Start me up

Startups emerge where an idea can become a product, research can become a business model, and a vision can become a company. But entrepreneurship requires more than just good ideas: it requires knowledge, capital, networks, a willingness to take risks, and an environment that supports the journey from research to the market. The latest issue of the university magazine HSG FOCUS explores various facets of entrepreneurship – from the European innovation region and specific DeepTech startups to the question of how startups attract investors with their stories and promises for the future.

"The question is not whether Zurich, St.Gallen or Munich are strong – true strength comes from connection": universities, startups, investors and companies are linked across cantonal and national borders. In an interview, Professor of Entrepreneurship Dietmar Grichnik, investor Andreas Göldi, startup founder Johannes Aicher and startup founder Lena Pätzmann discuss what this "Alpine axis" between Munich, St.Gallen, Zurich and other cities already has in common – and where gaps still remain. The discussion centres on the transfer of research into the economy, DeepTech, capital and the role of universities. It also addresses the question of what actually emerges from geographical proximity when talent, knowledge and money come together.

"The HSG startup NoxBlanc aims to develop the world's best mattress": NoxBlanc wants to redefine sleep – and optimise it through technology. The HSG startup is developing a high-tech mattress whose firmness and temperature can be individually adjusted. The report follows the founding team on their journey from research to a market-ready product and shows how the technology is being tested in collaboration with Swiss Olympic athletes. At the same time, it explores the less glamorous aspects of setting up a start-up: financing, product development and the question of whether consumers are prepared to spend several thousand francs on optimised sleep. The growing health implications of hot summer nights also come into focus.

"Downhill to a billion-franc valuation": Anyone founding a startup must convince investors of something that often does not even exist yet. There are no figures or real-world experience to draw on; instead, a plausible narrative about the future takes their place. Using the example of the electric truck startup Nikola, Marius Born shows how such an investment story is created and when it loses its credibility. In 2020, Nikola was at times valued higher than Ford, before research by short-seller Hindenburg Research raised massive doubts about the company and the statements made by its founder, Trevor Milton. This report by media studies scholar Marius Born explores where the line is drawn between a legitimate narrative of the future and deception. It also demonstrates why it is not just a spectacular video that can be problematic, but a business model that fails to deliver on the promised future.

"Entrepreneurial Champions Programme: HSG supports three startups with 100,000 Swiss francs each": Through the Entrepreneurial Champions Programme, HSG is supporting three startups with 100,000 Swiss francs each. ARTENA, Conelio and NoxBlanc will receive this funding for one year and will also be supported by HSG Entrepreneurship with coaching and access to a network of experts and experienced founders. All three projects are directly linked to HSG research: ranging from a Master paper and research into human-AI interaction to a spin-off from health research. The aim is to bring the start-ups to market readiness by autumn 2027. The report shows how HSG supports the transfer of research into entrepreneurship and what role mentoring, networks and its own startup community play in this, alongside financing.