Do you have a promising business idea?
The registration deadline for STAGE UP 2025 has expired. 69 business ideas are currently being evaluated by our expert panel. Who can pitch in front of the jury at the Elevator Pitch on January 28, 2025? We will keep you up to date in our newsfeed and on our social media channels!
The next entry period for STAGE UP begins in September 2025.
Are you curious about what happened in the previous year?
Take a look at the 2024 yearbook!
Call for projects! We are starting the ninth edition of STAGE UP. Are you in?
Register now with your business idea for the Bern Business Creation Competition STAGE UP. We are looking forward to new, promising projects! The registration window is open until Fri, December 1, 2024.
You are unsure if STAGE UP is right for you and your idea? Then come to our inspirational event Pitch & Punch on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. In a relaxed atmosphere and with like-minded people, we’ll talk about pitching and, if you feel like it, you can practice your pitch (perhaps for the first time) in front of an audience: More info & registration
Participation in the competition is free of charge and is open to individuals or teams resident in Switzerland. The company must not have been founded more than 18 months ago, i.e. not before June 30, 2023. You can find the detailed provisions in the conditions of participation (at the bottom of the page).
Over the past few weeks, our expert panel has evaluated the 66 business ideas received and nominated 26 teams for the elevator pitch on January 30, 2024. This year, two teams achieved the same number of points, resulting in 26 (instead of the usual 25) starting places. You can find out more in our newsfeed.
The STAGE UP winners 2024 have been announced! The five finalist teams pitched their business ideas and the jury decided on the three podium places live – in front of around 200 guests.
From over 60 business ideas, these teams overcame several selection hurdles and convinced two independent committees. But they all deserved it – as the intensive jury discussion about places 1-3 showed.
TightValve is a novel surgical device for aortic valve repair. Today, there is no established and reproducible way to measure intraoperatively if a repaired valve is really closing tightly. The device offers the surgeon immediate feedback during the critical phases of surgery.
Team
Pascal Buchs
Dr. Silje Ekroll years
Dr. med. Emmanuel Zimmer
Dominik Obrist
Pathy aims to simplify medical image analysis in histopathology. Their Software-as-a-Service platform provides AI-powered digital staining solutions that enable pre-screening of patients in urgent biopsy analyses, and assist pathologists in both diagnosis and research.
Team
Rina Mehmeti
Nhi Luong
Aous Khadhraoui
Oussama Ben Ghorbel
Kidemis produces a fish and animal feed ingredient based on fermented mycoprotein. The ingredient has both functional and nutritional properties, and was developed as a sustainable alternative for fishmeal and soy. The innovative bioprocessing solution allows for a zero-waste conversion of low-value agricultural side-streams into high-quality ingredient.
Team
Constantin Marakhov
Sean Wassermann
The aim of painbreaker is to offer people with chronic pain additional support in the form of an online course. The online course is the ideal complement to existing pain therapies and allows patients to work on their symptoms at their own pace.
Team
Sandra Zimmermann
Oliver Ludwig
Obstructions of the ureter can increase pressure in the kidney, leading to potential kidney failure if left untreated. Current ureteral stents restore urine flow but their frequent clogging requires stent replacement every few weeks. CleanStent’s innovative technology eliminates this need, ensuring long-term stent performance.
Team
Pedro Amado
Dr. Cornel Dillinger
PD Francesco Clavica
Daniel Ahmed
The other six teams that qualified for access to coaching and workshops at the Elevator Pitch on January 30, 2024:
The Taste Match app connects guests with restaurants that exactly match their preferences. With its advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence, it offers you personalized recommendations no matter where you are and who you are dining with. In addition, people can connect with others via Taste Match, share their favorites, discover new restaurants, but also follow food influencers.
Team
David Kilchenmann
Tobias Tröhler
The reduction of frictional resistance in overflowed surfaces is a well-known technical problem. With the development of the Telp flow element, it has been possible to influence the flow boundary layer in such a way that turbulence is smoothed out. Flow resistance, fuel consumption and consequently CO2 emissions are reduced.
Team
Matthias Reber
Urs Röthlisberger
CathNova has developed a new platform for the design and manufacturing of smart catheters that offer improved performance and personalization. The innovative automation solution enables a significant reduction in production costs.
Team
Gerhard Kuert
Nishant Gupta
Prof. Dr. Thomas Niederhauser
Rhovica Neuroimaging improves the emergency treatment of patients with increased brain pressure. Its patented catheter will enable precise, navigated insertion in a single pass and subsequent real-time brain monitoring of the patient directly at the bedside. This will save time and lives, improve neurological outcomes and reduce costs.
Team
Dr. med. Martin Hlavica
Dr. med. Thomas Rhomberg
Blair Fraser
VirtualAlpha is a web platform that has been specially developed for schools to enable students to learn about the financial markets in a fun way. Students are given the opportunity to build and manage a virtual investment portfolio independently with play money based on real-time market data. VirtualAlpha provides real-life experience without financial risk.
