Forms of Funding for Companies The right funding at the right time
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There are a wide variety of options for companies to raise credit and equity. Depending on the business phase, there are different possibilities for funding.
Funding forms based on business phase
Seed Start-up Second Stage Expansion MBO, MBI, Financing Financing Financing Acquisition
Bank/Post/Private Equity Business Angels ofit
Pr Venture Capital Time Foundations/Awards/Competitions Loss Research Funding
Family/Friends/Crowdfunding
Business plan, Foundation of a Market acceptance, Growth, Exit, prototype company, customer acquisition, new markets, succession product maturity, management new products market entry
We have compiled an overview of possible funding forms for you on the following pages. Offers specifically available in the canton of Aargau are highlighted in blue.
Our offer: You receive a neutral assessment of your funding options from us. Our know-how and network are available to you free of charge. Investors and lenders
Banks Business Angels An essential role of banks is to lend money. This Business angels support start-ups with capital and includes business loans and overdraft facilities as know-how. They offer access to their personal net- well as microloans and specialized finance. work. www.akb.ch – Aargauische Kantonalbank www.businessangels-ag.ch Aargauische Kantonalbank has a venture The members of the Business Angels Club capital fund for financing innovative start-ups. Aargau invest in ambitious young companies during their seed and start-up phase. www.credit-suisse.com – Credit Suisse www.startangels.ch www.ubs.com – UBS Schweiz The StartAngels Network platform consists of www.raiffeisen.ch – Raiffeisen Schweiz private individuals who invest capital in innova- tive start-ups as business angels. www.postfinance.ch – PostFinance www.businessangels.ch www.valiant.ch – Valiant Bank The Business Angels Switzerland (BAS) organi- zation supports start-ups with capital, know- www.migrosbank.ch – Migros Bank how, experience and network. www.cler.ch – Bank CLER www.biobac.ch Banks are specialists in raising credit and equity. The investors from BioValley Business Angels They offer start-up and business accounts to new Club (BioBAC) support life sciences start-ups businesses and make their know-how available to with venture capital. them. www.go-beyond.biz Go Beyond Early Stage Investing guides and supports start-ups with business angel invest- ments. Guarantees, Microloans and Loans www.sictic.ch The members of the Swiss ICT Investor Club www.bgost.ch BG OST-SÜD (guarantee cooperative for invest in ICT start-ups. SMEs) supports companies in the canton of Aargau in raising bank loans. Venture Capital www.saffa.ch Venture capital firms invest venture capital in highly SAFFA is the guarantee cooperative for female growth-oriented start-ups and SMEs. entrepreneurs with winning business models. www.ventureincubator.ch www.mikrokredite.ch VI Partners AG supports promising spin-offs The GO! association supports self-employed and start-ups with capital, coaching and people in the economic area of Zurich and the consultancy. surrounding cantons with microloans of up to CHF 40,000. www.b-to-v.com b-to-v Partners AG invests in start-ups and www.mikrokredit-solidaritaet.ch SMEs with high growth potential. The foundation Mikrokredit Solidarität Schweiz supports business entrepreneurs with loans of up www.redalpine.com to CHF 30,000. Redalpine Venture Partners AG offers early- stage investments for start-ups from the www.volkswirtschaft-stiftung.ch technology and life sciences industries. The Swiss Federal Foundation for the Promotion of the Swiss Economy provides interest-free www.creathor.com loans of up to CHF 100,000 to innovative and The Creathor Venture Fund Company offers technology-oriented start-ups. companies equity capital and supports them in developing the company. www.technologiefonds.ch The technology fund offers loans to Swiss com- www.hbmhealthcare.com panies whose unique products lead to a sustain- HBM Healthcare Investments AG invests able reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. in mature companies in the health sector. www.mtip.ch Foundations, Awards and Competitions MedTech Innovation Partners AG invests ven- ture capital in the healthcare sector. Various foundations support innovative and for- ward-looking start-ups. «GRÜNDEN», a publica- www.emerald-ventures.com tion for start-ups which is available from Aargau Emerald Technology Ventures invests in busi- Services Economic Promotion, includes a list of ness ideas in the fields of new materials, energy, awards and competitions. industrial IT, water and agriculture. www.sechallenge.ch/startup www.zuehlke.com/ventures The Swiss Startup Challenge promotes entrepre- Zuehlke Ventures AG supports hightech start- neurship. The FHNW start-up program awards ups from the early stage to the exit phase. CHF 20,000 to the best business ideas.
www.svc-risikokapital.ch www.akb.ch/unternehmerpreis SVC AG for Risk Capital for SMEs invests in All businesses located in the canton of Aargau Swiss SMEs with growth potential. can apply for the Aargau Business Award. The winners receive CHF 10,000.
