With this partnership, SIX Swiss Exchange and Venturelab will provide entrepreneurs and SMEs with the tools and training to strengthen their decision-making for future financing and growth.

For 2021, this means that they can benefit from services that are currently under development, including a B2B marketplace for entrepreneurs and a training program for high-potential IPO candidates. SIX Swiss Exchange will also become one of three Gold Partners for the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2021, where Switzerland’s most promising startups are honored annually.

@sixgroup and @Venturelab join forces to help Swiss #startups on their success path even more! The collaboration will also enable the best Swiss startups to #gopublic on the Swiss stock exchange and raise growth capital. #TOP100SSU #SwissStartups https://t.co/WVbaIExHq5

— Greater Zurich Area (@GreaterZurich) August 17, 2021

We are delighted to announce our partnership with Venturelab. The aim is to equip Swiss entrepreneurs to make optimal decisions with regard to financing (private and public capital markets) and the ownership of their SMEs. This partnership will focus on ensuring that the right information is readily available to SMEs at the right time, connecting SMEs with the right network, and jointly developing new services.

According to Valeria Ceccarelli, Head Primary Markets, SIX Swiss Exchange, “We are convinced that the distinct advantages of public markets can help many more SMEs grow stronger. Public markets offer fast and efficient capital raising. This cooperation with Venturelab will help us spread awareness of the multiple benefits of being a publicly listed company and the many additional ways in which an IPO can spark growth – whether a company needs to raise capital today or in the future.”

Stefan Steiner, Co-Managing Director, Venturelab, echoes this view: “We believe that an IPO has always been an important option for scale-ups, and we need to further raise awareness of its benefits. Today, most entrepreneurs lack the necessary knowledge of how IPOs work, and many misconceptions potentially limit growth opportunities for these organizations. The TOP 100 partnership will make the full range of options available to the most promising Swiss entrepreneurs – VC, PE, trade sale, and IPO — so they can make the best possible decisions to fuel the growth of their businesses.”

Our focus is on strong impact. We aim to develop a B2B marketplace for entrepreneurs. This curated one-stop shop will feature services, and service providers to help entrepreneurs on their growth journey, whether they are just thinking about starting a business, planning a listing on the Swiss stock exchange, or if their SME is already listed with us. The marketplace is still in its early stages, but it can already be visited here.

We are also collaborating on developing an exclusive training program tailored to high-potential, fast-growing IPO candidates. The program aims to seamlessly bridge private and public capital markets. The first program is planned to start in Q4 2021.

More information on how SMEs can benefit from an IPO, what it takes to go public, and what it really means to be public can be found here.

Source: SIX