Swiss EP - Swiss Entrepreneurship Program

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Luca Dalessandro and the ETIX Ventures: Expert Hub for Entrepreneurs and Investors team on becoming the official representatives of Apicoo Robotics in the EU market! 🌍 🤝This exciting collaboration underscores Luca’s dedication to creating lasting value, a commitment that began during his Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) mission with Swiss EP Vietnam - Swiss Entrepreneurship Program, where he focused on building capabilities for BK Holdings and fostering new collaboration opportunities across national and international stakeholders. 🔥 Now, Apicoo Robotics and founder Vo Gia Loc are bringing their world-class grippers, designed and proudly produced in #Vietnam, to the #EU market. 🤖 We’re confident this partnership will achieve remarkable success and make a significant impact in Europe! Curious about Luca's transformative journey? Read the full article to discover how his mission with Swiss EP helped shape lasting value and strengthen partnerships: 👉 https://lnkd.in/geVC9VU6 #SwissEP #SwissEPVietnam #EntrepreneurInResidence #EIR #collaboration #partnership #Vietnam #Switzerland #EU ----- Swiss EP is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates

If a startup wants to stay relevant and grow, pivoting is crucial 🎯 The journey of a team that made AirCare—and now EarthCare.ai—shows just how powerful a well-timed shift can be. Launched initially as a free app to help people monitor air pollution, AirCare reached millions. But when it came time to scale, co-founders Gorjan Jovanovski and Dragan Gelevski knew they had to rethink their model. With a nudge from Techstars Berlin and support from the Swiss EP experts, they made a bold pivot to B2B. The result? EarthCare.ai—a #climate intelligence platform that is now attracting global clients and investment, including the latest investment round led by South Central Ventures. 🚀 Curious how a pivot transformed a free app into a scalable, impact-driven business? 👉 Read the full story following the link from our first comment. #startup #pivot #ClimateTech #supportingStartups #FoundersJourney #Innovation

🚀 We are proud to be part of the evolving Swiss–Vietnamese #partnership, championing #sustainable #growth and celebrating the incredible momentum of Vietnam’s dynamic #startup ecosystem. 🙌🤝👏 Swiss EP Vietnam - Swiss Entrepreneurship Program ---------- Swiss EP is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates.

Real change happens when leaders are driven by purpose and resilience. Laure Schlesinger's journey with Prestamype is a powerful example of purposeful entrepreneurship. Since 2016, her mission to provide fair financing to SMEs in Peru has evolved into a game-changer, supporting over 5,100 businesses and injecting $129 million into the sector in 2024 alone. We’ve had the privilege of crossing paths with Laure along the way — she was part of Swiss EP’s Women Entrepreneurs Week 2023, a special moment in her journey. As Prestamype celebrates its 8th anniversary, we’re inspired by everything Laure and her team have built — and all that’s still to come. Congratulations on 8 incredible years — we can’t wait to see all that’s ahead! Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e8DVSueX #Fintech #SMEs #WomenInLeadership #Prestamype

"If you want to see if you're a masochist, work at a startup. If you want to know if you're crazy, try running a hardware startup." —Vladimir Vojvodic, Fuller Vision Running a #startup is hard. Running a #hardware startup? That's a whole different level of challenge. But Fuller Vision, a med-tech startup based in #Belgrade, proves it can be done—with vision (pun intended), grit, and the proper support. Founded by Nebojsa Sabovic and Reed Foster, Fuller Vision is developing Autofocals—smart glasses that automatically adjust focus to help people with presbyopia. After starting in San Francisco, they moved development to #Serbia, grew a highly skilled local team, and secured over $5 million in funding from international and Serbian investors. We talked with Vladimir a few months ago about their journey (so far) and he shared some interesting insights. Fuller Vision's story shows what's possible when deep tech meets global ambition—and why long-term, founder-focused #support is vital in startup ecosystems. We're proud to share this story. As always, the link 🔗 is in the first comment. ------- Swiss EP is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates

🚀 Collaboration in Action: Six Aligned Initiatives to Strengthen Vietnam’s Startup Ecosystem In April 2025, the Swiss EP Partner Summit brought together key players across Vietnam’s startup ecosystem—from policymakers and academia to corporates, investors, and ecosystem builders. The goal? To move from a shared vision to coordinated action. Through the Ecosystem Collaboration Sprint, participants identified 18 critical gaps across 6 strategic domains: Funding & Investment, Startup & Scale-up Support, Global Market Access, Corporate Engagement, R&D and Deep Tech, and Government and Policy Support. What followed was more than discussion—six multi-stakeholder initiatives were co-created to address these systemic challenges through actionable, collaborative solutions, translating insights into tangible commitments. Each resulting action plan moves beyond surface-level pledges, grounded instead in a clear roadmap, defined responsibilities, and a strong value proposition for the ecosystem 📖 Curious about the six initiatives and the shift from isolated efforts to system-level transformation? 👉 Read the full article to explore how collaboration is shaping Vietnam’s startup future: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gTnhtBHy #SwissEP #SwissEPVietnam #PartnerSummit #PartnerSummit2025 #Entrepreneurship #Ecosystem #Vietnam #Collaboration #SharedVision #VietnamStartups #ActionPlan ----- Swiss EP - Swiss Entrepreneurship Program is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates

