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Polytech Ventures

Europe, Vaud, Switzerland, Lausanne

Description

Polytech Ecosystem Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm strategically positioned to bridge the innovation ecosystems of Switzerland and the United States. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, with an additional presence in San Francisco, California, the firm specializes in investing in groundbreaking deep tech companies. Their core mission is to identify and nurture startups with strong intellectual property and significant market potential across a range of cutting-edge sectors. This dual-continent approach allows them to leverage the robust scientific research and engineering talent prevalent in Switzerland, while providing portfolio companies with access to the vast market opportunities and capital networks of the US.

The firm's investment thesis is sharply focused on transformative technologies that can redefine industries. Polytech Ecosystem Ventures targets companies operating within critical deep tech domains including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Quantum Computing, Advanced Materials, Biotechnology, and Space. They primarily engage with companies at the early stages of their development, spanning from Seed to Series A rounds. This early engagement allows them to provide crucial support during the foundational phases of a startup's growth, helping founders to refine their products, scale operations, and navigate complex market landscapes.

Polytech Ecosystem Ventures manages two significant funds, demonstrating their commitment and capacity for substantial investments. Their first fund, Polytech Ecosystem Ventures I, launched in 2021, commanded CHF 40 million, while their second fund, Polytech Ecosystem Ventures II, established in 2023, raised CHF 60 million. For initial investments, the firm typically writes checks ranging from CHF 0.5 million to CHF 3 million. Converting these figures to US dollars (at an approximate exchange rate of 1 CHF = 1.12 USD), their first checks generally fall between $560,000 and $3,360,000. Beyond the initial investment, Polytech Ecosystem Ventures is prepared to provide significant follow-on capital, with the capacity to invest up to CHF 10 million in subsequent rounds to support the continued scaling and success of their portfolio companies.

This strategic financial backing, combined with their deep industry expertise and cross-border network, positions Polytech Ecosystem Ventures as a key partner for deep tech founders aiming for global impact. Their focus on high-potential, IP-rich ventures underscores their commitment to fostering innovation that addresses complex challenges and creates new market opportunities.

Investor Profile

Polytech Ventures has backed more than 44 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 10 rounds, about 23% of its total and boasts 11 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Switzerland, United States, Belgium.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Financial Services, FinTech.
  • Typical check size: $560K – $3.4M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (57%)
  • Series A (23%)
  • Series Unknown (11%)
  • Series B (5%)
  • Equity Crowdfunding (2%)
  • Series C (2%)

Country Focus

  • Switzerland (61%)
  • United States (30%)
  • Belgium (5%)
  • Spain (2%)
  • Canada (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Saas
  • Information Technology
  • Apps
  • Health Care
  • Payments
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Big Data
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Polytech Ventures frequently co-invest with?

Bossa Invest
South America, Sao Paulo, Brazil, São Paulo
Co-Investments: 2
SICTIC
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, Zürich
Co-Investments: 4
Verve Ventures
Europe, Zug, Switzerland, Zug
Co-Investments: 3
Correlation Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Diego
Co-Investments: 2
Plug and Play
North America, California, United States, Sunnyvale
Co-Investments: 2
Alpana Ventures
Europe, Geneve, Switzerland, Geneva
Co-Investments: 24
Fulgur Ventures
North America, Delaware, United States, Wilmington
Co-Investments: 2
redalpine
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, Zürich
Co-Investments: 3
Shasta Ventures
North America, California, United States, Portola Valley
Co-Investments: 2
Business Angels Switzerland (BAS)
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, Zürich
Co-Investments: 3

Which angels does Polytech Ventures often collaborate with?

AL
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, Zurich
Shared Deals: 1
FS
North America, California, United States, Redwood City
Shared Deals: 1
NO
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland
Shared Deals: 1
MP
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, Zürich
Shared Deals: 1
EL
Europe, Vaud, Switzerland, Lausanne
Shared Deals: 1
David Marcus
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
ML
Europe, Zug, Switzerland, Zug
Shared Deals: 1
PS
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland
Shared Deals: 1
AL
Europe, Berlin, Germany, Berlin
Shared Deals: 1
AS
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland, Zürich
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Polytech Ventures?

Relai

Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

Relai offers a bitcoin buying and saving app.

AppsBitcoinFinancial ServicesFinTech
Equity CrowdfundingApr 28, 2022
Amount Raised: $2,268,788
Earny

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

Earny allows for entering data securely into a central platform that is automatically included in a company’s payroll.

AccountingFinancial Services
SeedSep 28, 2021
Amount Raised: $1,076,222
Relai

Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

Relai offers a bitcoin buying and saving app.

AppsBitcoinFinancial ServicesFinTech
SeedJun 16, 2021
Amount Raised: $2,751,135
yamo

Zug, Zug, Switzerland

yamo is a direct to consumer children food company.

BabyChildrenE-CommerceFood and BeverageNutritionOrganic FoodSubscription Service
Series AJul 9, 2020
Amount Raised: $11,401,028
Car IQ

San Francisco, California, United States

Car IQ Pay is the first payment platform to enable vehicles to initiate, validate and complete authorized transactions.

AutomotiveFinancial ServicesFinTechFleet ManagementFraud DetectionMobile PaymentsPayments
Series AJun 25, 2019
Amount Raised: $6,000,000
KiWi

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

KiWi is the Fintech app of micro-businesses in emerging markets

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTechMicro LendingMobile PaymentsPaymentsSoftware
SeedAug 18, 2018
Amount Raised: $3,214,110
The Glue

Diegem, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium

The Glue is a contemporary, new solution to fast track financial services innovation.

Financial ServicesInformation ServicesInformation Technology
Series AJun 15, 2018
Amount Raised: $5,635,800
Klarys (formerly Procsea)

Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland

Klarys is the first eProcurement platform adapted to the specific challenges of fresh food

Food and BeverageFood ProcessingSaaSSeafoodSoftwareSupply Chain Management
SeedMay 17, 2018
Amount Raised: $2,947,376
CodeCheck

Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

CodeCheck is the leading mobile shopping assistant for healthy and sustainable food and cosmetics in German-speaking countries.

AppsE-CommerceNutritionProduct SearchRetail TechnologyShoppingSocial ImpactSustainability
Series UnknownNov 17, 2017
Amount Raised: $2,022,112
Nezasa

Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

Nezasa’s travel booking solution empowers travel brands globally to combine planning and booking into one seamless end-to-end experience.

B2BE-CommerceInformation TechnologySaaSTourismTravel
Series ASep 27, 2017
Amount Raised: $2,057,751