Entrepreneurial Champions Programme: HSG provides 100,000 Swiss francs to each of three start-ups

HSG is providing funding totalling 300,000 Swiss francs to three start-ups run by members of the HSG community. At the beginning of September, as part of the one-year ‘Entrepreneurial Champions Programme’ (ECP), three grants of 100,000 Swiss francs each were awarded, to be paid in instalments over the course of a year.

“This will allow the three start-up founders to concentrate fully on developing their businesses,” says Dr Bernd Schneider, Head of HSG Entrepreneurship.

Three start-ups run by members of the HSG community, operating in
different sectors, were selected:

• ARTENA by Annaleah Kressig is building a digital marketplace where independent artists can sell their works.
• Conelio by Dr Timo Koch is developing an AI application that can be used to practise conversations in the workplace.
• NoxBlanc by Dr Michael Greger is developing a mattress whose temperature and firmness can be adjusted. This is intended to enable personalised and optimised sleep.

In addition to the funding, which is paid out in instalments over the course of the year, the three founders receive individual support from HSG Entrepreneurship. This includes a personal coach and access to experts from the HSG network. “Among them are many successful founders with an HSG background who want to give something back,” says Schneider. The programme is largely funded by the HSG Foundation.

From HSG research to start-up

The aim of the programme is to bring the three start-ups to market readiness by autumn 2027. By then, they should have developed and tested an initial version of their product, acquired their first customers and established a functioning business.

All three funded start-ups have a direct link to research at HSG. ARTENA founder Annaleah Kressig developed her business idea as part of her Master’s thesis. Conelio founder Timo Koch conducts research at the Institute of Behavioural Science and Technology (IBT-HSG) into machine learning and the interaction between humans and AI. NoxBlanc founder Michael Greger developed his start-up whilst working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Healthspan Lab.

The champions are supported, amongst others, by Saša Filipović, project manager at HSG Entrepreneurship and responsible for the operational implementation of the programme. “Every start-up has different needs and is at different stages of development,” says Filipović. That is why, whilst the ECP involves regular milestone reviews with the coaches, the founders are otherwise given plenty of freedom. They are also encouraged to exchange ideas regularly amongst themselves. “It’s also about using our programmes to build a community that supports one another,” says Filipović.

Support from HSG Entrepreneurship throughout all stages of development

The ECP is part of a broader range of support offered by HSG Entrepreneurship. HSG members from Master’s level onwards can apply for the programme. In addition, there is the ‘Entrepreneurial Talents Programme’, which is open to students at all levels of study and supports up to twelve start-ups per semester with a start-up grant and intensive coaching. In addition, HSG Entrepreneurship offers advice on all aspects of developing and launching start-ups by HSG members.

A key event for the three ‘Champions’ is their appearance at the START Summit in St. Gallen in March 2027. There, the founders will be able to present their companies to an international audience of start-ups and investors. Product testing and further networking activities are also planned throughout the year.

The ECP will enter its second round in autumn 2026. Participants in the first round included Henry Müller with fortyfour, a start-up that extracts CO₂ from the ambient air and uses it as a growth accelerator in greenhouses, and Carmel Imhof with ZoneIn, which aims to promote employees’ mental health using AI.