St.Gallen – the perfect home for you and your projects.
Efficiency over bureaucracy
St.Gallen is compact, connected, and personal. We know each other and work together. Doors to partners, peers and administrators are open to you. Together we find pragmatic solutions.
In the heart of the DACH region
Strategically located between three countries, you have direct access to international markets and Europe's best talent. The major hubs of Zurich, Munich and Stuttgart are on your doorstep.
Optimal support from idea to scaling
From the initial idea to international scaling, you benefit from targeted funding programmes, personal guidance and direct access to investors, mentors, experts and a peer network. In St.Gallen, you and your startup count.
Access to outstanding education and research
Our educational and research institutions are among the best in the world. They offer you partnerships, support programmes, expertise, top talent and infrastructure.
High quality of life, fair costs
Our mountains soar, unlike our rents and taxes. The natural environment is as unspoilt and diverse as our community. Our cities and start-up scene are vibrant places to live, work and grow.
Build and scale your startup in St.Gallen.
HSG START Accelerator
The HSG START Accelerator supports tech startups through an exclusive network and connects them with experts who provide coaching on go-to-market strategy, team building and organisational scaling.
Institut für Jungunternehmen
The IFJ accompanies you from your initial idea to the founding of your company, providing practical support regarding the right legal form, business plan, contracts, organisation and operational setup for market entry.
HSG START Accelerator
The HSG START Accelerator supports tech startups in refining their positioning, go-to-market and fundraising strategies. Through expert coaching and pitch roastings, it guides founders on their journey to investor readiness.
b2venture
b2venture offers startups early-stage venture capital and access to an extensive network of angel investors who provide mentoring, expertise and follow-up financing.
Startfeld
At Startfeld, we offer initial advice in the idea stage, as well as input on your business model and problem-solution fit. We also provide access to experts and our network, and offer information and guidance on the startup ecosystem.
Empa
The Empa Entrepreneur Fellowship provides Empa researchers with funding, coaching and laboratory access to help them develop their technology and establish a company.
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
The HSG provides support in building a multidis-ciplinary team, which is essential for investors. Through our exclusive matchmaking platform, we connect co-founders from a variety of disciplines.
Empa
Empa provides access to high-tech laboratories, infrastructure and research, and offers selected projects loans for equipment or prototype production. Empa spin-offs can further develop their prototypes on site.
START Global
START Global organises the START Summit startup conference. During the event, participants can attend stage sessions and workshops on problem-solution fit and network with experts.
Empa
Empa promotes business ideas that stem from its research. It supports founders to achieve a problem-solution fit and provides targeted referrals to Startfeld for coaching and incubation.
Startfeld
Startfeld can support you with a funding package of up to CHF 18,000. This includes coaching, access to experts and infrastructure, and support with validation and development to achieve your product-market-fit.
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
The HSG offers innovation challenges to help develop ideas, as well as coaching sessions, mentoring for female founders, and the St.Gallen Startup Navigator — a guide to systematically building a business.
Startfeld
Startfeld gets you investor-ready by providing coaching, access to experts and pitch prepara-tion. After completing the support process, you can receive financing of up to CHF 500,000 from the Startfeld Foundation.
START Global
At the START Summit, you can participate in pitching competitions to raise the profile of your startup. You also have the chance to network with international investors, including angel investors and VCs.
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
The Entrepreneurial Champions Program offers a grant of CHF 100,000, enabling exceptional minds and teams to focus on market introduction, acquiring initial customers, and developing their startups.
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
The Scale-Up Navigator supports startups in achieving sustainable scaling. This includes evaluating sales growth options, scaling up teams, and establishing efficient organisational structures and communication processes.
Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences (OST)
OST provides coaching to help identify funding opportunities and assess market potential in research projects or student work. It also runs innovation and creativity workshops.
Startfeld
Startfeld supports the funding process by providing startups with a funding package that includes credit, coaching and access to experts for implementation. Subsequent financing of up to CHF 500,000 is also possible from the Startfeld Foundation.
Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
OST supports you with specialist coaching and prototype development – either as a service, within research projects, or in collaboration with students from technical disciplines. It also enables complex testing in laboratories and clean rooms.
Institut für Jungunternehmen
The IFJ helps you turn your idea into a viable business model through extensive expertise, tools, coaching and support programmes.
START Global
During the START Summit, participants can attend stage sessions and workshops on founding a company and network with startup experts.
START Global
The START Summit offers startups the opportunity to present their prototypes or products to a wide audience and to expand their knowledge of product-market-fit through stage sessions and workshops.
Empa
Empa researchers support startups in scaling their ventures by providing specialist expertise and access to their industry networks, for example within collaborative projects such as Innosuisse or EU-funded programmes.
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
The Entrepreneurial Talents Program accompanies HSG students from problem-solution-fit to product-market-fit. It offers coaching, access to infrastructure and an exclusive network, knowledge sessions, and a CHF 5,000 grant.
Institut für Jungunternehmen
During periods of growth and change, IFJ supports you with free webinars, events and services to help you scale your startup sustainably and successfully master the next stages of development.
Startfeld Diamant
The St.Galler Kantonalbank Startup Award supports startups in Eastern Switzerland with unique business ideas and models to realise their full potential.
St.Gallen Startup-Guide: thinking ahead and growing
Build and maintain your network at events, further develop your business plan and keep your commercial register entry up to date.
St.Gallen Startup-Guide
You have the business idea, we have everything you need to set up your company online. Getting your business up and running is just one click away.
St.Gallen Startup-Guide
Bring your idea into focus using the Canvas online business model, Switzerland's most popular business planning tool.
We do it in St.Gallen.
“As our strategic headquarters, St.Gallen provides access to highly qualified talent and a reliable environment in which to develop and scale complex, data-driven products.”
“St.Gallen combines exceptional quality of life and strong local roots with an international outlook. For us, it was the perfect base from which to scale-up globally.”
“Highly effective startups are emerging in St.Gallen, shaped by the expertise of our universities and the direct access to industry and SMEs. This makes the region attractive to investors.”
“The entrepreneurial and education landscape at the University of St.Gallen combines networking, business expertise and entrepreneurial spirit, and has had a huge impact on my work as a businessperson.”
“St Gallen boasts a close-knit network of higher education institutions and businesses. Simple access to the companies, administration and partners are invaluable for Studyond’s development.”
“Founding a startup means constant movement, change and adaptation. The first-class research infrastructure in St.Gallen was crucial in helping us bring our technology to market readiness.”
“The St.Gallen ecosystem was crucial to Pupil’s development: short distances, simple coordination, and support from the canton of St.Gallen in key areas such as tax solutions and financing.”
St.Gallen Success Stories
ABOUT US
We support startups and companies with advice, networking and short routes to agencies and partners. We support regional value creation and create promising prospects for companies and employees.
Mission
The Canton of St.Gallen wants to offer innovative projects and startups optimal growth and framework conditions, from their foundation to scaling. To this end, it supports founders with an holistic ecosystem.
Stay tuned for more!