"We connect start-ups with investors"

Winti Ventures is the new start-up initiative from the Home of Innovation. We asked project manager Jana Kaiser three questions about the initiative and its specific goals in a short interview.

Jana Kaiser has been responsible for Winti Ventures since this year.

Jana Kaiser, can you briefly describe what Winti Ventures is all about?
Jana Kaiser: With Winti Ventures, an initiative of the Home of Innovation, we connect start-ups and capital. Our aim is to offer start-ups the opportunity to get in touch with angel investors and venture capitalists. At the same time, we want to give investors the opportunity to discover new investment opportunities and network with committed founders. To this end, we organize informal pitch evenings two to four times a year, at which eight start-ups present to 20 to 40 investors. The evening consists of the startup pitches, short presentations by experienced angel investors and a networking and drinks part. With Winti Ventures, we also want to bring the topic of startup investments closer to newcomers and promote long-term investments in startups.

Why do we need such a service in Winterthur?
Despite the high level of innovation in Switzerland, it is often difficult for start-ups to access capital. Many therefore look abroad for investors, especially for larger financing rounds, which means lost potential for the Swiss innovation landscape. Similar formats already exist in other regions, for example in Bern or Aarau. Winterthur has a strong innovation ecosystem, but such a format has been lacking until now, but is very important for the success of start-ups.

What (long-term) goals does Winti Ventures pursue?
If start-ups can grow faster and become more successful thanks to investor money and, on the other hand, the investors receive a good return, we have achieved our goal. We have set ourselves the goal that there will be at least one investment at every pitch event. But of course we can't influence that directly. In the long term, we want to hold two to four events a year and bring the right people together. We also want to educate newcomers about the topic of startup investments and thus promote investments in venture capital. We are particularly looking forward to the first event on October 30, 2024, for which we have already been able to attract impressive participants. Applications for startups and registrations for investors are currently open and there are still a few places available.