St. Gallen Changes the Rules: University Launches Grant Program for Spin-Offs with a Focus on Deeptech and Scale
The University of St. Gallen in Switzerland, long recognized as a leader in business and law, is making an unexpected bold move toward applied technological transformation: in May 2025, it is launching a new support program for university spin-offs with a substantial budget and ambitions to extend beyond academia.
Funded in partnership with the Swiss Gebert Rüf Stiftung and several private donors, the program is not about incubating ideas but about rapidly turning university research projects into market-ready products. The focus is on startups in the fields of digital economy, sustainable development, AI-driven solutions, and smart manufacturing.
What’s particularly significant: the university is not just providing access to infrastructure or coaching. It offers non-repayable grants of up to 150,000 CHF, pre-seed mentoring, access to a venture network, and a hybrid equity participation model for long-term support. This makes the program one of the most robust in the DACH region among non-technical universities.
By 2026, the University of St. Gallen aims to have 40 active portfolio projects, including startups in legaltech, civic AI, ESG analytics, and smart management platforms.
This move reflects a broader trend: European universities are transforming from educational ivory towers into platforms for regional economic transformation. Unlike traditional accelerators, the emphasis here is on a systematic scientific foundation, long-term thinking, and a social mission.
Source: https://www.unisg.ch/de/universitaet/engagement/hsg-entrepreneurship/hsg-best-founders/
