The independent, scientifically grounded ranking for Swiss startups
benchmarked fairly within your stage and sector.
Silver, Gold, Platinum or Diamond — a verified quality signal for your pitch deck, website, and investor conversations. Issued only after independent expert review.
Your ranked profile is published in the NZZ media environment and actively used by Swiss investors, accelerators, and corporates as a curated deal-flow and scouting source.
Your score is calculated exclusively within your stage (Early / Growth / Scale) and sector. A Pre-Seed HealthTech is never compared to a Series B Fintech — ensuring a fair, actionable result.
Any startup operating and working in Switzerland can apply — regardless of where it was founded or incorporated.
The ranking is structured into four cohorts so that comparison is always fair.
Idea validated, no or minimal revenue, team of 1–3 founders
First customers, product-market fit being validated, seed funding
Proven model, scaling operations, Series A or B funding
Established market position, international expansion, Series C+
From the first item to the Selection Status, every evaluation passes through five transparent stages.
Comparisons are made exclusively within the same cohort and sector.
| Dimension | Weight | What is measured | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traction | 30% | Revenue growth, customer acquisition, retention, NPS | Self + Data |
| Team | 20% | Founder experience, domain expertise, team completeness, diversity | Self + Expert |
| Funding & Financials | 20% | Funding history, runway, burn rate efficiency, investor quality | Self + Data |
| Technology & IP | 15% | Defensibility, patents, technical differentiation, build vs. buy | Self + Expert + Data |
| Market & Impact | 15% | TAM/SAM/SOM, competitive positioning, ESG / SDG alignment | Self + Expert |
Badges are awarded based on your normalised cohort score. Only the top performers in each
stage and sector receive a badge — ensuring the signal stays meaningful.
Recognised quality — a solid foundation for investor conversations and ecosystem visibility.
High-potential signal — actively featured in NZZ media and shared with capital partners.
Excellence tier — direct introduction to Founders Hive investor network and ZHAW partnership programme.
The highest recognition in the Swiss startup ecosystem — editorial feature and priority placement in the annual NZZ ranking publication.
Register with your work email. No subscription required. Your profile is private until you choose to publish it.
Answer structured questions across the five dimensions. You can save your progress and return at any time. Sensitive fields (revenue, cap table) are never published.
Three reviewers from the Swiss ecosystem evaluate your submission independently. They sign an NDA and have no access to your confidential financial data.
Your profile is submitted and reviewed now — your final score and badge will be issued in October 2026. You decide whether to publish your result. If your score is below the Silver threshold, nothing is published without your consent.
The assessment requires detailed information about your startup.
Here is exactly what we do — and do not — do with it.
Create your profile, complete the assessment, and receive your Selection Badge.
You decide whether the result goes public — no risk, no cost.
