Switzerland

Greater Lausanne Region

#10

Emerging Startup Ecosystem
Members: Innovaud / Biopôle / unlimitrust campus

Top 35

Global Ecosystem in Performance

Top 15

Europe Ecosystem in Knowledge

Top 20

Europe Ecosystem in Talent & Experience
We create the framework conditions to help entrepreneurs establish themselves over the long term.
Isabelle Moret
Isabelle Moret
Head of the Department of Economy, Innovation Employment, and Heritage (DEIEP) of the canton of Vaud

Highlights

Thousands of high-tech businesses and many of Europe's most prestigious research facilities are located in the canton of Vaud, combining infrastructure, skilled workers, and knowledge. Vaud hosts over 2,000 technology companies that collectively employ more than 50,000 highly-skilled professionals. The region houses the headquarters of many international companies including Medtronic, Nestlé, Tetrapack, Honeywell, BOBST, and Becton Dickinson.

The Greater Lausanne ecosystem is supported by eight innovation parks, including Trust Valley’s unlimitrust, which focuses on trust-based companies, and Biopôle, which hosts over 140 Life Sciences companies and more than 25 research groups. The Genolier Innovation Hub opened in September 2024, aiming to accelerate late-stage medical research and innovation.

Universities, research centers, and businesses form a strong collaborative network in Greater Lausanne. In October 2024, The Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich and Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) launched the Swiss National AI Institute, offering a national perspective on research, education, and innovation in AI, with a particular focus on transparency, open source, and trust.

Innovaud plays a key role in strengthening the Greater Lausanne startup ecosystem by providing tailored support to innovative startups, scaleups, and tech-oriented SMEs. Through services like funding guidance, internationalization support, and connections to key academic and industrial partners, Innovaud helps accelerate growth and fosters a collaborative environment for innovation.

Launched in Lausanne, the MassChallenge Accelerator Program aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship by providing startups with essential resources and support. This year, the program is focused on three key areas: Sustainable Food, Sustainable and Efficient Industry, and HealthTech.

Ecosystem by the Numbers

ECOSYSTEM VALUE

A measure of economic impact, calculated as the value of exits and startup valuations from H2 2022–2024.
(H2 2022 - 2024)
$15.8 BN
GLOBAL AVG. $20.4 bn

NUMBER OF UNICORNS 

The number of startups that meet our definition and have been valued at more than $1 billion and have not exited.
(ACTIVE UNICORNS)
4
GLOBAL AVG. 4

SOFT. ENGINEER SALARY

Average software engineer salary informed by data from Glassdoor, Salary.com, and PayScale, as well as local sources when available.
(2024)
$132.5 K
GLOBAL AVG. $52 K

TIME TO EXIT

The average age at the time of exit in the ecosystem in 2020–2024.
(2020 - 2024)
13 years
GLOBAL AVG. 11.2 years

TOTAL EARLY–STAGE FUNDING

The total seed and Series A funding in tech startups in H2 2022–2024.
(H2 2022 - 2024)
$664 M
GLOBAL AVG. $514.8 m

MEDIAN SEED ROUND

The median of seed rounds in tech startups in the ecosystem in H2 2022–2024.
(H2 2022 - 2024)
$984 K
GLOBAL AVG. $889 k

EARLY-STAGE FUNDING
GROWTH

Early-stage funding growth is based on number of seed and Series A rounds raised between 2021-20222 vs. 2023-2024 and calculated on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
(2021 - 22 VS. 2023 - 24)
3
Scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest)

EXIT AMOUNT

The total value of exits from the ecosystem.
(2020 - 2024)
$3.7 BN
GLOBAL AVG. $8 bn

ECOSYSTEM VALUE GROWTH

Ecosystem Value growth (CAGR) is calculated based on companies founded in the ecosystem in H2 2020–H2 2022 vs. H2 2022–H2 2024.
(H2 2020 - H2 2022 VS H2 2022 - H2 2024)
3%
GLOBAL AVG. -14%

MEDIAN SERIES A ROUND 

The median of Series A rounds in tech startups in the ecosystem in H2 2022–2024.
(H2 2022 – 2024)
$9.5 M
GLOBAL AVG. $6.8 m

TOTAL VC FUNDING

The total VC funding (seed, Series A, Series B+) in tech startups in H2 2022–2024.
(2020 - 2024)
$5.3 BN
GLOBAL AVG. $5.2 bn

EXIT COUNT (#)

The number of exits from the ecosystem.
(2020 - 2024)
71
10
2020
13
2021
16
2022
20
2023
12
2024
GLOBAL AVG. 86

Sub-Sector Strengths

Trust Tech
Trust Tech

Trust Valley and EPFL Innovation Park extended the Trust4SMEs program (March 2024–February 2025) to support SMEs in Cybersecurity and Digital Trust, safeguarding digital assets and reinforcing trust in the digital economy. For its innovative Cybersecurity SaaS platform, which assists SMEs in managing external data risks and ensuring GDPR compliance, Brightside AI secured the top prize at the fifth season of the Tech4Trust program. AI-powered political and regulatory foresight startup DemoSquare raised an August 2024 $1.3 million pre-seed round. 

Life Sciences
Life Sciences

The Genolier Innovation Hub opened its doors in September 2024, establishing itself as a premier center of excellence dedicated to breakthrough translational research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and transformative health innovation. The opening of this new hub demonstrates the strong interest shown by startups in the region, as well as the quality of innovation in the canton of Vaud. The same month, HAYA Therapeutics partnered with pharmaceutical giant Lilly, unlocking up to $1 billion in funding.

Spacetech & Robotics
Spacetech & Robotics

Swiss Aeropole, Switzerland's premier aerospace technology park, continues to thrive, hosting over 30 companies in the aeronautics, aerospace, and drone sectors. In October 2024, Lausanne Montreux Congress joined the Space Cities Network, connecting with global hubs like Christchurch, Houston, and Seoul to foster collaboration in space innovation. Flybotix, a Lausanne-based startup enhancing drone flight in confined spaces, ranked 9th in the 2024 TOP 100 Swiss Startup Ranking and won the Robotics sector's Public Voting.

Reasons to Move Your Startup to Greater Lausanne Region

Industrial Expertise

The Greater Lausanne region is a hub of industrial expertise, particularly in high-tech and precision industries. Aiming to bridge the gap between industry and academia and fostering collaborations that drive impactful technological advancements, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne hosted the Engineering Industry Day at the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne in March 2025.

Access to International Talent

The Greater Lausanne Region is home to a highly qualified, international talent pool. In October 2024, the IMD in Lausanne ranked Switzerland as the top global talent hub. To attract top international students, the University of Lausanne offers ten excellence scholarships worth approximately $1,800 per month for outstanding non-Swiss bachelor's graduates pursuing one of its 42 master’s programs.

Quality of Life

The Greater Lausanne Region masterfully blends academic excellence, cultural richness, and sustainability with the energy of a dynamic urban hub. It boasts a high Quality of Life Index, driven by safety, healthcare, and climate. Lausanne is a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning cities with the goal of inclusive and sustainable social, economic, and environmental development.

Selected Startup Organizations

Startup Genome Members

Work with us

If you are interested in working with us to drive global attention to your ecosystem, please get in touch with Marina Krizman, Director of Business Development.

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