The startup scene in Switzerland

EPFL places its main campus in Ecublens, within the wider Lausanne-Morges area, so parts of the startup ecosystem associated with Lausanne are outside the city proper. [31225] EPFL reported 39 new startups and CHF 701 million raised by EPFL startups in 2025. [31226,31227] EPFL Innovation Park reports 150 startups and scale-ups alongside 30 corporate innovation cells. [31228]

Startup Genome describes Greater Lausanne’s regional clusters as spanning life sciences, trust technologies, food technology, and aerospace; it estimates that Vaud-based startups raised USD 665 million in 2025, about 14% above the prior year, a canton-wide rather than city-only figure. [31235,31236] Its 2026 report ranks the Greater Lausanne Region 10th among emerging ecosystems and 13th in Europe. [31234] Separately, StartupBlink’s September 2026 Lausanne city listing ranks the city 103rd globally and second nationally, using investment, employee count, and quarterly website traffic. [31233]

Examples of companies with documented Lausanne connections include Nexthink, which a summary of the 2026 Swiss Scale-Up Report traces to a 2004 Lausanne founding and EPFL-originated work, with its technology and product core remaining in Lausanne through growth. [31237,31238] Startupnews.ch describes Neural Concept as a Lausanne EPFL spin-off founded in 2019 for AI-assisted product development, and reports that its USD 100 million Series C closed on December 18, 2025, led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives Growth Equity. [31239,31240] HAYA Therapeutics announced a USD 65 million Series A in May 2025; the company’s announcement identifies its headquarters at Biopôle in Lausanne and laboratory facilities in San Diego. [31241,31242]

EPFL describes a selective, pre-incorporation path for technology ventures and says grant applicants need an EPFL lab anchor and faculty support; external founders may approach if an EPFL lab is prepared to host them. [31230,31231] La Forge lists rolling applications at its Innovation Park location, while noting that program fit applies. [31232]