Politics

Our political engagement

Switzerland deserves the best talent! We fight for you.

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We want Swiss startups to be interesting for investments!

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We want Swiss startups to be interesting employers.

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Startup Visa

We want to break down barriers for starting a business in Switzerland.

Regarding the legal framework, launching a business in Switzerland is relatively easy and accessible for Permit C holders (ie. Swiss permanent residents). However, when it comes to foreigners, the rules tend to be stricter.

Moreover, these rules vary depending on the country of origin of the to-be-founder. Indeed, the Swiss system is said to be “dual”, meaning two regimes coexist and apply alternatively, whether the foreigner is an EU/EFTA national or a non EU/EFTA one.

The Swiss Startup Association aims to minimise these challenges in order to give startups the chance to hire the best talent worldwide.

99% Initiative

We have been advocating for the concerns of startups in this important vote.

The success of the 99% initiative would have been damaging for the Swiss startup ecosystem.

The capital income tax discourages investors. Already today, eight out of ten start-ups fail on average, and the investors lose their investment if it does not work out. If it does, they have to get their return, because they ultimately bear the financial risk. However, if the majority of the proceeds go to the state, the incentive to be entrepreneurial dwindles and as a result, less is invested.

We are happy that the initiative have been rejected.

ESOP Tax burden

Improvement and unification in the taxation of employee shares

For many startups, it´s usual to create a so-called “Employee Stock Option Plan” (ESOP) to make sure that key or even all employees receive a benefit for their commitments.

Nevertheless, the framework conditions in Switzerland are not yet ideal.

The Swiss Startup Association fights for you, so these conditions will improve.