Last weekend in Pristina 👇 Thank you, Anne, for summarizing the entire weekend in this video. We love it ❤️

Last week, Patoko, one of the scaling #startups we support in #Albania, secured an investment from the K4S6 Startup Fund—a milestone worth celebrating 🎉 Why is this news exciting for the startup community in Albania? Here are several reasons: 💫 Patoko proves that raising investment from Albania is possible by leveraging local #support opportunities and international expertise (partly by our team and experts). 🌐 K4S6 is an international fund founded by Kevin Sekniqi, a serial entrepreneur and part of the Albanian diaspora in the USA. With this investment, Kevin is giving back and strengthening the local startup ecosystem. 💡 The #investment sets a powerful precedent—hopefully, Patoko's success will inspire other startups to follow in their footsteps and tap into global investment opportunities. 🚀 Albania's startup scene is gaining #credibility. Even if this is just one investment, it will improve the country's image. 🤝 The connection between the local and #diaspora is proving to be a strong asset, opening new funding opportunities for Albanian startups. 💸 Investors will take notice of local startups, which can foster greater interest and unlock future investments in the ecosystem. Lastly, we congratulate Arber Kadia and the entire Patoko team ✨ Raising investment is a significant achievement and the beginning of an exciting new chapter. We can't wait to see what's next! PS. You can read more about this news in the article linked in our first comment. We have also added the link to our website, where we told the story about Patoko and their early days. --------- Swiss EP is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates

Every six months, we analyze key data to assess the progress of our work (and impact) and the evolving needs of the startup ecosystems we support. Our insights for 2024 highlight both achievements and key market trends. Here's how 2024 looked from the Swiss EP perspective, in numbers: 📊 19,897 people are employed by startups connected to Swiss EP 🚀 7,416 new jobs were created by the top 20 startups we've supported 👩💻 879 entrepreneurs across seven countries received our support 💰 48.5 million CHF in investments were raised by startups we've supported 👩💼 30.4% of these funds went to startups with at least one female founder 🤝 We collaborated with 57 startup support organizations in 2024 We have also noticed trends that mirror global movements across #Albania, #BosniaandHerzegovina, #Kosovo, #NorthMacedonia, #Peru, #Serbia, and #Vietnam: 📉 A continued investment slowdown. The "investment winter" has had a clear impact—startups supported by our experts raised 161 million CHF in 2023 but only 48.5 million CHF in 2024. ⚡ Adaptability is key. Entrepreneurs operate in an increasingly dynamic landscape where agility and a lean approach are essential for success. To support them, you need to move as fast as they do. 🔗 Scaling startups need tailored support. Founders highlight the need for structured, complementary support—something often missing in the ecosystems where Swiss EP is active. These insights reinforce the importance of long-term commitment to entrepreneurial development—a mission we can pursue thanks to the support of SECO Economic Cooperation and Development 🚀 You can see all our results in the slides below 👇 or check them on our website (the link is available in the first comment). --- Swiss EP is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates

🌟 Swiss EP Partner Summit 2025: The New Era for Vietnam’s Startup Ecosystem 🚀 Swiss EP reaffirms its commitment by bringing back the 5th summit with over 40 participants, serving as a platform to explore future strategies. Discussions focused on creating specialized, high-impact programs, unlocking more capital for scalable startups, strengthening founder support through government and international VC collaborations, and harnessing Swiss innovation expertise to drive Vietnam’s ecosystem forward. This year, the telescope—a powerful symbol introduced at the summit—embodies Swiss EP’s vision: embracing exploration, navigating uncertainty, and thinking ahead with a big-picture mindset. More than just a gathering, Partner Summit 2025 was a catalyst for action. Under the theme The New Era, over 40 partner organizations (POs), entrepreneurs-in-residence (EIRs), investors, ecosystem builders, corporate representatives, and policymakers came together to forge new collaborations, tackle pressing challenges, and co-create solutions to drive Vietnam’s startup growth. 📖 Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gXg5tfAR #SwissEP #SwissEPVietnam #PartnerSummit #PartnerSummit2025 #Entrepreneurship #Ecosystem #Vietnam #VietnamStartups #TheNewEra Special thanks to our incredible Swiss EP Vietnam - Swiss Entrepreneurship Program team for their outstanding work: Hub Langstaff, Tri Dung, Tran, Anh Nguyen, Chuong Nguyen, Ngoc Dung, Dang, Nhu Le ----- Swiss EP is powered by SECO Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by Swisscontact and J.E. Austin Associates.