Article
Editorial
"Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice." What management researcher Peter Drucker wrote in 1985 is all the more true today. Anyone wishing to set up a business in times of political and environmental crises and the race for AI cannot simply rely on a brilliant initial idea. They must learn and listen every day, examine business models – perhaps even discard them – and take risks. This does not refer to a trendy start-up niche, but is particularly characteristic of the Swiss economy: over 99 per cent of local firms are SMEs, founded and run by entrepreneurs.
But what makes Switzerland a strong place for startups? One factor is the existence of densely populated, cross-border regions where innovation flourishes through collaboration between businesses and research institutions. One such cluster is the ‘Alpine Axis’ linking Munich, St.Gallen, Zurich, Lausanne and Grenoble. In an interview with HSG FOCUS, startup founders, an investor and a researcher all agree: the axis is already strong, but deeper collaboration could yield even greater results.
Just how strong it is is illustrated, for example, by the fact that ETH Zurich, the Technical University of Munich and HSG jointly top a recently published entrepreneurship ranking. Between 2014 and 2024, around 850 startups were founded by HSG affiliates – a record figure among universities in the DACH region.
In this issue of HSG FOCUS, we follow the journey of one such startup in a detailed feature. HSG graduates Michael Greger and Kristófer Reynisson founded NoxBlanc in 2025. Their aim: to build the world’s best mattress, one that protects health during hot summers and helps athletes perform better. The NoxBlanc story shows that building a startup requires a willingness to take risks, but also composure and perseverance. Exactly where NoxBlanc’s journey will lead remains to be seen at the time of publication of this issue of FOCUS.
For a startup to convey a business idea to investors and customers, it also needs a good story. Yet some start-ups go way over the top in this regard, as ZHAW media scientist and HSG visiting lecturer Marius Born demonstrates in his article. Born also provides specific guidance for startup founders and investors on what is acceptable in storytelling and where one should take a closer look.
In this issue of HSG FOCUS, we also introduce the latest cohort of the Entrepreneurial Champions Programme run by HSG Entrepreneurship – one of several programmes through which the HSG supports and advances start-ups at various stages of their development.
This issue of HSG FOCUS is also intended to foster an entrepreneurial spirit: over the coming weeks and months, further articles and videos on the topic will be added. In addition, we invite you to join the discussion in the comments section and ask any questions you may have.
In that spirit: Start me up!