What India Can Learn from Swiss Startups ft. Founder of 9 & Investor in 40 Co’s |Thomas Dübendorfer

Switzerland has quietly built one of the world’s most stable and trusted startup ecosystems.

Thomas Dübendorfer, founder and president of SICTIC, Switzerland’s largest angel investing network with over 500 members and more than 400 startups joins Neon show.

Thomas talks about how Switzerland’s startup scene has changed over the past decade from a cautious investor community to one that now has 58 unicorns across sectors like fintech, AI, crypto, and deeptech. 

He explains what Switzerland is doing in AI and commercial research, why a $900 billion economy still invests only $4 billion in startups, why most exits happen through acquisitions rather than IPOs, how Zurich and Bengaluru can build stronger startup ties and what India can learn from a country that builds quietly. 

Thomas also shares his own journey: leaving Google, building nine startups (three acquired), and backing over 40 founders as an angel investor. 

This episode is a rare inside look at how Switzerland, at the intersection of centuries-old wealth and technology, is building a strong innovation ecosystem.

00:00 – How has the Swiss startup ecosystem evolved over 12 years?
02:29 – Why a $900B economy draws only $4B in startup funding
03:28 – What is Switzerland known for around the world?
04:05 – The lesser-known Unicorns
06:05 – How can Zurich and Bengaluru build stronger startup ties?
09:32 – Swiss institutions that are built to last
10:17 – Building a strong nation among powerful neighbors
11:25 – Alfred Escher: The founder of ETH Zurich
11:50 – How Gotthard Tunnel shaped Swiss finance and engineering
12:42 – Top companies that define Switzerland today
15:08 – What is Switzerland doing in AI?
17:42 – What are the exit routes for Swiss startups: IPOs or acquisitions?
19:12 – Why Zurich has a high concentrations of family offices
21:37 – Where Switzerland stands in Europe’s startup landscape
23:09 – Why build companies when you can just fund them?
26:19 – How Thomas chose his 40 angel investments
27:50 – What do the Swiss think about the Indian startup ecosystem?

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This video is for informational purposes only. The views expressed are those of the individuals quoted and do not constitute professional advice.

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