Top 17 Information Hub
Congratulations on making it to the Top 17 of the W.A. de Vigier Award 2026!
Here’s everything you need to know about the next steps in the selection process.
PRESENTATION DAYS
PRESENTATION FORMAT
Each startup will present privately to the Foundation Board.
Presentation Format
- Total time: 25 minutes
- Max. 5 minutes to set up
- Max. 15 minutes – Presentation
- 10-15 minutes – Q&A with the Foundation Board members
- Languages: English or High German
- Present alone – No team members allowed
Presentation Structure recommended
-
Your Product/Service (Approx. 7 minutes)
- Clearly explain the problem you are solving and your solution
- Avoid overly technical terms – make it understandable for everyone
-
You as an Entrepreneur (Approx. 7 minutes)
- Share your inspiration, challenges, and motivation
- What drives you as an entrepreneur? What are your ups and downs?
Technical requirements
Unlike Selection Day, you will be using your laptop, and you are free to define the number of slides.
- Bring your own laptop
- Bring a clicker to advance slides
- Presentation format: 16:9
- HDMI output – Bring necessary adapters if needed
- Headphone output (jack 3.5 mm) on your laptop – if your presentation includes sound
Who will be in the room?
The audience will consist of the W.A. de Vigier Board members (voting jury members), the foundation’s management (aka Hanna & Céline), and a representative of the FERS Foundation. In addition, between one and three close partners may be present as silent listeners only. Please rest assured:
- We will provide you with their names and organisations in advance.
- All attendees must sign an NDA to join.
- You’ll have the right to refuse the presence of specific listeners.
SCHEDULE & LOGISTICS
Schedule
Make sure you arrive at least 30 minutes before your presentation time!
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
| Time | Candidate |
|---|---|
| 13:00 | Arka Banerjee, 80SBio AG |
| 13:25 | Maude Rolland, VECTOPIA |
| 13:50 | Gwenael Hannema, OrthoSens SA |
| 14:15 | Emily Thompson, Augury Medical GmbH |
| 15:05 | Seoho Jung, Chiral Nano AG |
| 15:30 | Martin Stadler, Qendra AG |
| 15:55 | Riccardo Acciarino, OOVIE Studios SA |
| 16:20 | Robert Schreiber, Alpinasana AG |
| 16:45 | Fabian Wiesemüller, FireDrone AG |
Thursday, May 7, 2026
| Time | Candidate |
|---|---|
| 08:30 | Arthur Sebesteny, Dental Robotics |
| 08:55 | Eliott Sounigo, LAYERED GmbH |
| 09:20 | Giancarlo Mattiello, Cria Technologies SA |
| 10:10 | Sébastien Le Fouest, Windworks SA |
| 10:35 | Samuel Heiniger, Iron Energy AG |
| 11:00 | Jonathan Koifman, FrostForge SA |
| 11:25 | Silvan Suter, Thermal Transformer AG |
| 11:50 | Hagen Lihl, UpGrid AG |
Location
Sommerhaus de Vigier, Untere Steingrubenstrasse 25, 4500 Solothurn
- Parking: Bieltor or Baseltor parking or maybe Lidl parking. The Sommerhaus has no parking available!
- By train: 15 min walk from Solothurn train station or you can take the bus to “Kunstmuseum”
NEXT STEPS
☑️ Submission of further documentation incl. a business plan: by March 22, 2026
❇️ Connection Day – April 22, 2026, in Neuchâtel
❇️ Presentation Days – May 6 & 7, 2026, in Solothurn (Sommerhaus de Vigier)
CONNECTION DAY 2026
A full day dedicated to connecting with fellow Top 17 startups and preparing for your presentation at the W.A. de Vigier Awards and beyond.
The day will conclude with the Alumni Dinner, giving you the opportunity to meet and network with former winners.
While participation is not a requirement for the award, but it is highly valued.
Location
Café Villa Castellane
Faubourg de l’Hôpital 21
2000 Neuchâtel
On Google Maps
Schedule
- 09:30 | Arrival & Coffee
- 10:00 – 17:00 | Workshop & interactive sessions, including Q&A on the de Vigier Selection Process
- 17:30 | End of the official program
- 18:30 | Dinner with Alumni at the Bar Rooftop Waves, on top of the Hôtel Beaulac, Esplanade Léopold-Robert 2, 2000 Neuchâtel
Dress code
👔 Business casual – this is meant to be a relaxed day 🙂
Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUBMISSION
FOR EXPERT REVIEW
We will assign an expert from our network to conduct an in-depth review of your case. All experts have signed an NDA before accessing any application materials.
Their assessment, along with the additional information you provide, will be submitted to the foundation board ahead of the Presentation Days.
Required Documents
Deadline: March 22, 2026
- Business Plan (max. 8 pages, mandatory).
- Format A4 with text (= not a slide deck).
- We do not impose a strict format for the Business Plan, as startups operate in different fields and at different development stages. You are free to structure it in the way that best represents your company and strategy.
- While there is no fixed template, we strongly recommend addressing the following points:
- Problem: What problem or pain point are you adressing?
- Product/Technology: A clear description of your product or technology, including its key features and innovation.
- Market Strategy: How you plan to enter the market and/or scale up your business.
- Technical Feasibility: Ensure your Business Plan demonstrates that your invention is technically sound. Experts will review whether your idea is viable and feasible.
- Operations & Logistics: How you manage production, distribution, or any logistical aspects crucial for success.
- Certificate of residence delivered by cantonal authority (mandatory – Wohnsitzbestätigung, déclaration de résidence/attestation de domicile)
- Company logo (mandatory, a vector file is preferred or PNG with transparent background)
- Product description & photo (optional)
- Updated Commercial Registry Entry (if applicable)
FOR PRESS RELEASE
To ensure we have the most accurate details for future press releases, please send an email to info@devigier.ch by March 23 with the following information:
- Company name
- Legal form of the company (if not founded yet, leave empty)
- CEO name
- Product name (if different from the company name)
- Company headquarters (City and Canton)
- Website address (if none, leave empty)
- LinkedIn page of your company (if none, leave empty)
- Affiliation to educational institutions