The creation of a detailed business plan can be a major hurdle for many startups. Many rack their brains over industry figures, consult their old accounting textbooks, or struggle with web tools. There is a real risk that the resulting spreadsheet will A) not provide the right answers or B) be much too detailed or not nearly detailed enough. Before embarking on the actual financial plan, your business plan should be ready - if not on paper, then at least…

  This is it! The STARTFELD Innovation Center opens on 11 March 2016, after months of preparation and planning. You are cordially invited to be part of this special event. Innovation – a buzz word that can mean any number of things. The STARTFELD Innovation Center near Empa in St. Gallen presents innovations in a clear and compelling light. It is a platform for creative people from all fields, inviting them to jointly launch, develop, and realize, new products and…

When you mix 100 sets of earphones with 21 fresh ideas and add 9 organizations of the startup ecosystem – you have a recipe for an interesting evening. On 2 December 2015, 100 young entrepreneurs and representatives of the Swiss startup ecosystem met at the faculty center of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ). The evening started with a pitch by Philippe Geiger, the CMO of EntoLog. After winning the ZHAW Startup Challenge in May 2015, EntoLog…

Business founders have to first of all write a business plan. With "The Lean Startup", Eric Ries debunks this common myth. In reality, business plans rarely survive first contact with the customers. As boxing champion Mike Tyson once said, quite fittingly: "Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." In his philosophy, Eric Ries advocates the "proof of market". He recommends testing products and ideas as early as possible, before a lot of money and resources have…

Where do ideas actually come from? Some of you may have asked yourselves precisely this question during a creative dry spell. In an exciting YouTube clip, Steven Johnson shows how idea creation can work and emphasises the importance of teamwork. Sometimes an additional creative mind is needed to see the big picture and complete an idea. Right in keeping with this principle, the STARTUP CAMPUS Business Concept course enables ideas to be developed in teams as well. You can find…

The 3rd Startupfair took place on 2 July 2015 in Zurich and set a new visitor record. It has now established itself as a national event for the sector and a must-attend fair for every start-upper. Ten “Digital Lifestyle” showcases went head-to-head in a fierce battle for first place. The Zurich start-up TRACKTICS was declared the winner and “Best Swiss Startup 2015”. More information and impressions can be found here.

Young entrepreneurs meet the Swiss startup ecosystem On Monday, 11th May 2015, STARTUP CAMPUS CONNECT, an event designed for young prospective entrepreneurs took place at the ETH’s Dozentenfoyer. After a thought provoking keynote presentation from Prof. Dr. Roman Boutellier, a noted specialist in innovation risks and opportunities, startuppers from ETH Zürich, the University of Zurich and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and representatives of the Swiss startup ecosystem enjoyed the beautiful view over Zurich, exchanged ideas in an informal…