Sara Fedele, PR and Communications Lead, Kickstart Innovation
In recent years, Switzerland has witnessed a remarkable surge in female entrepreneurship, reflecting a global trend of women increasingly venturing into the business world. This positive development not only fosters innovation and economic growth but also promotes gender equality and diversity in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Globally, women’s participation in entrepreneurship has been on the rise. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023/24 Women’s Entrepreneurship Report, women’s startup activity rates have increased from an average of 6.1% between 2001-2005 to 10.4% for the 2021-2023 period across 30 GEM-participating countries. This indicates that one in ten women started new businesses in 2023, compared to one in eight men.
Notably, countries such as France, the Netherlands, and Hungary have seen women’s startup rates more than double over the past two decades. Meanwhile countries like Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Norway continue to lead global rankings, setting the standard for gender equity and serving as role models for inclusive entrepreneurship.
Despite this progress, significant disparities persist. Women entrepreneurs often face challenges in accessing capital, with only 2% of venture funding directed toward female-led startups. Research indicates that this disparity isn’t due to a lack of confidence or skills among women entrepreneurs but rather biases within the investment community. Addressing these biases and increasing the number of women in senior decision-making roles are crucial steps toward achieving better funding outcomes for female entrepreneurs.
In Switzerland, the entrepreneurial landscape mirrors these global trends. The country has seen a steady increase in women-owned businesses, contributing significantly to the national economy. In 2021 the ratio of female to male entrepreneurs raised from 0.76 to 0.90 between 2022 and 2023, a trend indicating a narrowing gender gap in the Swiss startup ecosystem.
However, out of 1,090 Swiss startup founders who secured venture capital in 2023, 140 were women, representing 12.8% of the total. The education sector leads with the highest proportion of female founders at 29% (7 out of 24). The health sector follows, with 59 out of 296 founders being women, while the AgTech sector sees 5 out of 35 founders as women.
Switzerland still faces significant challenges regarding workplace gender equality. According to The Economist’s latest glass-ceiling index 2025, Switzerland ranks among the most difficult countries for women to thrive professionally and among the most expensive for working parents. It is positioned alongside countries like Turkey, South Korea, and Japan at the lower end of the ranking among 29 OECD nations. The index evaluates key factors such as pay gaps, parental leave policies, and representation in leadership roles, highlighting areas where Switzerland lags behind its European counterparts.
Despite progress in entrepreneurship, systemic barriers continue to limit women’s advancement in corporate leadership and workforce participation.
To accelerate progress, governments, investors, and corporate leaders must take concrete actions—including increasing funding access for women-led startups, implementing gender-responsive investment strategies, and fostering diverse leadership. Stronger mentorship programs, policy changes supporting work-life balance and parental leave, and targeted investment in women’s innovation are crucial for long-term change.
At Kickstart Innovation, we are dedicated to building a more inclusive startup ecosystem. Through initiatives like the Female Founders Initiative, which we co-founded alongside Impact Hub Zurich and other partners, we empower women entrepreneurs by connecting them with investors and corporate partners, helping them scale their impact and overcome barriers in funding and leadership. Our commitment to diversity extends beyond gender, fostering a more equitable and representative innovation landscape for all.
Empowering women entrepreneurs is not only a matter of equity but also a strategic economic imperative. Studies have shown that achieving gender parity in entrepreneurship could add between $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion to the global economy.
Women-led businesses are more likely to invest in their communities, create employment opportunities, and drive inclusive growth. Therefore, supporting female entrepreneurship has a multiplier effect, benefiting society at large.
As we approach March 8th, International Women’s Day, it’s an opportune moment to celebrate the achievements of women entrepreneurs and acknowledge the challenges they continue to face.
The rise of female entrepreneurship in Switzerland and globally signifies a positive shift toward more inclusive economic development. Several Swiss startups exemplify the impact of women-led innovation and we are pleased to acknowledge many of them as our proud alumni.
These are some of the startups that not only highlight the diverse sectors where Swiss women entrepreneurs excel but also underscore the importance of supporting and investing in female-led ventures. Empowering women in entrepreneurship fosters innovation, drives economic growth, and contributes to a more equitable society.
NEUR.ON is a LegalTech startup based in Fribourg, Switzerland, specializing in AI-powered translation solutions for legal, tax, and financial professionals. Founded in 2022, the company offers an end-to-end platform that leverages state-of-the-art machine learning technology to address the specific translation challenges in these sectors, ensuring quality and confidentiality.
KITRO is a Swiss startup using AI-powered image recognition and analytics to help hospitality businesses track and reduce food waste. By providing actionable insights, KITRO enables cost savings and promotes sustainability in the food industry.
MATIS is a Swiss AI-powered platform revolutionizing digital art creation. By combining advanced machine learning with intuitive design tools, Matis enables artists, designers, and creators to generate unique visuals effortlessly. With a focus on innovation and accessibility, Matis empowers users to explore new creative possibilities through AI-driven artistry.
Enterprise Bot is an AI-driven automation company specializing in intelligent chatbots, voice bots, and email automation solutions. Leveraging cutting-edge natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning, Enterprise Bot helps businesses streamline customer interactions, enhance efficiency, and deliver seamless, 24/7 support.
Enerdrape SA develops technologies to transform underground environments into renewable heat sources, contributing to sustainable energy solutions. Enerdrape commercialises the world's first geothermal panel technology making it possible to turn underground structures, such as car parks, into sources of renewable thermal energy for the heating and cooling of buildings.
New Roots develops, produces and sells ethical, sustainable and healthy alternatives to cheese and other dairy products based on 100% plant-based, organic ingredients, using traditional Swiss cheese/dairy making techniques and processes.
Virtuosis aims to enhance team collaboration and well-being at work. Their proprietary AI provides feedback about communication skills, mood, burnout, and team conflict risks just by analyzing the voice.
HealthYourself offers do-it-yourself healthcare services from testing to treatment. Accessible from your living room, 100% hassle-free & based on medical best practice. We are already offering lab tests from home, medication subscriptions and, as of June 2022, personalised supplements.
Soobr is a Swiss proptech startup revolutionizing facility management with AI-driven smart cleaning solutions. Their platform optimizes cleaning schedules based on real-time data, improving efficiency, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness for businesses. By leveraging intelligent automation, Soobr helps facility managers streamline operations, reduce waste, and enhance service quality.
Yoordi is a Swiss digital ordering platform that enhances the dining experience by enabling seamless mobile ordering and payment solutions. Designed for restaurants, hotels, and event venues, Yoordi simplifies operations, reduces wait times, and improves customer satisfaction.
AMP IT SA invests and instals the EV charging systems in residential / commercial buildings offering a turnkey solution to apartment tenants or employees for charging their EV at home (sleep and charge) or at workplace (work and charge). They also develop their backend for management of EV charging in buildings.
QuantActions is a Swiss neuroscience and AI company specializing in high-frequency behavioral data analysis. By leveraging smartphone sensor technology, QuantActions provides real-time insights into cognitive and mental well-being. Their solutions are used in healthcare, research, and wellness applications to enhance understanding of human behavior and improve mental health outcomes.
NALU is an app offering personalized digital therapies for menstrual disorders. Their side-effect-free alternative to hormone-based therapies addresses issues like menstrual pain, endometriosis, and missing periods.
You can see a comprehensive list of female founded startups in Switzerland on the Female Founders Map and on the Alumni section of the Kickstart website
Sources:
Economist’s glass-ceiling index 2025 We-Fi (Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative) Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Swiss Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2023 European Investment Bank (EIB) Women founders and venture capital – some 2023 snapshots
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