SF: Start-up is in demand

The new SF documentary series "Start up - Der Weg zur eigenen Firma" has met with great interest: Swiss Television received 937 applications by December 11, 2006. The program is intended to accompany young entrepreneurs on their path to self-employment (see ). The media company announced on Wednesday that the response to the call for entries and the quality of the business ideas submitted were well above expectations. The applications include a whole series of very attractive projects which, according to experts from the Institut für Jungunternehmen (IFJ), have a realistic chance of obtaining funding for their start-ups. As a partner of "Start up", the IFJ examines and evaluates the applications for Swiss television and makes a pre-selection. In further rounds, the project ideas are assessed by a jury, which includes Nobel Biocare CEO Heliane Canepa and McKinsey Switzerland Director Thomas Knecht.
The proportion of women among the applications received is 17.8%. The industry breakdown is as follows: 43 percent services, 11.5 percent trade, 17.4 percent production, 18.8 percent information/communication, 5 percent interdisciplinary industries, 3.3 percent life sciences and 1 percent micro/nanotech.
For the television audience and all young entrepreneurs who have not made it, SF will be offering free services such as young entrepreneur aperitifs, information events for company founders or useful contacts and tips on the subject of self-employment on the Startup.sf.tv website from April 2007. The first program will be broadcast on Monday, April 16, 2007, at 10:20 p.m. on SF 1, directly following "10vor10". The other programs will follow weekly in the same time slot.