Kickstart Innovation2027 deadline, funding, equity and how to apply

Kickstart Innovation is an open innovation program based in Zurich that connects startups with large Swiss organisations for pilots and commercial deals. It launched in 2016 as Kickstart Accelerator, an initiative by digitalswitzerland with Impact Hub Zurich. In 2019 it became Kickstart Innovation, an independent program focused on commercial collaborations with later-stage startups.

Kickstart takes no equity and does not run a classic investment model. The output it measures is deals. It says it has facilitated more than 400 publicly announced commercial partnerships with over 100 organisations and supported more than 530 startups from over 80 countries since 2015.

1 billion. About 50 startups, representing over 100 entrepreneurs, are selected each year. The program runs across five focus areas: Finance, Insurance & Cybersecurity, Food & Retail, Health & Wellbeing, New Work & Learning, and Smart Cities.

Corporate partners named for 2025 include AXA, Coop, Swisscom and Sanitas. Kickstart works in two ways. In the challenge-based track, it scouts startups to solve problems defined by partners.

In the startup-driven track, it supports startups that want to enter the Swiss market. Kickstart has said that about 30% of international startups stay in Switzerland after the program. In 2026 it ran two selection rounds, closing on 31 May and 25 July.

The yearly cycle starts before scouting, when Kickstart works with its partners to define their challenges and innovation needs. Applications open around May. In July, a jury of partners and experts screens applicants, followed by a Partner Safari networking event and final selection.

In September comes the planning sprint, with an Opening Ceremony, an executive dinner in Zurich and a week of one-to-one meetings across the focus areas. The collaboration sprint follows, aimed at agreeing proofs of concept and commercial projects between startups and partners, with an Investor Summit and further executive dinners. The program closes in November with a ceremony that announces confirmed pilots and deals.

Startups get access to C-level decision makers, business mentoring, a partnership fund, investor connections and media exposure. Kickstart's sites include Kraftwerk and Collab in Zurich and Impact Hub Lausanne.