Penny Schiffer

Penny Schiffer is a prominent figure in the Swiss startup ecosystem, currently serving as the CEO and Co-founder of Raized.ai, an AI-powered platform designed to optimize venture capital deal flow. Her extensive background includes a significant tenure at Swisscom, where she spent over seven years, notably as the Head of Startup & Innovation. In this role, she was instrumental in fostering corporate innovation and bridging the gap between large enterprises and emerging startups, gaining deep insights into early-stage company development and market needs. This experience laid a strong foundation for her transition into both entrepreneurship and angel investing.

As an active angel investor, Ms. Schiffer is dedicated to supporting early-stage startups not only with capital but also with her strategic expertise and network. Her commitment to the ecosystem is further evidenced by her role as a Board Member at the Swiss ICT Investor Club (SICTIC), one of Switzerland's leading angel investor networks. Through SICTIC, she is involved in syndicates that typically invest in rounds ranging from CHF 100,000 to CHF 500,000. While her individual contributions vary, her participation underscores her focus on promising technology ventures.

Her investment portfolio includes companies like VAY, a fitness tech startup that successfully raised a $2.5 million Seed round in 2018. Penny Schiffer's investment thesis likely aligns with her professional background, favoring startups leveraging AI, digital transformation, and innovative business models, particularly those with a strong B2B or enterprise focus. She seeks to be a hands-on investor, providing mentorship and leveraging her deep industry knowledge to help founders scale. Typically, her first checks for early-stage companies range from $50,000 to $250,000, reflecting her strategic approach to supporting high-potential ventures within the Swiss and broader European tech landscape.