Startups suffered a “crisis” last year for the first time in a decade. The amount of capital raised by new businesses fell 30% in the US, 35% in Switzerland and 38% in France, for example, on the back of a slowing global economy. But startups coming out of EPFL were undaunted, and even raised a near-record CHF 470 million. This strong performance is due partly to the fact that many of them are deep tech firms, and therefore less affected by the economic downturn. “These companies have developed products and services based on advanced technology, and are still very attractive to investors,” says André Catana, the head of EPFL’s Startup Launchpad. The vibrant R&D ecosystem at EPFL and the Lake Geneva region more broadly are helping to create fertile ground for new businesses. EPFL’s first Investor Day, held in late 2023, proved highly successful. And an array of other indicators – like the number of startups created, students’
EPFL startups forge ahead despite the economic headwinds – EPFL