SCALE YOUR IMPACT

BOOST MY STARTUP CHALLENGE 2025

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Boost My Startup Challenge is a competition open to Swiss startups active in the areas of construction, environment, energy, water, logistics, mobility or real estate. It is organized by the UBS Growth Advisory, a competence center for fast-growing companies, as well as WSP, a leading engineering consultancy with numerous projects and customers in Switzerland and internationally.

You are

A startup based in Switzerland
Provide an innovative product or service in the one of the following sectors: construction, environment, energy, water, logistics, mobility or real-estate
Run a data-driven business model
Past proof-of-concept and have achieved proof-ofmarket (through first revenues)
A startup with high-growth potential

We offer

Access to WSP’s teams for an objective-driven project or product co-development
Access to WSP’s unique customer network, with more than 2000 projects in parallel, offering a first class springboard for startups
Support from UBS Growth Advisory, which has supported over 40 Swiss growth companies, by finding the right investors or granting them credit financing
Access to funding, either from the UBS Growth Advisory services or from WSP, upon proper matching and long-term collaboration perspectives
Media visibility

About us

Switzerland’s future is built on bold ideas. That’s why UBS and WSP launched the Boost My Startup Challenge in 2021—to fuel innovation and drive real solutions for the challenges shaping engineering, construction, real estate, energy, logistics, and mobility.

We believe breakthroughs happen together. No single player can tackle today’s complex challenges alone. That’s why this challenge is designed to connect ambitious startups with the expertise, networks, and resources they need to scale. WSP brings deep industry knowledge and technical expertise, UBS provides financial acumen and investor access—and you bring the next big idea.

This is more than a competition—it’s a launchpad. Join an ecosystem where collaboration turns innovation into impact. Let’s shape the future, together.

WSP Switzerland

WSP is one of the world’s leading engineering and consulting firms, bringing together technical, strategic, and science-based expertise to shape communities and drive progress. What started locally has grown into a global network spanning over 50 countries, with around 73,000 professionals—our Visioneers.

In Switzerland, our 600 experts develop groundbreaking solutions and deliver innovative projects across sustainable cities and regions, transportation infrastructure, energy and climate change, real estate and buildings, industry, as well as water, environment, and waste management.

More about WSP

UBS Growth Advisory

With 8+ years of experience in the startup space, UBS Growth Advisory has supported over 100 Swiss growth companies, by finding the right investors for them or granting them growth credit financing. They have raised more than CHF 145 million of equity capital from investors and granted more than 245 million in growth credit financing.

More about UBS Growth Advisory

The startup challenge is one of our open innovation cornerstones. We offer a business development ecosystem to startups. We will support their growth, give access to our network and encourage the development of sustainable products adapted to the needs of our customers.

Pierre Epars

CEO, WSP Switzerland

Networking is a critical skill for young entrepreneurs and vital for the success of their startup. It is a powerful tool in connecting with prospective customers and possible investors. Professional and active networking is so an important part of their business strategy.

Phillippe Schlegel

Corporate Finance Growth Advisory, UBS

Network partners

Previous winners

Neustark

Limiting global warming to 1.5°C implies reaching net zero CO₂ emissions in 2050 according to the IPCC. Next to substantially reducing emissions, this target will only be possible by globally deploying carbon removal solutions at the scale of billions of tons of CO₂. Neustark is a leading provider in this rapidly growing field, having developed a solution to permanently store CO₂ from the air in recycled mineral waste such as demolished concrete. They are already capturing and storing tons of CO₂ every day!

Urban Sympheny

The Dübendorf (ZH)-based startup won the challenge with its software that allows energy planners to easily achieve ambitious sustainability goals for any type of site.
The program can be applied at the scale of a building, a district or even a city. Thanks to high-performance algorithms and the use of digital twins, the software can simulate the local energy production system, storage, import or export and energy consumption.

Emissium

Emissium, based in Sion (VS), develops solutions in the challenging context of climate change by offering a software that enables the precise detection of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in companies or energy suppliers, in the goal of reducing them. By working with high-quality data, Emissium enables the identification of indirect emissions controlled (scope 2) or not (scope 3) by the various players and thus the understanding of the environmental impact which is the starting point for setting decarbonization targets and strategies.

Uzufly

Vaud-based startup, Uzufly’s workflow integrates the most recent and innovative photogrammetry, GIS and geospatial data processing solutions on the market. Continuous optimization of the processing chain is achieved through BigData, Cloud Processing and algorithmic tools. These innovative technologies enable the transformation of thousands of images into highly photorealistic Digital Twins, geo-referenced with an inch precision. A promising solution for urban planning and development.

News

Startup Neustark named winner of the 4th Boost my Startup Challenge

On the 10th of October 2024, six startups pitched their solutions in front of a jury of experts, entrepreneurs and investors.
We are pleased to announce that our winner for the 4th edition is neustark! Congratulations to Anna Haas and her team for their solution allowing to recycle concrete and capture CO₂ embedded in the material.

Boost My Startup Challenge – decarbonization takes centre stage in the 3rd edition!

The Boost My Startup Challenge, a collaboration between BG Ingénieurs Conseils – a WSP company – and UBS, once again attracted the interest of innovative start-ups! Five of them were selected to present their products to a jury of entrepreneurs and to investors on October 12 at UBS. This year’s winner was Emissium, a Valais-based start-up active in the field of decarbonation.

SICTIC Joins Boost My Startup Challenge: Fueling Swiss Startup Success and Investment Growth – Interview with Marcel Egger

In a significant step towards strengthening the Swiss startup ecosystem, we are proud to announce the participation of SICTIC as a Network Partner in the 3rd edition of the Boost My Startup Challenge. We had the opportunity to sit down with Marcel Egger, SICTIC board member, to discuss the importance of this collaboration and its impact on the Swiss startup community.