Some corporations run venture capital funds which www.devigier.ch they invest in innovative and technologically interes- The W.A. de Vigier Foundation presents awards ting start-ups. Examples include Swisscom, ABB, of CHF 100,000 to five start-ups with innovati- GE, Roche, Novartis, Google, IBM, Swiss Post, ve and forward-looking business ideas each year. Migros, Swiss Life, Helvetia and Ringier. Invest- ment by companies rather than financial institutions www.jungunternehmer-preis.ch is referred to as corporate venture. The Heuberger Winterthur Young Entrepreneur Award presents a prize of CHF 150,000 each to A good overview of the Swiss venture capital market three impressive and promising start-ups every is provided on: www.swiss-startup-invest.ch two years. The three runners-up each receive CHF 50,000.
Private Equity www.swiss-startup-awards.ch The STARTUPS.CH Award, AXA Innovation Private equity companies invest capital in Award, Axpo Energy Award and PostFinance established companies. Private equity shares are Digital Award are conferred on the best business not traded on a stock exchange. ideas in four fields each year. Winners are awar- ded CHF 50,000 as seed capital. www.partnersgroup.com Partners Group AG invests in the development www.pionierpreis.ch of successful businesses and real estate. The Zürcher Kantonalbank and TECHNO- PARK® Zurich award a pioneer prize annually. The www.capvis.com Innovation Award is worth nearly CHF 100,000. Capvis Equity Partners AG invests in medium sized, leading companies. It invests primarily www.swisseconomic.ch/award in the context of succession solutions, corpo- The Swiss Economic Award is presented an rate spin-offs, shareholder buyouts or provides nually to outstanding young businesses. As well expansion capital. as a prize of CHF 25,000, the winners receive a comprehensive package of benefits. www.equitynova.ch EquityNova AG invests in companies with www.swiss-innovation.com/award above-average development potential. The Swiss Technology Award is awarded as part www.aravis.ch of the Swiss Innovation Forum. The award is Aravis AG invests in the fields of renewable given to technological innovations in the energy and life sciences. categories of «inventors», «start-ups», and «innovation leaders».
Further information and an overview of members www.venture.ch is available from the industry association: The Swiss The Switzerland-wide business plan competition Private Equity & Corporate Finance Association venture rewards good business ideas and business (SECA): www.seca.ch plans with prize money every two years. www.venturekick.ch www.innosuisse.ch The three-stage competition venture kick is Innosuisse, the Swiss agency for the promotion aimed at students or employees of Swiss of innovation, contributes research funds to universities with good business ideas. The support knowledge and technology transfer prize amounts to up to CHF 130,000. within SMEs and start-ups. An overview of the foundations, awards and competi- tions in Switzerland is available at www.startupticker.ch Coaching and Distinctions under «Assets» in the main menu Good coaching provided free of charge is available to increase the chance of obtaining awards and improv Research Funding ing prospects with potential investors. Particularly promising start-ups are awarded a seal of quality. Promising research and development projects implemented in cooperation with universities have www.genilem-aargau.ch the chance to obtain financial support. The money GENILEM Aargau supports innovative and always goes to the research partner. sustainable business ideas with three years of coaching. A selection committee chooses the www.forschungsfonds-aargau.ch winners. The Aargau Research Fund finances innovative projects by Aargau companies with up to www.innosuisse.ch/startuptraining CHF 100,000. Training modules in developing business ideas, setting up a business and devising growth www.nanoargovia.ch strategies. The Nano-Argovia program supports research and development (R&D) projects related to www.innosuisse.ch nanotechnology that involve collaboration Start-ups are supported through individualized between industry and science. coaching. www.hightechzentrum.ch www.sef4kmu.ch Hightech Zentrum Aargau AG provides finan- The qualification process is suitable for SMEs cial support for SMEs and start-ups to conduct and start-ups with a strong focus on growth. technical feasibility studies and facilitates access The companies that pass the process receive the to research funding in Switzerland and the EU. SEF.High-Potential.SME quality label.
Crowdfunding Crowdfunding enables projects and companies to get off the ground with the support of a large number of investors and supporters. Four types of crowdfunding can be distinguished:
Crowdfunding: Crowdlending: Crowdinvesting: Crowddonating: money for products money for interest money for shares money for a good cause or services www.projektstarter.ch www.creditgate24.ch www.c-crowd.com www.ibelieveinyou.ch www.indiegogo.com www.swisspeers.ch www.investiere.ch www.icareforyou.ch www.ideenkicker.ch www.lendico.ch www.wemakeit.ch www.creditworld.ch www.100-days.net www.cashare.ch www.funders.ch www.lend.ch
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