Switzerland: Circular Economy Incubator Program (5th Edition)

Deadline: 29 October 2023

The Circular Economy Transition (CET) Incubator enables teams and startups to prototype and develop solutions contributing to accelerate the transition towards Circular Economy in Switzerland.

During the program, the selected entrepreneurs work on developing their minimum viable product (MVP) and validating their business model, with the support from advisors, experts and the network of impact investors. Each edition of the program incubates 33+ startups Swiss-wide split among cohorts in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Ticino and Zurich.

Main Pillars of Support

Community & space
- Connect with corporates, public institutions, entrepreneurs, creatives and techies, while working from an inspiring space (aka Impact Hub) at the heart of your city.
Startup support
- Have 1:1 mentoring sessions and join workshops delivered by experienced experts in business & circular economy related topics to help you fine-tune your MVP and business model.
Events & connections
- Make meaningful connections and exchange best practices with peer entrepreneurs and circular economy experts at several events, taking place across Switzerland.
Swiss-wide visibility
- Benefit from local and Swiss-wide exposure throughout the program, through conferences, pitching days as well as mentions on the press, newsletters and social media.

What can you expect?

During 12 weeks, the participants will benefit from several elements of support that will empower them to bootstrap an MVP and validate its market potential with customers. By the end of the program, the entrepreneurs should be able to stop looking at their startup as a side-project and more as their full-time job.
The entire support services provided by the CE Incubator have a value of CHF 15.000 per team. The CE Incubator has a zero equity and fees policy. This means you will not be charged anything for your participation in the incubator and the idea you develop stays entirely yours.

Modules and Masterclasses 2024

Module 1 – Circular Economy
- Masterclasses:
  - Regulatory landscape, Policy Consideration, CE Trends
  - Circular Economy Fundamentals & Business Models
  - Design for & assess impact
  - Collaboration within the Ecosystem
  - Peer-to-Peer CE applied & Deep Dive into the Sectors: Circular lifestyle, Mobility, Construction and Food
Module 2 – Finance & Financial tools
- Fundraising + Financial Roadmap + Build your financial strategy & model + Financial tools
Module 3 – Communications & Pitch training
- Marketing and Storytelling for brands with a purpose; Pitching Inputs & Best Practices
- Peer-to-Peer General Pitch training (with 7 alumni or mentors in breakout rooms).