Women-led start-ups attract just 7% of Swiss venture capital funding
Start-ups led by women continue to have a limited presence in the Swiss venture capital market. In the first half of 2026, just over 7% of venture capital was channelled to companies with female CEOs.
The proportion of funding allocated to women-led teams has therefore remained at a low level for years, according to a new study by the investors’ association SECA.
“Given that gender equality has long been a topic of discussion and there are now a number of funding initiatives in place, this is astonishing,” said Stefan Kyora, co-author of the study, at a media event.
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It is also surprising that, in the start-up world, most management teams remain homogeneous – and thus predominantly male. Specifically, according to the study, companies with all-male management teams received more than 88% of the total capital invested in the first half of the year.
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Translated from French, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
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