Vi Partners, a Swiss venture capital firm, has announced the first close of its new flagship fund, targeting CHF 150 million (approximately $189 million). The initial close was backed by existing limited partners, demonstrating their continued confidence in the firm’s long-term strategy and track record. This milestone comes as Vi Partners celebrates its 25th anniversary, making it the longest-established venture capital firm in Switzerland.
Over the past 25 years, Vi Partners has focused on identifying and supporting teams with strong scientific and technological foundations, with the ambition of building outstanding companies. The new fund will continue this approach, with a focus on Series A and early-growth-stage companies, split between technology and healthcare. On the technology side, the firm will back startups building core software and data-driven platforms, including enterprise software, AI, fintech, and industrial technology. In healthcare, the fund will target companies working on biotech, medtech, and digital health, addressing clear clinical or system-level problems.
Vi Partners has a strong track record of backing successful companies, including AMAL Therapeutics, Kuros Biosciences, and Oculis in healthcare, as well as Nexthink, SumUp, and Unique in technology. The firm’s managed funds are backed by prominent Swiss companies and institutions, such as ETH Zurich, ABB, and Nestlé, as well as a broad base of institutional and private investors.
The new fund will allow Vi Partners to continue its disciplined, long-term investment approach, grounded in deep sector expertise and close collaboration with entrepreneurs. The firm’s managing partners, Diego Braguglia, Olivier Laplace, and Gaetano Zanon, emphasized their commitment to supporting ambitious founders and building category-defining companies out of Switzerland and Europe. With the first close completed, Vi Partners has begun deploying capital from the new fund, with further closings expected later this year.
Switzerland has become a strong ecosystem for life sciences and software-driven innovation, and Vi Partners’ long presence in this market puts it in a strong position to continue supporting founders. The firm’s new fund is expected to play a significant role in shaping the future of the Swiss startup ecosystem, and its focus on technology and healthcare is likely to have a positive impact on the country’s economy and society.