🚀 Application deadline extended - Apply until January 4th: Learn more!
🚀 Application deadline extended
Apply until January 4th:
Learn more!
Co-create with world-class experts and mentors
Receive individual coaching from leading experts from the St.Gallen ecosystem
Be investor-ready to secure your next round
Build your market strategy for ambitious growth and funding success
Current Job Openings
WHAT YOU WILL GET
EXPERTS THAT MOVE THE NEEDLE
To accelerate your individual path to success we match you with world-class experts and mentors like successful founders, business leaders, investors and renown experts from various fields.
Melanie Gabriel
Co-Director at ETH AI Center
Dietmar Grichnik
Vice-President at University of St. Gallen, ITEM-HSG
Cornelia Gut-Villa
CEO at Startfeld Foundation
Andreas Göldi
President at START Foundation
Alex Illic
Co-Founder of ETH AI Center
EXPERTS THAT MOVE THE NEEDLE
To accelerate your individual path to success we match you with world-class experts and mentors like successful founders, business leaders, investors and renown experts from various fields.
Why Work at HSG START Accelerator
Leading Startup Ecosystem
St.Gallen startup ecosystem combines academic excellence with hands-on entrepreneurship and venture building.
Investor Exposure
Close collaboration with business angels, VCs and funding partners throughout the program.
Ownership & Responsibility
You take ownership and accountability for your topics. Learn continuously and drive meaningful outcomes.
Founder Community
Highly engaged founders, alumni and peers focused on learning, quality and execution.
Backed by Strong Partners
University of St. Gallen, START Foundation, Switzerland Innovation Park, Canton St.Gallen and many more
Real Impact
Your work directly supports founders on their journey to scalable companies. Your work is visible and meaningful.
Pan-Alpine Access
Direct access to other startup accelerators, investors, corporates and experts across Switzerland and Europe.
Learning & Growth
Ideal for people who want to grow fast across startups, venture and ecosystem building.
WHAT YOU WILL WALK AWAY WITH
For us, investor-readiness means not just having the right mindset or presenting well, but also being able to back up your words with hard evidence.
Company
Essentials
Cover all angles beyond the basics, removing blind spots in your documents and preparing you to confidently answer the beyond-the-paper questions during key conversations with potential investors.
Corporate &
Legal
Establish an investor-ready structure with clear ownership, sound governance, and well-crafted agreements that make your company reliable for funding, partnerships, and procurement.
Financials & Fundraising
Build a clear and adaptable financial model and define a convincing fundraising strategy that aligns with your valuation, milestones, and growth ambitions.
Customers &
Go-To-Market
Refine your positioning, validate your target markets, and translate customer insights into a focused go-to-market plan and measurable pipeline.
Team Culture & Organization
Shape your company culture and structure, clarify roles and responsibilities, and define how you’ll attract, onboard, and retain top talent as you scale.
Connections
Leverage curated introductions from our ecosystem to industry leaders and veterans who help you validate markets, open doors to pilot projects, and build relationships that accelerate your traction and credibility.
Impressions from St.Gallen ecosystem
You’ve got the deep tech; HSG START Accelerator helps you turn it into a viable business. They equip you with the necessary tools, insights, and connections to get investor-ready and cut through the noise.
Melanie Gabriel
Co-founder Yokoy & Follow the Gradient, HSG Founder of the Year 2023
Access to the St.Gallen ecosystem is invaluable. Through the accelerator, we were able to establish valuable connections with mentors, industry experts, and potential partners who helped refine our business model and significantly influenced our development.
Felix Carl Wiegandt
Founder & CEO Inhale+, HSG START Accelerator Alumni
Initiatives like HSG START Accelerator are crucial, as they strengthen the connection between business and technology, ultimately benefiting the innovation landscape. Supporting tech entrepreneurs in their journey toward securing institutional investment is a vital contribution to the country's economic growth and competitiveness.
Andri Silberschmidt-Buhofer
Member of Swiss Parliament, Entrepreneur
During the HSG START Accelerator, we made significant progress with our go-to-market strategy and were also able to acquire our first customers from the St. Gallen region. As a startup, we matured considerably thanks to the intense roasting sessions with other participants and experts.
Kordian Caplazi
Founder & CEO, Rimon Technologies, HSG START Accelerator Alumni
OUR PARTNERS
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The HSG START Accelerator quickly explained
Based in St. Gallen, this program accelerates European Tech startups. It delivers the tailored business acumen needed to complement technical brilliance and achieve investor readiness. Startups connect directly with an unparalleled network of investors, universities, and industry leaders. The non-profit organization is founded by the University of St.Gallen (HSG), the START Foundation, and the Switzerland Innovation Park East (SIP Ost).
FAQ
Every startup participating in the accelerator receives a scholarship of CHF 15,000, payed out in tranches across the run time of the program. Additionally, the HSG START Accelerator invests up to CHF 200,000 into selected startups.
We focus on tech product startups in all areas, where founders integrate science and groundbreaking engineering at the heart of their ventures, which we can help to accelerate with the enterpreneurial expertise of the St.Gallen ecosystem. Please note that consultancies and pure service companies are not eligible for the accelerator.
The HSG START Accelerator is a leading European program based in St. Gallen specifically designed for Tech startups. It delivers tailored business acceleration, essential connections, and vital resources to help these startups achieve investor readiness and funding success.
If you meet our criteria to enter the program, we strongly encourage you to apply, you could potentially accelerate your traction through the accelerator.