With 1,800+ members, our community unites founders, investors and ecosystem partners. All driven by one mission: to energize and elevate the Swiss startup scene.
Get involved in a vibrant environment of knowledge exchange and continuous learning. Connect with founders, fellow investors and entrepreneurs at 150+ events across Switzerland and take part in key discussions.
Your membership strengthens our advocacy to make Switzerland more startup-friendly. It also supports topics like Youth Entrepreneurship and Female Founders initiatives , helping build a more inclusive ecosystem.
Ideal for angels and seed investors
- Invitation to one investor-only networking event per year
- Opportunity to moderate an online Investor Hour
- Interview with exposure on SSA’s channels (website, social media, and newsletter)
- Discounted tickets to SSA Founders Dinners
- Exclusive free entry to Founders Day
- Early access to SSA policy initiatives and political discussions
Ideal for VC firms, corporate investors, and investment companies
- All Benefits listed for Individual Investor Membership (policy advocacy, investor-only event, Investor Hour, blog interview, discounted dinners, free Founders Day)
- A free ticket to one of our flagship events (e.g big editions of Founders Dinners)
SSA Key Numbers
What do investors look for in a pitch deck beyond the numbers?
<A deep connection to the problem they’re addressing, along with a strong understanding of their first market. We want to see founders who truly understand the pain point they’re solving and have a clear vision for how they’ll capture that market.>
DART Ventures – Arijana Walcott
Is it better to raise a bigger round or stay lean with a smaller one?
<It depends on the company’s capital efficiency and near-term goals. We like lean startups that prove traction with limited resources – with the ultimate goal of becoming a real, i.e. revenue-generating and profitable business. Having said that, a round should be large enough to reach the next major milestones that are needed to attract follow-on investors. >
Spicehaus Partners – Teddy Amberg
How much traction is "enough" to raise a pre-seed or seed round?
<It varies, but generally we look for consistent user growth, early signs of monetization, and a clear path to scale. More importantly, we want to see that the team can execute and iterate based on market feedback.>
DART Ventures – Arijana Walcott
What makes a startup too early or too late for you to invest?
<Too early for us is when there is no product yet and thus no market validation. Too late is when the round is already oversubscribed or the valuation assumes full product-market fit before it’s been achieved.>
Spicehaus Partners – Teddy Amberg
What are typical timelines from the first meeting to the signed term sheet?
<Typically 4-6 weeks from first call to being signature ready, assuming most information is readily available. It can be shorter or longer depending on the complexity and whether it’s a priced round or convertible note.>
DART Ventures – Arijana Walcott
How do you evaluate the valuation of an early-stage startup?
<We benchmark against similar startups in our ecosystem and assess what the company needs
to achieve until the next round. The valuation should compensate the founding team for what they’ve built so far and leave enough upside for new investors, while not setting a too high or unrealistic benchmark for the next round.>
Spicehaus Partners – Teddy Amberg