Eight deep-tech startups from the fields of ClimaTech, drones, artificial intelligence, MedTech and robotics completed the St.Gallen HSG START Accelerator startup funding programme in autumn 2025. Their success with the programme is evident: following its conclusion, most of the startup teams were either in advanced talks with investors or had already successfully completed financing rounds. This is a strong indication of the quality of the startups, but also of the funding programme.
The programme is also having a regional impact: Ionic Wind, a startup from the canton of St.Gallen, was one of those selected. The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) spin-off is developing a quieter, smaller and more energy-efficient cooling system for electronic devices. Its solution is impressive. Following the conclusion of the HSG START Accelerator programme, the St.Gallen-based deep-tech startup has completed an oversubscribed pre-seed financing round worth 1.7 million Swiss francs to accelerate the industrialisation of its solid-state airflow technology.
The strong results from the first edition confirm the vision of the Canton of St.Gallen: as an attractive location for business and innovation, it wants to offer startups the best conditions for turning ideas into marketable companies.
The first official batch of the HSG START Accelerator in figures
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130 applications from over 30 countries.
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8 selected deep-tech startups.
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23 founders from all over Europe.
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Over 60 experts and mentors.
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Over 130 connections to business.
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Over 150 guests, investors and business partners at the Demo Day.
Discover how the 8 deep-tech startups perceived St. Gallen as a startup canton and their experience with the accelerator program.
4 questions for: Nicolas Blanchard, CEO of HSG START Accelerator
CEO Nicolas Blanchard explains what start-ups can expect from the funding programme, what makes it unique and what goals he wants to achieve over the next five years.
Nicolas Blanchard, how is the programme structured and what exactly can the participating startups expect?
The startups participating in the programme can expect a significant acceleration in their growth. We promise in-depth specialist and practical knowledge, a network of experts that is unique in Europe and access to investors. It is important to us to work closely with the founders so that we can provide them with personal support and jointly refine their business strategy. Completing the program means being ready to win over investors and close your funding rounds.
In your opinion, where does the HSG START Accelerator create the greatest added value for the participating startups?
Most teams are already technically outstanding! Our task is to further strengthen their entrepreneurial thinking and to show them how to ensure a successful financing round. This worked well in the first edition: at the end of the programme, the majority of the participating startups were either in advanced talks with investors or had already successfully completed a financing round.
What distinguishes the HSG START Accelerator from other funding initiatives for tech startups – especially in a national comparison?
There are four points that make our programme particularly distinctive.
- First: Locally and organisationally, we are very close to the University of St.Gallen (HSG) and thus to the source of business expertise. We unite this with the technical innovative strength of the startups.
- Second: We offer direct access to a network of business experts and investors who understand the potential of complex technology.
- Third: Our location in the heart of Europe enables seamless connections to the key markets in the DACH region and important innovation ecosystems from Lausanne to Munich.
- Fourth: Our ecosystem offers everything that founders need: top research infrastructure, globally active and innovative traditional companies, an excellent educational landscape and a dynamic startup scene. This combination of academic strength, personal network and direct ecosystem access makes us unique in a national comparison.
Where will the HSG START Accelerator be in five years’ time and what role should it play in the Swiss startup landscape?
If we have established the HSG START Accelerator as one of the leading tech accelerators in Europe in five years, I will be satisfied. Our aim is to bridge the gap between technological innovation and entrepreneurial expertise. Both are equally important in order to be successful. And last but not least, founders from beyond Switzerland’s borders should know what St.Gallen has to offer as a startup canton. The startup scene and the ecosystem here are certainly competitive internationally. St.Gallen is a startup boutique with international appeal.
