More than 80 startups registered for the first round of the *zünder Accelerator program, and around 60 were admitted. From the jury’s point of view, the quality of the business ideas presented was promising.
“Presenting a business idea is by no means enough.” With this statement, Dr. Heiko Visarius, Head of Training in the *zünder Accelerator Program, opened the first round of the pitch at the Innovation Park in Rotkreuz. What is needed, he said, is entrepreneurial spirit, top-motivated personalities and a lot of passion and perseverance. Forty startups met in Rotkreuz in mid-January. They will now be accompanied by experienced coaches for 6 to 12 months. Ruedi Fehlmann, genisuisse Zentralschweiz, representing the jury, was very satisfied with the pre-selection of the start-ups: “Not only the number of start-ups, but also the quality was pleasingly high!
The *zünder Accelerator Programme is broadly based and is supported by numerous institutions in Central Switzerland, including the ITZ Innovation Transfer Central Switzerland. For Daniel Portmann, Innovation Coach at the ITZ, it was also a successful start: “I was positively surprised by the huge interest of the start-ups in participating in the *zünder Accelerator, which led to the fact that we had to hold a ‘pre-selection event’. It’s impressive to see the enormous breadth of business ideas and how many motivated startups are working hard for their business idea”.
With the Accelerator Program from *zünder, selected start-up projects are given the opportunity to receive free coaching for 12 to 18 months. The workshop series includes intensive support from mentors and experts who have proven themselves in practice.
The main event – the *zünder “inspirience day” – will take place on a larger scale in November 2020.
www.zuender.ch
• Hochschule Luzern – Smart-up – www.hslu.ch/smart-up
• Wirtschaftsförderung Luzern – www.luzern-business.ch | www.startup-luzern.ch
• ITZ InnovationsTransfer Zentralschweiz – www.itz.ch
• Startup Pilatus – www.startup-pilatus.ch
• TECHNOPARK LUZERN – www.technopark-luzern.ch
• genisuisse – www.genisuisse.ch/regionen/zentralschweiz/
• innovatis club – www.innovatis-club.ch