26.02.2026 15:00, Rita Longobardi
In April, ten startups selected for Venture Leaders Technology 2026 will travel to Silicon Valley for a weeklong roadshow. The trip will give founders the chance to meet investors, industry experts, and potential partners, while refining their strategies for international growth. Before departing for the US, the entrepreneurs met for an in-person kickoff on February 25 and participated in a virtual pitch event open to the public.
Chosen from nearly 200 applicants by a jury of investors and technology specialists, this year’s Venture Leaders Technology will visit one of the world’s top tech hubs to advance their US market entry. The program provides targeted networking opportunities, one-on-one meetings with investors, and workshops designed to further develop the startups’ approach to scaling internationally.
Claudio Marforio (Futurae), Amin Amini (LOXO), Marie Didier (Matis), Philip Sieber-Gasser (Besso), Andrea Apollonio (Reshape Systems), Federico Martinelli-Orlando (TALPA Inspection), Leon Baade (eightinks), Johannes Aicher (Avientus), and Ferdinand Metzler (Benetics)
At the kickoff, the founders met face-to-face for the first time, exchanged ideas about their innovations, and practiced their presentations for the roadshow. They also took part in a virtual pitch session, where each startup had three minutes to present to an online audience. Attendees then elected Philip Sieber-Gasser, founder and CEO of Besso, as team captain for the program.
The event featured sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Max Diez, Executive Chairman of Assaia and a former Venture Leader Technology participant in 2022, shared how to approach fundraising and work with investors. Looking back on his own experience, he highlighted: “Venture Leaders Technology gave me a real push forward. Our operations improved considerably, and I made memories for a lifetime. With support from Silicon Valley investors, we successfully closed a Series A financing.”
The session also included legal perspectives from Umberto Milano, Partner at Kellerhals Carrard, who addressed key considerations for startups preparing for international expansion and investor engagement.
Venture Leaders Technology 2026 is organized by Venturelab in partnership with DPD, EPFL, ETH Zurich, Kellerhals Carrard, Rothschild & Co, and the Canton of Vaud.
Follow the entrepreneurs and the Venture Leaders Technology roadshow from April 11-17, 2026, on social media using the hashtag #VLeadersTech or on www.venture-leaders.ch/technology.
Learn more about the ten Venture Leaders Technology 2026:
Avientus AG:
Autonomous drone-based logistics systems.
Avientus develops superior logistic drones for emergency and disaster supplies, integrating AI systems for autonomous operations in areas, where communication methods are disrupted. The Spin Off of ET… Read more
Benetics AG:
Empowering construction professionals!
Our mission is to develop cutting-edge software that simplifies processes, enhances efficiency, and fosters collaboration among construction professionals, ultimately driving success in their projects… Read more
Besso AG:
Unlock Hidden Savings in Supply Chains
Besso is an AI-powered platform built to give companies real-time regulatory visibility across their supply chains. Founded in 2023, the Swiss-based company transforms complex trade rules into a strat… Read more
eightinks AG (8inks):
Building the next generation of lithium-ion batteries.
Existing battery manufacturing solutions limit throughput, efficiency and cell performance. They can’t keep up with the rising demand and requirements for better, cost-effective batteries.
8inks of… Read more
Futurae Technologies AG:
Real-time fraud prevention and authentication
Futurae Technologies, founded by ETH Zurich security researchers and business leaders (ETH spin-off) protects customers of large enterprises with strong phishing-resistant authentication from sophisti… Read more
LOXO AG:
Swiss L4 autonomy for urban goods logistics
LOXO creates the premier Swiss autonomous driving software for commercial vehicles. LOXO Digital Driver, engineered to boost business growth, increase safety, and promote sustainability in city centre… Read more
MATIS SA:
AI-driven multispectral imaging for material analysis
MATIS is a Swiss deep-tech startup offering a scalable AI-driven imaging platform for material DNA analysis. Combining multispectral imaging, optics, and machine learning, MATIS enables portable, accu… Read more
NovoViz SA:
Single-photon processing detectors for computational imaging
NovoViz designs and manufactures in different technology nodes single-photon computational engines for applications that demand high sensitivity and high speed but cannot handle large amounts of data…. Read more
Reshape Systems SA:
Enhanced risk analysis for complex systems using GenAI.
The growing need of using complex systems in modern applications (e.g. self-driving cars, drones) requires enhanced safety measures, as well as shorter development cycles and lower engineering costs. … Read more
TALPA-Inspection AG:
The first layer of infrastructure intelligence
Gemini said
TALPA Inspection, an ETH Zurich spin-off, provides the first layer of infrastructure intelligence to solve the silent failure of global assets caused by corrosion. Our platform integrates… Read more