Team
Samuel Bächli
Dario Ackermann
Andres Neff
Pump it App – The future of health coaching for fitness professionals and physiotherapists. Digitalized training plans, efficient management and maximal time savings. The innovative and intuitive all-in-one solution for the exercisers’ health. Developed by professionals for professionals.
Team
Dominik Robellaz
Sascha Tschabold
Fabian Hegg
The STAGE UP competition served as the optimal gateway for transitioning from our medical device idea to embarking on our business journey. The coaching sessions gave us invaluable guidance and feedback, aiding in the strategic planning of our business project. The award ceremony and the happiness of winning the 2024 edition will surely be an unforgettable experience for us!
STAGE UP has been a great opportunity of gaining valuable knowledge and support for our entrepreneurial path. We are especially thankful for having a dedicated coach for our team, whose advice helps unlock valuable insights and refine our business plan. The award night was a recognition we will always cherish and appreciate whenever we look back in our journey!
“STAGE UP really amazed us on how well organized everything was, everything worked like the finest Swiss watch! Also what we really liked was that it didn’t really feel like we were competing, but rather that all participants were part of a great entrepreneurial family. We definitely recommend STAGE UP to all entrepreneurs.”
“Thank you very much for letting us be there. We have learned an enormous amount and benefited a lot from this format.”
“The STAGE UP program granted us the opportunity to share our vision and to fine-tune our business strategy. The victory of ENZOXA garnered substantial visibility among stakeholders, and created invaluable connections with key players in the field. Overall, STAGE UP has accelerated our development in developing a novel plant-based medicine targeting H. pylori.”
“STAGE UP challenged us, inspired us and fortunately also awarded us! The serious feedback from seasoned entrepreneurs is a highlight, and the networking is super valuable. Getting all this support for our mission to restore wetlands gives us momentum and extra motivation to push forward on our journey to help solve the climate and biodiversity crisis.”
“The STAGE UP program and competition brought our team in contact with experts, which helped us to improve our financial plan and pitching skills. We also established valuable connections within the Swiss start-up ecosystem. The final pitch competition was a great opportunity to promote our project to the public and receive feedback from the jury.”
«Thanks to STAGE UP, we were able to make our vision known. Renowned personalities from the bernese business community have approached us and assured us of their support. From that point of view, the prize is a door opener.»
«The coaching, the workshops, the pitch opportunities; the whole STAGE UP process gave us a lot of new inputs. It allowed us to refine our allergy test and our strategy. For us it was a fantastic experience, a great opportunity to build a broad network inside and outside the Swiss startup scene and to popularize our technology.»
«With STAGE UP, our talents from the technical disciplines get the tools they need to become entrepreneurs and they can also present their innovations.»
«The Bernese Business Creation Competition «STAGE UP» offers you as a star-up learning and coaching opportunities and a great Award Ceremony with the Bernese start-up scene.»
If your business idea is convincing in the pre-selection, you are admitted to the elevator pitch. Present your business idea in three minutes to our jury of renowned Bernese entrepreneurs. If the idea is convincing again, you will be invited to take part in the rest of the competition. Coaching sessions and workshops permitted.
With your developed business model you apply for a presentation of the top 5 in the final round in front of the audience and the jury. First place winners receive CHF 10,000, second place winners CHF 5,000 and third place winners CHF 3,000.
After a tough competition, only the best of the best made it through to the next round and are allowed to take part in the Award Night 2024. After intensive evaluation and assessment by our experts, only 26 teams were selected from the original 65 projects. They then presented their business ideas in just a few minutes at the Elevator Pitch on January 30, 2024, qualifying twelve teams for our workshops and coaching sessions.
At the Award Night, only five finalists will be left to pitch for the prize worth a total of CHF 18,000. The tension mounts as we prepare for the big evening. Be there when these talented teams present their innovative ideas. This will be an evening you will never forget!
A high-caliber jury of well-known personalities from the world of business, with a track record from their own business activities and public commitment, independently evaluates the business ideas and models of the participating teams. In both the elevator pitch and the final round, the jury evaluates the quality and potential of the business idea or business model.
People with many years of practical experience and a connection to entrepreneurship support the qualified participants in the business management development of the idea into a business model. As sparring partners, they accompany the participants and are available to answer specific questions about the positioning of the project on the market and the next steps towards success.
Experts share their specific knowledge and valuable tips & tricks on topics such as financial planning, legal matters and design in our workshops and are available in the evenings for a general exchange, specific professional feedback or further recommendations.
The experts bring practical knowledge and experience in start-up promotion. They support the jury in evaluating the business models and their feedback benefits the further development of the projects.
Entrepreneur, Coach & Expert Entrepreneurship
Managing Director, Change & Performance Coach & Trainer for Leaders, Keynote Speaker
PhD Candidate and Corporate Entrepreneurship Scholar
Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Bern
