EP #520 - Wanja Humanes: From Lab to Launch: How Kickfund Backs Switzerland’s Brightest Ideas

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Swisspreneur Show

Swisspreneur

528 episodes

4 days ago

The Swisspreneur Show is a podcast series of in-depth, candid conversations with some of Switzerland’s most successful founders, business leaders and innovators. By getting to the heart of these leaders’ stories - their successes, their failures, their must-have advice and greatest regrets - we hope to both inspire and guide the next generation of Swiss entrepreneurs. Each episode deconstructs and showcases one person’s personal and professional background and provides advice and recommendations for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs in Switzerland.

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EP #520 - Wanja Humanes: From Lab to Launch: How Kickfund Backs Switzerland’s Brightest Ideas

Swisspreneur Show

35 minutes 57 seconds

1 month ago

EP #520 - Wanja Humanes: From Lab to Launch: How Kickfund Backs Switzerland’s Brightest Ideas

Timestamps:

9:00 – What Is Venture Kick and Kickfund?

12:55 – Why Wanja Joined Kickfund

18:45 – Why Founders & Investors Love Kickfund

27:05 – The Long-Term Vision

This episode was co-produced with KickFund, a VC fund investing in the most promising Swiss deeptech startups. Check out the link in the bio/comments to learn more about them!Episode summary:

Wanja Humanes is the CEO of Kickfund, a Swiss investment fund that invests in leading deep tech startups recognized by the Venture Kick competition, providing strategic support and resources to help them scale and succeed globally. Wanja holds a BA in Business Innovation from the University of St. Gallen.

In his chat with Merle, Wanja shares how Switzerland’s flagship accelerator Venture Kick and its follow-on investment fund create a seamless path from lab to market. He reflects on his years at Swisscom Ventures, lessons from 90+ investments, and why a flexible co-investment strategy beats rigid thesis-driven VC.

Wanja also details Kickfund’s unique model: startups that graduate from Venture Kick can receive up to CHF 1 million in combined non-dilutive grants and follow-on capital—fast, founder-friendly, and backed by a growing community of investors and alumni. For Swiss founders and early-stage investors, it’s a masterclass in building and financing high-impact companies.

The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.‍

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