Switzerland has emerged as a Deep Tech powerhouse, with the Greater Zurich Area at the center of its innovative boost. From autonomous robots to tissue made in space or green fuel, local startups are pushing the boundaries of technology with groundbreaking research.
If you’ve ever wondered why so many founders, researchers, and investors are turning their eyes to Greater Zurich, the Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025 offers all the answers. Discover the top 10 Deep Tech startups to watch below.
Switzerland: A Deep Tech nation by design
Several forces have combined to make Switzerland the world’s most Deep Tech-focused startup ecosystem:
📈 Unprecedented capital focus
Switzerland allocates 60% of all venture capital funding to Deep Tech, the highest share anywhere on the planet - well ahead of places like Israel and the U.S.
This focus isn’t just a passing trend. Over the past decade, Deep Tech investments have grown 6x, projected to reach $2.3 billion in 2025, making this year one of the strongest on record.
🎓 An extraordinary talent base
While funding fuels ambition, talent makes it real. Switzerland combines academic excellence and international pull:
- Ranked #1 globally for talent (IMD World Talent Ranking 2024), thanks to its focus on investing in people and nurturing workforce readiness.
- Home to the highest density of core AI talent in Europe, with Greater Zurich leading the way as a hub for AI and robotics research.
- Backed by powerhouse universities: ETH Zurich, among Europe’s top five for Deep Tech spinouts, and the University of Zurich, as well as universities of applied sciences.
➡️ It’s no coincidence that Big Tech giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple have all built major engineering hubs here - Greater Zurich’s combination of talent and stability is hard to beat.
10 Deep Tech startups from Greater Zurich to watch
1️⃣ Mimic
Scalable AI models for universal robotic manipulation: mimic's scalable AI models open the possibility of automating labor tasks from retail to manufacturing.
In spring 2025, mimic co-hosted the "Zurich Builds Robotics Hackathon" together with OpenAI’s Zurich team, leading US venture capital firm General Catalyst, Loki Robotics, Primeintellect, and students from ETH Zürich & University of Zurich. This event brought together top-tier talent and organizations to explore the cutting edge of robotics and AI in the Silicon Valley of Robotics.
2️⃣ Prometheus
3D human tissue organoids made in space: Prometheus developed a disruptive space proven technology to produce high quality human tissue organoids in low earth orbit with the vision of improving and saving lives.
3️⃣ Chipmind
AI agents accelerating microchip development: Chipmind offers open source EDA tools for seamless engineer collaboration.
4️⃣ Metafuels
Sustainable aviation fuel: Metafuels powers the future of aviation with sustainable aviation fuel - affordable air travel without the carbon footprint.
5️⃣ Unbound Potential
Long-duration stationary energy storage: Unbound Potential creates innovative solutions for long-term energy storage based on a novel membrane-less redox flow battery technology.
6️⃣ DeepSquare
Sustainable and democratized high-performance computing: DeepSquare's decentralized sustainable cloud ecosystem focuses on high-performance computing using blockchain technology to provide world-class performance and transparency.
7️⃣ MoonLake
Medicines for immunologic & inflammatory diseases: MoonLake is a clinical-stage biopharma company leveraging the revolutionary Nanobody Technolgy to develop next-level medicines for immunologic diseases, includinf inflammatory skin and joint diseases.
8️⃣8inks
Multilayer curtain coating for batteries: 8inks works on multilayer coatings with applications in both battery technology and bioprinting - showing the cross-disciplinary nature of Zurich’s Deep Tech scene.
9️⃣InVirtuoLabs
Modular AI solutions accelerating drug discovery: InVirtuoLabs builds therapeutic virtual reality applications that treat conditions like PTSD and phobias. Their work integrates psychology, neuroscience, and immersive tech.
🔟DeepJudge
Precision AI search for legal teams: DeepJudge helps legal teams and enterprises unlock knowledge hidden in vast document collections. Its AI platform understands complex legal language, enabling faster search, smarter insights, and more efficient workflows.
💡 Hungry for more? Discover other Swiss Deep Tech startups you need to know in the Swiss Deep Tech Report 2025.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Tech ecosystem
Which global tech companies are located in the Greater Zurich Area for R&D?
Among others, the Greater Zurich Area is home to research centers for Google, Meta, IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Huawei, Disney, Boston Dynamics, NVIDIA, and Sony.
Discover some of our success stories made in the Greater Zurich Area.
What types of tech companies are active in Greater Zurich?
The region hosts global players in artificial intelligence, robotics, medtech, blockchain, fintech, advanced manufacturing, and cleantech. Startups, scaleups, and multinationals like Google, Roche, and ABB are all part of the ecosystem.
Why is the Greater Zurich Area considered a top location for AI companies?
Greater Zurich offers world-class research institutions like ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, access to top-tier AI talent, and a high concentration of global tech players, including Google, Microsoft, Anthropic, IBM, and many more. The region combines innovation infrastructure with regulatory clarity, making it a prime base for AI R&D and scaling.
Learn more about the high tech density in the Greater Zurich region.