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Swiss Founders Fund
Swiss Founders Fund (SFF) is an early-stage venture capital firm based in St. Gallen, Switzerland. We invest CHF 100k-300k in Pre-Seed and Seed stage startups...
Swiss Founders Fund
Swiss Founders Fund (SFF) is an early-stage venture capital firm based in St. Gallen, Switzerland. We invest CHF 100k-300k in Pre-Seed and Seed stage startups with bold visions and strong founding teams globally.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2012
Location
Region
Europe
Country
Switzerland
City
St. Gallen
Corporate office
St. Gallen, Switzerland
Principals
Max Meister
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Oliver Walzer
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Swiss Founders Fund?
Co-founders Max Meister and Oliver Walzer lead investment decisions at Swiss Founders Fund, with both partners actively involved in deal sourcing, diligence, and portfolio company governance. The firm has operated as a tightly held partnership since its 2012 launch in St. Gallen.
How does Swiss Founders Fund source proprietary deal flow?
The firm's startup-studio model is itself a deal-flow engine. Swiss Founders Fund often originates companies internally, recruiting founding teams to commercialize intellectual property or market opportunities identified by the studio. External deal flow comes through the firm's European university networks and its track record of exits in the DACH region.
Is Swiss Founders Fund structured as a family office or a traditional venture firm?
Swiss Founders Fund operates as a venture capital asset manager, not a family office. Its limited partners include institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals, though the firm does not publicly disclose its LP base. The hybrid studio-plus-fund architecture distinguishes it from both traditional Swiss wealth managers and conventional VC funds.
Does Swiss Founders Fund participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm invests primarily through direct equity deals at pre-seed and seed stages. There is no public record of Swiss Founders Fund making fund-of-funds commitments or participating as a limited partner in other venture funds.
What investment stages does Swiss Founders Fund typically target?
Swiss Founders Fund targets pre-seed and seed-stage companies. Its studio model means the firm frequently enters at company formation, before a prototype is fully commercialized, providing both capital and operational resources to get companies to a Series A-ready milestone.
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