Innobooster Gebert Rüf Stiftung
Share this opportunity
Apply before 1 September 2025 for the Gebert Rüf Stiftung Innobooster and get up to CHF 150,000
Gebert Rüf Stiftungsupports university-based, high-potential businesses from the Venture Kick program with the aim of substantially accelerating their market entry. The funding line is calling for top talents with convincing proposals of how a research & development or design boost can speed up a successful market penetration of their deeptech business. Deeptech refers to technological innovations that are based on significant scientific or engineering breakthroughs and have the potential to solve societal challenges.
Objective: boosting innovative deeptech businesses
«InnoBooster» aims at speeding up innovative, science-based deeptech businesses which have already entered the Venture Kick process and promise high market potential. Up to CHF 150,000 for a maximum of 1.5 years can be granted to top talents with a clear plan and funding need for accelerated market entry. The funding line is calling for convincing proposals which show how a further boost in research and development or design can drive business success.
«InnoBooster» is integrated in the support pipeline of the Kick Programme.
Support Criteria for InnoBooster projects
- The project is a business idea originating from the university («spin-off»).
- The project must still be based at a Swiss university or research institution (ETH Domain, cantonal university, university of applied sciences).
- Funding always goes to the university and not directly to startups already founded.
- The project must currently be in the Venture Kick programme, has reached stage 2, but not yet stage 3 (the cut-off day is the date for the pitch to the GRS Board of Trustees).
- Grantees commit themselves to complete the Venture Kick programme within the allotted time span; if they quit it deliberately, the InnoBooster grant has to be reimbursed.
- The project needs to show a proof of concept, secured IP, first customers, strategic partners and pilot projects.
- The project must provide proof of scientific excellence, innovation and market potential through letters of endorsement from a funding program (BRIDGE Proof of Concept, Pioneer Fellowships, Innogrant, Innosuisse or similar) and from (potential) customers, investors and/or industry partners.
- Budget of a maximum of CHF 150,000 for no more than 1.5 years: No infrastructure costs or overheads are financed, only salaries and materials costs directly related to the project.
- Applicants allow GRS the right to obtain information on assessments from Venture Kick.
- 1 September 2025
- 1 December 2025
- 1 February 2026
- 1 May 2026
- 1 September 2026
Application Deadlines
➡️ Application