Swiss life sciences start-up scene will ‘continue to flourish’ in 2026

In the file photo, crowds gather to celebrate at one of Zurich’s vibrant techno Street Parades. — © AFP Wakil KOHSAR/File

The year 2025 has continued to see the Swiss start-up scene continue to thrive, according to the recent European Spinouts Report. It is expected in 2026 that life sciences will continue to play a role in technology driven growth.

The report provides a detailed overview of the sector’s achievements, focusing on financial performance, regulatory progress, and strategic collaborations, including R&D investments. The report also acknowledges that the links with academia are key – many of the future companies of tomorrow ‘spin out’ from the university sector and become successful start-ups.

In 2025, as an example, there were successful spinouts from the three main universities in Zurich, Basel and Lausanne.

GlioCART

In November, GlioCART, a CAR-T therapeutics spinout from the University of Basel became the latest example of the continuing robustness and innovation of the Swiss life sciences start-up sector. GlioCART joins 15 other companies established over the last year according to Swiss start-up directory Start-Up.ch.

Furthermore, the USD 1.1 billion acquisition in March of Araris Biotech by Taiho Pharmaceutical validates the quality of a particular Swiss strength – academic spinouts. 

The recently released  European Spinouts Report 2025 ranks three institutes – the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) and Lausanne (EPFL) and the University of Zurich –  in the top ten for spinoff value created. However, when adjusted for population size and the number of STEM graduates, Switzerland moves to clear first, followed by Denmark, Sweden, the UK, Finland, and Belgium.

The most critical metric in innovation is not volume but efficiency

The report also notes that while larger economies naturally produce higher absolute numbers of companies, the true measure of an ecosystem’s vitality is its ability to convert research and talent into tangible economic value.

Business and funding support for start-ups has also been refined over the last decade. GlioCART benefitted first from a CHF 50,000 Propelling Grant from the university, followed by CHF 150,000 Seed funding from Venture Kick.

Location & talent matter

Other success factors are location and talent, which are intrinsically linked. The country offers a wide network of science parks connected to leading research centres and industry partners, as well as framework conditions that attract and retain high-calibre talent.

This remains a global reference for political stability, institutional strength, and quality of life – core foundations of a high-performing talent ecosystem (as per the 2025 INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Index).

Importance of tech hubs

Basel has attractions for start-ups. This is aided by the BaseLaunch accelerator and incubator, designed to provide additional traction. An example is the Bio-Technopark. located just outside Zurich and the innovation powerhouse of ETH and University of Zurich, which is home to some 50 early-stage companies.

Of these companies, thirteen have already been purchased by major corporations such as Roche and Novartis.

Biopôle

Another example is Biopôle, which is one of the largest life sciences campuses in Europe and a magnet for venture capital, with 756M CHF funds raised in 2025. For example, Haya Therapeutics raising USD 90 million, a CHUV spin-off licensing a USD 1 billion deal with Lilly; ADC Therapeutics and its USD 1 billion market cap; and Orbis Medicine, who recently raised EUR 90 million.