I wanted to call for a startup hub for Zurich - and the coworking space beat me to it

It has been bothering me for a long time that there is no real startup hub in Zurich: a place where very fresh startups can easily get a job, network, get feedback and, over time, grow into their own office. Startup hubs like that, comparable to that Beta house in Berlin, are, in my opinion, extremely important for the ecosystem.

With Rayneer we went into the situation at that time - even though we were warned from various quarters Technopark Zurich pulled. That was a big mistake: apart from the cool address (Technoparkstrasse 1), there is actually nothing positive to say about the Technopark. Without being asked, we were pushed into some kind of "coaching program", there are almost no startups in the Technopark anymore (since most of the offices were rented either to large companies or more solvent SMEs). Apart from the cool address, there is actually nothing positive to say about the Technopark. There is no networking (even after a year we knew almost no other young companies apart from our existing friends), and our direct neighbor complained when we listened to music in the office (which is unavoidable as music TV). The Technopark management could see in their own house that there is another way: the ETH wing, which is operated by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, is alive and thriving.

A great initiative from the city of Zurich, among others, is this Blue Lion-Incubator that focuses on ICT and cleantech startups. Unfortunately the Blue Lion is in Schwamendingen. I have visited the Blue Lion several times. The atmosphere is familiar, the facilities are ultra-modern and the CEO, Gerd Christen, is very personable. Unfortunately, the incubator is in Schwamendingen, so not exactly close to the city center or the creative hotspot District 5.

I am even more pleased that thisColab Zurich about the charismatic and successful one Panther-CEO Georgios Kontoleon and the Impact Hub Zurich announced today that from summer onwards they will be combining the three locations on Sihlquai, in the viaduct arches and the "garage" directly at Hardbrücke train station, at least virtually and in real terms. A so-called “Do Tank” and coworking space for exchange, collaboration and innovation will be created on more than 2,000 m2. The Colab Zurich and the Impact Hub are joining forces. In the Media releaseGeorgios can be quoted as follows: "We, the new generation of makers, are taking responsibility and shaping the future in an interdisciplinary manner; one that is open, tech-savvy, creative and suitable for grandchildren." That's exactly how it should be: successful entrepreneurs invest in the location in order to promote young, promising entrepreneurs and ideas. Bravo! The first sponsoring partner was found in Swisscom.

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