Switzerland is home to one of Europe’s most vibrant and fast-growing startup ecosystems, and at its heart is SICTIC, the country’s largest and most active business angel network. With over 500 members and over 130 startups supported in 2024 alone, SICTIC plays a pivotal role in connecting founders with “smart money” investors. One of the people driving this mission forward is Steffen Ehrhardt, Vice President of Investor Community, Partnerships, and Sustainability at SICTIC.

Steffen brings two decades of experience from Google, over 10 years as an angel investor, and a strong passion for sustainability-focused startups. In this interview, he shares his journey, his perspective on Switzerland’s startup ecosystem, and his advice for both founders and investors.

• Hi Steffen, thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us. To start, could you tell us about your background and how you first became connected to the startup world?

I spent 20 years at Google in go-to-market and strategy roles across EMEA, working on multiple startup-related initiatives. In that time, I collaborated with many founders and investors, which naturally sparked my interest in the ecosystem.

After spending so much time with entrepreneurs building exciting things, I felt compelled to get involved myself. That’s when I started my own angel investing journey, more than 10 years ago now.

• You’re the Vice President of Investor Community, Partnerships, and Sustainability at SICTIC, the largest and most active business angel network in Switzerland. Can you tell us more about SICTIC’s mission?

SICTIC is a Switzerland-based non-profit association that connects “smart money” investors with innovative seed and early-stage tech startups. Since 2018, we’ve grown into the country’s largest and most active business angel network, with more than 500 members spanning angels, family offices, VCs, and corporates.

In 2024 alone, our community supported more than 130 Swiss startups financially. Our mission is simple but powerful: to ensure that even more great startups can grow and thrive here in Switzerland.

• In addition to your work at SICTIC, you serve on the advisory boards of ClimaLinks, focused on making weather data more useful, and Stream Ocean, an environmental technology company. You clearly have a passion for environmental startups. What draws you to this space?

Founders in general are passionate, but sustainability founders bring another level of energy and purpose. They’re not just building companies; they’re trying to make the world a better place, which is more important than ever today.

Supporting these kinds of entrepreneurs with my expertise and network feels meaningful. For me, the impact is far greater than, say, supporting yet another advertising startup.

• What is it about the startup world that attracts you most? And could you share one vital piece of advice for startup founders, and one for angel investors, that you’ve learned along the way?

What attracts me is the ambition to challenge the status quo, work on the future, improve things, and solve problems. Founders are often very smart people with big visions and strong drive, and that positivity is infectious.

My advice for founders: surround yourself with smart people in areas where you’re not strong. You can’t do everything on your own.

My advice for angel investors: if you’re new, learn from experienced angels, observe how they make decisions. And focus on investing in sectors where you truly understand the dynamics.

• Let’s talk about the startup ecosystem in Zurich. What are the main challenges and opportunities, and what do you see happening in the near future?

Right now, Switzerland has one of the most exciting startup ecosystems in Europe, with Zurich at the center. We already have more than 50 unicorns here, though many people don’t realize it. Over the past 12 months, big tech companies such as OpenAI, Pinterest, Anthropic, Snap, TikTok, and Palantir have opened offices here. And global names like Sequoia and Y Combinator are hosting events in Zurich, something unthinkable just two years ago.

Switzerland offers an exceptional overall package of stability, safety, healthcare, and education, which attracts top talent from around the world. That’s a strong foundation for building global companies.

Looking ahead, I believe Zurich has the potential to become one of the top three startup hubs in Europe. That said, uncertainty in the US is creating headwinds, and we’ll need to address those challenges for long-term growth.

Thank you very much for sharing your story and insights, Steffen. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

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