Switzerland’s leading pre-seed startup program

Fast-track your business in our jam-packed 10-week acceleration program that covers the most important topics,
from team setup to fundraising strategies, in the pre-seed phase.

Take your startup to the next level!

We are not just another startup school, but address the specific challenges of a pre-seed tech startup. Together with our network of industry experts & experienced entrepreneurs, we guide you through the startup jungle and support you in the relevant areas to become investment-ready.

Traction

Together, we define ambitious goals for your time at our accelerator. With the help of our program coaches and mentors, you are going to hunt for leads, LOI’s and contracts in order to prove your value proposition to the world.

Demo Day Pitch

Exposure

Tap into Bluelion’s network of investors, corporate partners, and experts in order to connect with key stakeholders and get the attention your startup deserves.

Community

It can be lonely to build up a company from scratch all by yourself. Connect with like-minded founders and meet serial entrepreneurs to exchange with and learn from each other during our well-rounded acceleration program.

Individual Support

No matter if you are looking for a place to work, a deep dive with an industry expert, an intro to a corporate client, or a discount for your favorite SaaS solution: We are listening to your specific needs and are doing our best to help you speed up your game.

Meet the Spring 2023 Batch

Logo Aixa
Logo Instaheat

Top Tier Investors

Did you know, that more than 90% of investment deals happen through personal networks & intros? That`s why we partnered up with a selection of Switzerland’s finest pre-seed & seed VCs. As a participant in our program, you will be featured on the short list of our investment partners and therefore your startup is guaranteed to be carefully looked at.

BTOV Partners

btov (#brainstoventures) has been backing outstanding entrepreneurs and non-obvious opportunities in Europe since 2000. We support you with our own expertise and the continent’s strongest network of entrepreneurial private investors.

Fields:

Lightbird

Lightbird is a trusted, nimble and reliable partner that accompanies European founders on the roller-coaster ride of what it is to be an entrepreneur. We invest in the most intense period of a company’s life – the early stage.

Fields:

Redalpine

Founded in 2006, Redalpine is a leading European Venture Capital investor based in Switzerland with offices in Zurich and Berlin. The fund has more than CHF 1bn in Assets under Management and invests in ICT and Life Sciences, with a highly disciplined and sector-agnostic approach.

Fields: ICT, Health

Session.vc

Founded in late 2019 by Martin Altorfer and Philippe Bubb, session.vc is a Swiss based early stage investor that backs bold entrepreneurs in the B2B Software and Consumer space in the DACH region.

Fields: B2BSaaS, deeptech, consumertech

Wingman Ventures

Wingman Ventures is Switzerland’s leading pre-seed fund backing founder teams building tech companies with the potential to become global market leaders.

Fields: Tech (B2B software, industrial technology, consumer tech)

What to expect

Community

Become part of the Bluelion community and meet like-minded peers, former program participants and many more.

Tangible Input

Benefit from our hands-on training and individual support for the duration of the program.

Workspace

While on the program, you will receive a free workspace in our newly opened Startup Hub near Zurich Hardbrücke.

Demo Day

The program ends with a public demo day where you can pitch your idea exclusively to leading business angels and pre-seed investors.

What our founders say

Mary Villalaz
Mary Villalaz Alumni Spring 2022; Co-Founder Adira-health

“Bluelion has a great network and team supporting start-ups in an early stage. The 10-week program shaped our ideas, goals, and direction with direct feedback from experienced entrepreneurs.”

SONALI QUANTIUS Alumni Spring 2021; Founder Haplomind

“The Bluelion Acceleration Program was very valuable for Haplomind for the outstanding content, network and even in getting us a new team member!”

Damien Buhl Tipi
DAMIEN BUHL Alumni Fall 2020; Co-Founder tipi technologies

“It’s not just another startup acceleration program, it’s the one that got us found, that got our team up and running for market entry and growth. If you are the next unicorn, you should take part.”

What to bring along

Scalable Idea

You work on a scalable tech idea in a future-oriented industry.

Skillset

Your co-founding team has the skills and industry knowledge to drive the idea forward.

Prototype

You have built an initial prototype that you can test with potential users.

Fundraising

You want to close an external financing round within the next 12 months.

Applications for the Spring 2023 batch are closed now

Thank you for your interest in the Bluelion Acceleration Program. The registration phase is currently closed and we are carefully reviewing all submissions.

Timeline

05.07.23:
Start Application
27.08.23:
Close Application
25.09.23:
SELECTION ANNOUNCEMENT
05.10.23:
KICKOFF PROGRAM
30.11.23:
DEMO DAY

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes the Bluelion Acceleration Program different?

The Bluelion Acceleration Program is not just another startup school but is geared toward highly skilled professionals who want to launch their own businesses. Accordingly, we have designed the program specifically to meet the needs of working professionals in terms of content, style, and structure.

How much does the program cost?

The program is free of charge for the participants and is financed by our partners. There is also no need to relinquish a stake in the company. In return, we require full commitment from the participants for the entire duration of the program.

Where does the program take place?

All events take place on-site in Zurich. If you are unable to attend on a particular day, we will make sure you can join us online.

How often is the program carried out?

The acceleration program is conducted twice a year, in spring and fall. The spring batch is expected to take place between calendar weeks 15 – 24 and the fall batch between calendar weeks 40 – 49. For detailed times, see the timeline above. Applications are only open for the next batch.

What is expected of me during the program?

If accepted into the program, we expect you to be present at 80% of all acceleration days, with the kickoff (05.10.2023) and the demo day (30.11.2023) being mandatory for all participants. Furthermore, we expect you to meet the specified deadlines and demonstrate full commitment to the program. We reserve the right to exclude participants who fail to meet our expectations from the program.

Is it possible to have another job on the side?

While it is possible to complete the program alongside a regular job, we do not recommend it. The program includes a training day that takes place every Thursday for 10 weeks (kickoff and demo day inclusive). Although it is technically possible to be present only one day per week, you will benefit most from the program if you can work on your startup every day.

What does the selection process look like?

After the submission deadline, we will review all applications and conduct a pre-selection based on the above requirements. We will then contact the shortlisted candidates directly to arrange a 30-minute interview to get to know you better and learn more about your business idea (calendar weeks 36 & 37). The final decision will be announced in calendar week 39.

Track Record

Startups

So far, we have accompanied 30 tech startups on their entrepreneurial journey.

Funding rate

More than 2/3 of LikeMinded alumni have received external funding within the first 6 months of completing the program.

Recommendation rate

All of our alumni rated the program with a score of at least 9 out of 10 on the NPS scale.

Applications for the Fall 2023 batch are open now

Want to be part of the Bluelion community and take the next step in your entrepreneurial career? Great, we are currently looking for motivated entrepreneurs for the fall edition of our acceleration program, which starts in October.

Our Alumni

Logo Amplo
Logo angle
Logo Arc
Logo Moodtalk
Logo Arcano
Logo Cordifio
Logo Correntics
Logo Dedomenda
Logo Haplomind
Logo findependent
Logo Macu4
Logo Myleg
Logo nutr.ai
Logo OldSchool
Logo dføur
Logo yuxi
Logo SharingTribe
Logo Tipi
Logo Transcendo
Logo Trilliome
Logo vunanexus
Fireflai
Logo AMETAL; LikeMinded
Leg&airy_logo; LikeMinded
Logo OnChained; LikeMinded
Logo Seismohealth; LikeMinded
Logo Simulatory; LikeMinded
Logo Takeaseat; LikeMinded
Logo Xilva; LikeMinded
AIMMO
Brian
Kwykli
Rapid medicine
ScienceLife
truly
Thinkgate
Kleap