Swiss Innovation Challenge ASIA

The innovation competition that bridges Asia and Switzerland

Update

We are ready for the next edition of Swiss Innovation Challenge Asia. Our local partners will provide dedicated support to participating start-ups and get them ready to succeed.

Overview

Swiss Innovation Challenge ASIA is a programme with an integrated competition for the support and advancement of innovation. It comprises specific training, personal coaching and access to the Swiss Innovation Challenge Network in Asia and Switzerland.

The programme is designed for companies, start-ups and individuals wishing to introduce and implement an innovation or to push forward a given innovation project. This could be a new business idea, product innovation, service innovation, organisational innovation, management innovation or business model innovation.

The programme was first launched in Switzerland by FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Baselland Chamber of Commerce and Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank (BLKB) in 2015. Based on a successful track-record, the programme is brought to Asia by FHNW and selected local partner universities.

With innovation partnerships playing an increasingly important role, the programme offers project teams across Asia the opportunity to bring their innovation to a new level, connect to the Swiss eco-system and build an international network.

Application

Please visit our partner websites for local deadlines.

Application form

Swiss Innovation Challenge ASIA last for several months and progresses through three typical stages of an innovation project:

1^st stage: Description of the innovation and the business model
2^ndstage: Transposition of the innovation into a business plan
3^rd stage: Implementation plan

Each stage includes a competitive selection round (pitch) based on which the jury carefully selects project teams for the following round. Teams reaching the final round will compete for the prize money and the opportunity to travel to Switzerland (with expenses of up to USD 2,000 covered). A representative of three winning teams will travel to Switzerland and get insights into the local entrepreneurial eco-system.

Attractive cash prizes for three winning teams!

The programme is offered free of charge and includes the following:

personal coaching by experts
seminars on various primarily business topics
promotion of the personal performance competence (pitching events)
feedback on the submitted documents, especially the business and the implementation plan
networking opportunities

More details on local programmes offered by partner universities across Asia under local partner programmes.

Screening is done by an experienced jury based on the following criteria:

Each pitch will focus on different elements of the evaluation criteria
First pitch: innovation content; customers / customer benefits / proof of concept
Second pitch: competitor analysis; financial planning and financial requirements
Final pitch: Market entry and market development; Medium-term objectives or scaling (at least two years); skills / competences of the team

More details on approaches and criteria under local partner programmes.

Local Partner Programmes

The Swiss Innovation Challenge ASIA programme is delivered free of charge by our local partners. Please visit our partner websites for more information.