Founderful funding news – Zurich-based Founderful has Closed its Second Fund at €133 Million

Founderful’s first fund, which was €85.5 million, supported 40 startups. These companies have created over 1,100 jobs and raised more than €428 million in follow-up funding from top venture firms.

Portfolio highlights include:

• Ethon AI, a manufacturing analytics firm, which raised €15.7 million from Index Ventures.
• Corintis, known for its innovative chip cooling technology.
• Grape Insurance, which raised €9.5 million from Spark.
• DePoly, which is building a facility to recycle 500 tons of plastic waste every year.

Alex Stöckl, Partner at Founderful said: “From day one, we have been relentless in our efforts to create a foothold for the Swiss tech ecosystem on the global stage. Fund II is evidence that we have walked the talk, and investors have taken note. This was no easy win, but we fought hard. We’re deeply grateful to our LPs, both existing and new, for recognizing our drive and sharing our conviction in the Swiss tech ecosystem—a powerhouse that’s only just starting to claim its place in the global tech industry.”

Severin Hacker, CTO and co-founder at Duolingo noted: “Building Duolingo, I’ve seen my fair share of VC firms, and it is rare to collaborate with an investor who is as meticulous and relentless toward creating value to the founders they backed, as the team at Founderful. Their approach combined with the unfolding potential of the Swiss tech ecosystem, probably makes them one of Europe’s most promising VC firms these days;”

Founderful’s strategy focuses on investing in early-stage tech companies in Switzerland. They work closely with top universities and industry leaders to tap into the country’s strengths. Their focus on Swiss tech is backed by three key trends:

Global Innovation Leadership: Switzerland has been ranked number one in the Global Innovation Index for 13 years, excelling in technology, knowledge, and creativity. The country also has the highest number of patents per capita, with ETH Zurich producing the most spin-off companies of any university.

Big Tech Presence: Major tech companies like Google, Disney, Nvidia, Meta, Huawei, and Intel have set up research teams in Switzerland.

Unicorn Density: Switzerland has the most billion-dollar tech startups per capita in Europe, with recent unicorns like Scandit, Climeworks, and SonarSource highlighting its strength in B2B technology.

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As Switzerland's top pre-seed investor Founderful plans to grow its support for early-stage tech breakthroughs strengthening ties with universities and industry. In a time of consolidation in European venture capital, Founderful’s successful fundraising shows strong investor confidence in its focus and expertise.

About Founderful

Founderful is Switzerland’s leading pre-seed fund, dedicated to helping the best Swiss tech entrepreneurs become global market leaders.