The Startup Camp, powered by Innosuisse and managed by Swissnex is a joint program operated by Swissnex in China and Innosuisse – the Swiss innovation agency, which is a launchpad for Swiss entrepreneurs, offering the tools and tailor-made supports needed for Swiss startups to make impact and explore market potential in China.
Applications are now open for Q2, 2026 for Swiss startups interested in Greater China. The deadline for applications is February 6, 2026. This Camp is built for robotics startups ready to validate, adapt, and scale in one of the world’s most competitive robotics markets.
Starting on 15 April, this camp launches the first cohort of Swiss robotics startups into the Greater Bay Area (GBA), where robotics is no longer confined to labs or factories, but underpins a shift from industrial certainty to post-industrial confidence, with the future actively shaped rather than passively awaited.
Designed for targeted market immersion, the program places founders inside China’s most concentrated robotics and advanced manufacturing ecosystem. You will gain direct access to a fast-moving, full-stack ecosystem where talent, rapid prototyping, manufacturing, capital, and market demand meet, accelerating the journey from validation to commercialization.
Program Highlights:
- Innovation Days (April 15–21): A flagship program across the GBA, joined together with Swiss companies, researchers, and innovation associations. The week features curated site visits, roundtables, and exchanges with key components of the Chinese robotics ecosystem.
- DACH Pitch Night Hong Kong: A special event to exchange insights with startups from Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, showcase to a global audience, engage with investors and industry stakeholders.
- FAIR Plus | Robotics, Machine Vision & Logistics (April 22–24): An opportunity to showcase your technology at our booth and connect with over 250 top robotics companies (such as UBTECH, Han’s Robot, Seeed Studio), KOLs, and leading scholars from both China and internationally (North America, Southeast Asia, Europe, etc.) at one of the largest robotics fairs.
- Targeted support aligned with each startup’s key milestones.
Why China? Why GBA?
As the world’s second-largest economy, China is projected to become the largest consumer market globally by 2030. The country stands out for its scale, speed, and fast adoption of new technologies. It’s a place where ideas move quickly from testing to mass adoption. For Swiss startups, stepping into this environment offers insights and opportunities that can shape your future strategy.
Built on decades of accumulated technological capability, the Greater Bay Area (GBA) region now functions as a highly integrated innovation system. Today’s Shenzhen combines deep technical talent, advanced prototyping, flexible manufacturing, and a distinctive “government-guided + market-driven” capital model, enabling a move from the certainty of the industrial era to the open-ended confidence of a post-industrial imagination, where the future is actively shaped rather than passively awaited. Hong Kong contributes international financing and world-class research, while the wider GBA connects these strengths through cross-city mobility and diverse industrial clusters, from 3C electronics to new energy vehicles, power batteries, and medical devices, all advancing in parallel with the Industry 4.0 wave. Together, they compress innovation cycles from concept to large-scale deployment at exceptional speed.
Who can apply?
- Swiss startups that are enrolled in the Innosuisse Coaching program (initial, core, or scale-up coaching)
- Swiss startups that have been awarded the Innosuisse Certificate within the past three years
Startups that do not fulfill either of these criteria must first apply to Innosuisse’s Coaching programs.
Contact and Registration
Innovation Associate, Swissnex in China
If you are interested, schedule a 1:1 with our innovation team to discuss details about the camp and receive the application form.
Innovation in China
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