge awards over $2 million in no-equity, non-dilutive grants to the startups demonstrating the highest impact and highest potential.
MassChallenge committed to scale its no-equity accelerator program to ten new cities by the end of 2019, beginning with MassChallenge UK in London. In all, the commitment will contribute to the creation of 20,000 new jobs from MassChallenge startups.
About MassChallenge:
MassChallenge runs startup accelerators designed to catalyze a global renaissance by connecting high-impact startups with the resources they need to launch and succeed. Anyone can apply to MassChallenge, with any early-stage startup, in any industry, from anywhere in the world. MassChallenge does not take equity or place any restrictions on the startups it supports.
With programs in Boston, Israel and the UK, MassChallenge provides entrepreneurs with mentorship, office space, education, access to a vast network, and other resources during four months of acceleration. MassChallenge awards over $2 million in non-dilutive grants to the startups demonstrating the highest impact and highest potential. A nonprofit organization, MassChallenge is funded by corporate, public and foundation partners. To date, the 835 MassChallenge alumni have raised over $1.1 billion in funding, generated $520 million in revenue and created 6,500 jobs. For more information, visit www.masschallenge.org.
Top MassChallenge Boston partners include:
Jamestown, Fidelity Investments, Verizon, the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, CASIS, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, The Deshpande Foundation, The Boston Foundation, Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, Bühler, American Airlines, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bose, EMC, Henkel, iNNpulsa Colombia, Microsoft, Pfizer, Smith & Nephew, Thomson Reuters, Turnstone, WGBH Boston, UMass Amherst, and Zapopan.
MassChallenge UK partners include:
NatWest, Unilever, Visa Europe Collab, Satellite Application Catapult, Digital Catapult, Hult International Business School, Tech City UK, EMC, The Manchester Growth Company, GCHQ, ViiV, UK Business Angels Association, Angels Den, Media City UK, The Landing, Fried Frank Technology, Taylor Wessing, The BIG Partnership, The Collective, Crowdcube, and Tobacco Dock.
Boston Media Contact
Robby Bitting
+1 888 782 7820 x 726
Switzerland Media Contact
Benoît Dubuis
+41 79 753 69 44
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
