Application Conditions
Who should apply?

Start-ups with smart ideas – cleverly implemented

Entitled to take part in the competition for the Pionierpreis are any Swiss companies or their designated representatives that fulfil the assessment criteria below. Furthermore, students, academic assistants, academic staff, and postgraduate students preparing for their doctorate at any University in Switzerland or in Liechtenstein are eligible.

The prize will be awarded to a project that introduces a new technology (product, process or concept) with innovative aspects at the frontier between science and industry. Emphasis is put on applicants who combine several ideas to form an innovative and competitive project. User-friendliness and marketability are additional factors considered by the jury.

Startups founded after June 30, 2021, are eligible to apply. The application period begins immediately and ends on September 21, 2026. The winners will not only receive prize money of CHF 100,000, but will also benefit from the award’s prestigious reputation and the increased visibility that comes with the ceremony. Further information, including details on past winners and finalists, is available on the website www.pionierpreis.ch.

Physical AI is leaving the laboratory. Companies need to learn how to use it.

Asinov is a new Swiss initiative dedicated to embodied intelligence and the professional deployment of humanoid robots. Developed in connection with 42 Lausanne, its purpose is not primarily to train people to build robots, but to prepare professionals and companies to understand where humanoids can create value and how to integrate them into real working environments.

The program combines learning by doing, experimentation and real-life projects across industry, healthcare, logistics, services and other professional environments. Each participant works toward the concrete deployment of a robotic system, with particular attention to human-machine interaction, operational relevance, acceptance and impact.

In parallel, Asinov will launch an Executive Program for senior executives and decision-makers who need to understand the strategic implications of Physical AI without becoming robotics specialists. The program will consist of four intensive weeks spread over one year, including two weeks in China across Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing, providing direct exposure to the companies, technologies, manufacturing capabilities and applications currently shaping the humanoid robotics revolution. The first Executive Program will also start in October 2026.

The program is complemented by an immersion in Shanghai, connecting Swiss application expertise with one of the world’s most dynamic robotics ecosystems.

The Gate Challenge creates a concrete bridge between the Swiss and Chinese innovation ecosystems. Supported by MassChallenge Switzerland, it gives selected start-ups and innovative companies the opportunity to spend 4 weeks immersed in China’s entrepreneurial and technological ecosystem.

Participants meet entrepreneurs, industrial partners, investors, incubators and researchers, visit leading innovation and technology hubs, test their assumptions against market realities and adapt their strategy accordingly. Workshops, mentoring, pitching and networking complete the experience.

The objective is simple: understand China by experiencing China, identify concrete opportunities and partnerships, and help Swiss companies develop the networks and capabilities required to address one of the world’s largest and fastest-moving innovation markets.