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The Swiss ICT Investor Club (SICTIC) operates as Switzerland’s foremost angel investor network, facilitating connections between sophisticated investors and early-stage technology startups. The organization specializes in identifying and nurturing companies with highly scalable, innovative products, requiring that they have a domicile or a co-founder within Switzerland or Liechtenstein. SICTIC’s core function involves structuring deal flow and orchestrating matchmaking events, thereby streamlining the investment process for both parties.
SICTIC was established in 2014 by a group including Alexander Büch, Thomas Dübendorfer, Jan Fülscher, Dania Gerhardt, Myke Näf, and Oliver Staffelbach. The formation stemmed from the recognized need to institutionalize and expand the success of the earlier ICT Investor’s Day event format, co-created by Jan Fülscher within SwissICT. This foundational insight, combined with the founders' diverse expertise, including Thomas Dübendorfer's background as an ETH Zurich computer science Ph.D. and former Google tech lead, underscored the necessity for a dedicated platform to support the burgeoning Swiss tech ecosystem.
The organization serves a dual clientele: discerning smart money investors actively seeking to deploy capital into promising technology ventures, and Swiss seed and early-stage tech startups in pursuit of funding. Beyond direct connections, SICTIC offers resources like the Swiss Angel Investor Handbook, aiming to educate and empower its investor community. Its long-term vision is to significantly contribute to the growth and success of Swiss tech companies by fostering robust angel investment, thereby strengthening the nation's innovation landscape.
Key people at Swiss ICT Investor Club.
Swiss ICT Investor Club (SICTIC) is Switzerland's largest and most active business angel network, a non-profit association founded to connect "smart money" investors—such as business angels, family offices, and institutional players—with innovative, highly scalable Swiss seed and early-stage tech startups.[1][2][3][5] Its mission is to shape the Swiss investor and startup ecosystem by increasing the quantity and quality of early-stage investments, organizing deal flow, matchmaking, and events without direct investing or taking commissions.[3][4][5] SICTIC focuses on key sectors including ICT, fintech, ecommerce, travel tech, foodtech, medtech, cleantech, energy, life sciences, and more, supporting startups domiciled in or with co-founders from Switzerland or Liechtenstein in rounds up to CHF 2 million.[1][2][4][5] With over 500 investors, a portfolio of 254 startups (as of 2022), and more than 2,500 startups screened, SICTIC has backed successes like GetYourGuide, algrano, and Creaitor.ai, fostering job creation and ecosystem growth.[2][4][5][8]
SICTIC was founded in 2014 by Alexander Büch, Thomas Dübendorfer (President), Jan Fülscher, Dania Gerhardt, Myke Näf, and Oliver Staffelbach, emerging from discussions within SwissICT to rebrand and run the "Swiss ICT Investor’s Day" event under a dedicated angel network.[3][5] Thomas Dübendorfer, a key figure, previously shaped the Information Security Society Switzerland (ISSS), lectured at ETH Zürich, and co-founded startups like Spontacts AG (exited to Scout24).[5] Starting with a focus on ICT and fintech, SICTIC evolved by 2023 to expand into new verticals like medtech and cleantech while maintaining its core matchmaking model, building a nationwide presence with offices in Zürich, Lausanne, and Ticino.[4][5] Early traction came from systematic monthly screening by 12 industry expert jurors, leading to over 1,000 pitches and 135 matchmaking events.[4][8]
SICTIC rides Switzerland's booming early-stage tech wave, where ICT funding surged 70% to over CHF 1 billion recently, alongside strong healthtech (CHF 1.2B in 2024), fintech (CHF 800M), and sustainability plays amid Energy Strategy 2050.[6][9] Its timing aligns with a 35% rise in early-stage deals and doubled AI investments in 2024, despite overall funding dips (CHF 2.3B total), positioning hubs like Zurich, Lausanne, and emerging Basel/Zug for deep tech and life sciences.[4][6] Market forces favoring SICTIC include Switzerland's stability, talent pool, regulatory clarity, and global appeal for acquisitions, with SICTIC boosting local seed quality/quantity to counter VC gaps and support trends like AI, cleantech, and female-led TrustTech.[4][6][8][9] It influences the ecosystem by creating thousands of jobs, drawing international capital, and expanding verticals, solidifying Switzerland as a "startup heaven."[5][9]
SICTIC's influence will grow through 2026 Investor Days targeting medtech, cleantech, and female founders in AI/security, leveraging its 500+ investor base to fuel larger, faster seed rounds amid AI and sustainability booms.[6][8] Trends like ESG investing, healthtech personalization, and fintech clarity will shape its path, potentially expanding matchmaking to more CVCs and international ties.[4][6] As Switzerland's angel leader, SICTIC could evolve into a pan-European bridge, amplifying its role in turning scalable Swiss tech into global successes—connecting smart money to the next GetYourGuide.
Key people at Swiss ICT Investor Club.
