Geneva Foundation for Technology Innovation

Acronym: FONGIT

Established: 1991

Address: Route de la Galaise 34, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland

Stakeholder group: Business

For over three decades, FONGIT has been de-risking the entrepreneurial journey and supporting entrepreneurs with the expertise, resources, and financing they need to transform innovative ideas into sustainable companies.

FONGIT is a private, nonprofit foundation, benefiting from the support of the State of Geneva.

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Digital activities

FONGIT’s mission is to transform innovation into social and economic value in the Geneva region. The foundation currently supports over 250 innovative early-stage ventures by providing financing, targeted coaching, fully equipped offices and labs, administration, legal help and accounting, and a vibrant community.

Digital policy issues

Digital economy

Through its activities dedicated to supporting innovative startups, FONGIT contributes to the growth of the digital economy. For more than three decades, entrepreneurs supported by the Foundation have developed companies in areas such as information and communications technology (ICT), advanced engineering, and life sciences.

We offer two programmes optimised to support innovations at different stages of maturity – Initiation Innovation and Startup Support.

Initiation Innovation is designed for early-stage projects that need shaping and de-risking before deciding to launch the startup.
Our Startup Support programme is for more advanced innovative projects where the company is ready for foundation, or is already founded, and has a full pitch deck and an engaged team.

In evaluating projects for our support programmes, we take a comprehensive look at the novelty, potential, and maturity of each venture. We are proud to support innovative ideas and startups that have the potential to make a positive impact on society, furthering the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

If projects are looking mainly for funding, the FIF (FONGIT Innovation Fund) provides three different types of financing for Geneva-based technological innovations that have a positive impact on people and the planet. The FIF aims to accelerate innovation processes within Universities, Hautes Écoles, and other Geneva-based research institutions, within startups, scale-ups, and SMEs experiencing rapid growth in the technological environment. The Fund is supported by the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the Fondation Modus, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Sustainable development

All FONGIT-supported startups are required to ensure that their work directly or indirectly contributes to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). FONGIT collaborates closely with UNEP and ITC to assess and highlight the impact of its startups on the SDGs.

Interdisciplinary approaches

As an innovation leader, FONGIT has recognised the increasing integration of seemingly unrelated technologies, prompting a move towards tech convergence. This trend is notably advanced in the life sciences domain, where addressing medical challenges involves multidisciplinary interactions across technologies like ICT, hardware, physics, and medical expertise. The acceleration in Geneva’s innovation landscape began several years ago when the State of Geneva made the decision to put innovation at the centre of its development strategy. This has led to enhanced collaboration among entrepreneurs, facilitated by communal spaces, fostering the exchange of ideas that benefit various sectors.

In the next few years, our goal is to promote the development of the startup ecosystem in Geneva by increasing both their quantity and quality to reach the level of the most advanced Swiss hubs. A key element of this development will be fostering the life sciences ecosystem, centred around the Campus Biotech. Our ambition is to actively participate in transforming Geneva into a major hub of innovation in different domains.