Less talk, more action

From idea to start-up in 54 hours

Startup Weekend is a three-day program where aspiring entrepreneurs can experience startup life.

Why Startup Weekend?

Connect with other creators

Startup Weekend is a great place to connect with passionate people driven to build something new. There is no better place to meet new friends, colleagues, mentors, and cofounders.

Start something great

Knowing you’re not alone can make all the difference. Startup Weekend provides participants many opportunities to engage and connect with like-minded individuals — and truly start something amazing.

Learn from the best

Learn what it really takes to innovate, disrupt, and start a company from people who’ve been there. Startup Weekend features deep experiential learning guided by an experienced hand.

Improve your knowledge

Sometimes you really need more skills and knowledge to go to the next level. Startup Weekend also goes deep on specific topics or skill sets. Just what you need to progress quickly.

Next Startup Weekends in Switzerland

Basel – 5 – 6 May 2023

Biel/Bienne – 2023

Geneva – 2023

Lausanne – 2023

Zurich – autumn 2023

What happens at Startup Weekend?

Friday: Participants arrive in the evening, begin networking, and grab dinner. After an ice-breaking game and a short introduction, the “Pitchfire” commences – anyone intending to pitch has 60 seconds to present their idea. No presentations or props are needed for Friday, just you and a mic. After pitches are finished, all attendees vote on their favourite ideas. The top ideas to be worked on over the weekend are selected. Before the end of the night, you select your team, brainstorm and prepare for the weekend.

Saturday: Doors open in the morning with coffee and a light breakfast. Teams work all day, with the occasional breaks, lunch, and dinner and get guidance with 1-2 short sessions. Coaches circulate to provide advice to the teams.

Sunday: Doors open in the morning again and teams work from morning until mid-afternoon. The teams begin wrapping up product/prototype and presentation in the afternoon to practice their pitches/demonstration. Final pitches begin in the late afternoon. Each team typically has 5 minutes to present plus 2-3 minutes of Q&A from the judges (this varies based on the number of teams). The judges give valuable feedback to all teams and select the top teams.

Is this for me?

If you are interested in entrepreneurship the answer is most likely yes. Startup Weekend attendee backgrounds are roughly 50% creative/tech (designers, developers etc) and 50% business (marketing, business, sales, finance, etc). Whether you are an entrepreneur or new to the startup scene, if you are motivated to build a product or startup and open to new ideas you’ll fit right in. Attendees are roughly 50 % female and 50 % male.

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