Greater Lausanne Region’s Tech Ecosystem By the Numbers
Switzerland
Greater Lausanne Region
MEMBERS:
Innovaud
Biopôle
unlimitrust campus
“Despite the global challenges of the past years, our Deep Tech ecosystem has shown its strength with a high ratio of scaleups who keep on expanding and thriving thanks to their innovative excellence.”
Highlights
Lausanne is the capital of French-speaking Vaud, the leading canton for research and innovation in Switzerland and one of the wealthiest regions in the world. Vaud is home to more than 2,000 technology companies employing 50,000 highly skilled professionals. Swiss startups raised $2.9 billion over 383 financing rounds in 2023, with Medtech funding seeing a record increase of 41%.
Universities, research centers, and business form a strong collaborative network. In December 2023, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), a public research university specializing in engineering and Life Sciences, launched its AI Center and joined the IBM AI Alliance, an international community of leading technology developers, researchers, and adopters collaborating to advance open, safe AI. For the last five years, EHL was ranked the #1 hospitality management university worldwide. In 2024, Financial Times ranked IMD MBA program #1 worldwide LeadiNNg to Scale-up is a joint program of IMD and Innovaud designed to propel tech companies from promising startups to fast-growing, international scaleups.
Eight innovation parks support the ecosystem, including unlimitrust, which hosts trust- related companies and Biopôle, the home of 140+ Life Sciences companies and 25+ research groups. Innovaud works as a catalyst of the ecosystem, connecting and supporting companies from pre-incorporation onward to relevant actors in the ecosystem. Its unique Scale Up Vaud initiative supports and connects 45 local scaleups so that they can learn from each other and grow together.
The region also houses the headquarters of many international companies including Medtronic, Nestlé, Tetrapack, Honeywell, BOBST, and Becton Dickinson.
Ecosystem by the Numbers
NUMBER OF UNICORNS
(H2 2021 - 2023)
Sub-Sector Strengths
Trust Tech
The region is famous for its high level of research and initiatives in Cybersecurity and Trust Tech. Trust Valley and its Tech4Trust program, and the unlimitrust campus are based here. Black Alps is an annual conference addressing the latest trends in cybersecurity. Eurostars program winner cybersecurity startup TuneInsight, award-winning anti-fraud Fintech NetGuardians, secure cloud developer Strong Network, and world-leading surveillance and encryption companies ELCA and Kudelski call Lausanne home. Cryptocurrency company SwissBorg raised a record-breaking $24 million Series A in 2023.
Spacetech & Robotics
swiss aeropole, Switzerland's first aerospace technology park, hosts 30 companies in the aeronautics, aerospace, and drone sectors. EPFL is ranked the #6 best university in the world for robotics and the #8 best university in Europe for aerospace engineering. Data security company CYSEC won the European Space Agency’s 2023 Satellite as a Service award. EPFL is home to eSpace, a center of excellence in space technologies, research, education, and innovation. Satellite maker Swissto12 raised $28 million in September 2023 to scale up its manufacturing business.
Life Sciences
Biopôle, the largest Life Sciences park in Switzerland, hosts more than 150 companies and academic institutions, including research entities of UNIL and CHUV, ranked #2 best hospital 2023 in the world by Newsweek. Life Sciences company Lunaphore was acquired by Bio-Techne in 2023. MedTech MedAlliance was acquired by Cordis for $1.14 billion in 2023. Medical robotics device company Distalmotion raised $240.4 million. Leading Life Sciences companies including SOPHiA Genetics, ADC Therapeutics, Oculis, Timeline, Haya Therapeutics, and ONWARD are based here.
Reasons to Move Your Startup to Greater Lausanne Region
Industrial Expertise
“Swiss-made” is a label that is recognized worldwide for its precision and high quality. Vaud is home to a number of companies in the watchmaking, aerospace, drone, and biotechnology sectors that constantly push the boundaries of what is possible. Industrial trades are popular in the region, with 12,000 mechanical engineers, 11,500 energy- and electrical-related professionals, and 8,000 IT professionals being trained each year.
Access to International Talent
The Greater Lausanne Region is home to a highly qualified, international talent pool. Switzerland ranked first in the 2023 Global Talent Competitiveness Index. More than 4,000 students from countries outside the EU complete their studies at Swiss universities each year, including the world-renowned University of Lausanne, the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne, IMD, and the Lausanne Hospitality & Business School.
Quality of Life
Switzerland ranks #1 on the IMD World Talent Ranking for its quality of life, statutory minimum wage, and education systems. Lausanne is a member of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning cities with the goal of inclusive and sustainable social, economic, and environmental development. Switzerland ranks #8 on InterNation’s Quality of Life ranking with high scores for climate, safety, salary, and job security.
Selected Startup Organizations
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Key Ecosystem Players
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