Startups in Bern, Switzerland: 2027 guide

Startups in Bern: the short answer

Startups in Bern grow out of the University of Bern, the Inselspital university hospital and a canton that pays for free startup coaching through be-advanced. Bern ranks #224 of 1,000 cities in our startup city ranking (StartupBlink 2024 ecosystem scores). The city fits medtech, healthtech and precision engineering founders who can handle Swiss costs and the highest profit tax burden of any Swiss cantonal capital, about 20.5% of pre-tax profit at the top. Coaching vouchers, an interest-free founder loan and federal loan guarantees pay for the first steps, and equity rounds bring in investors from outside the city.

Is Bern a good place to start a startup in 2027?

Bern fits medical founders first. The Insel Campus holds Inselspital and the medical faculty, and sitem-insel, the Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, sits right there to turn clinical research into products. Hardware teams have a second base in the same canton: Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne runs centers for advanced manufacturing, battery technology, healthtech and smart factories, and in October 2026 the Japanese greentech company GSA opened a battery recycling lab there.

Here is the catch. If your company turns a big profit early, Bern costs you more than almost anywhere in Switzerland. KPMG and the Bern chamber of commerce put the top profit tax burden in the city at 20.54%, against a Swiss average of 14.43% (KPMG, October 2026). Loss-making startups feel this later, and research-heavy teams can cut it with the patent box and the R&D deduction. Expect German in official procedures.

What does the Bern startup ecosystem look like?

• be-advanced: the canton’s coaching organization for startups and SMEs, based at Spitalgasse 28 in Bern. It reports 520+ startups supported and 1,800+ founders advised. The startup program runs from a three-month market validation phase (Challenge) to product-market fit work (Evolve) and the High Tech Pitch, with up to 48 hours of free coaching. The canton pays the full program for qualified incorporated startups; teams not yet incorporated get the first package free, then pay 50%. Epistudia and Abrinca went through it.
• University of Bern Innovation Office: free, confidential advice on ideas, business models and pitches for researchers at the university and Inselspital, help finding office or lab space on campus, and the Ideenlabor workshop room.
• sitem-insel: a public-private partnership on the Insel Campus that supports translational biomedical engineering projects next to Inselspital.
• Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne: four centers (Swiss Advanced Manufacturing Center, Swiss Battery Technology Center, Swiss Healthtech Center, Swiss Smart Factory) plus startup space and meeting rooms at Aarbergstrasse 46 in Biel/Bienne.

Where do founders in Bern find funding?

• STI Start-up Loan: the Stiftung für technologische Innovation lends to the founder personally, interest-free, for up to eight years, with repayment starting after year three. Your startup must be technology-based, at most five years old and based in the Espace Mittelland (cantons of Bern, Solothurn, Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Jura). You apply through be-advanced’s High Tech Pitch, and the foundation decides within about three months.
• Innosuisse Start-up Coaching: vouchers for accredited coaches, up to CHF 10,000 (Initial Coaching, 12 months), CHF 50,000 (Core Coaching, 36 months) and CHF 75,000 (Scale-up Coaching, 24 months).
• University of Bern grants: the UniBE Inno Grant and the UniBE Venture Fellowship for university spin-off projects (Innovation Office).
• Technology Fund: federal loan guarantees of up to CHF 3 million for up to 10 years for companies whose products cut greenhouse gas emissions. At least 40% of the project must come from other money.

How do you register a company in Switzerland?

Startups that plan to raise money pick a GmbH (limited liability company) or an AG (stock corporation). A GmbH needs CHF 20,000 in share capital, fully paid in at founding in cash or in kind; an AG needs CHF 100,000 (KMU portal). The cash sits on a blocked bank account until the company is published in the Swiss Official Gazette of Commerce. The founding needs a notarized deed, and the company exists only once it is entered in the commercial register. Check your name on Zefix, the federal index of commercial register entries, and use EasyGov, the federal online counter for businesses, for the follow-up registrations.

What taxes does a startup pay in Switzerland in 2026?

• Federal profit tax: 8.5% of net profit for every company in Switzerland (ESTV tariff brochure).
• Canton and city of Bern: Bern uses a progressive simple tax of 1.55% on the first 20% of taxable profit (at least on CHF 11,100), 3.1% on the next CHF 55,700 and 4.6% on the rest (ESTV). For companies, that simple tax is multiplied by 2.62 for the canton and 1.54 for the city of Bern in 2026, plus a small church tax on legal entities (Finanzverwaltung Kanton Bern). Because Swiss profit taxes are deductible, the combined top burden works out to 20.54% of pre-tax profit in the city of Bern, the figure KPMG publishes for 2026.
• R&D incentives: Bern applies the federal STAF tools, a patent box for income from patents and an extra deduction for R&D costs, with a cap on total relief (TaxInfo Kanton Bern).
• VAT (MWST): 8.1% standard, 2.6% reduced and 3.8% for accommodation (ESTV). Registration becomes mandatory at CHF 100,000 of taxable turnover a year, and a new business registers from day one if it expects to pass that line within 12 months (ESTV).
• What changes next: on 29 November 2026 Swiss voters decide on raising VAT by 0.4 points, to 8.5% standard, to fund the AHV pension, with entry into force at the earliest in early 2028 (admin.ch). Rates for 2027 stay as above.

Which visa can a foreign founder use to move to Bern?

EU and EFTA citizens move under the free movement rules. Switzerland has no startup visa for everyone else. Non-EU founders apply for a permit to work self-employed, and they need it from the first working day (Migrationsdienst Kanton Bern):

• What counts: admission depends on a labor market review under Art. 19 FNIA. You show that your business has a lasting positive impact on the Swiss labor market, with a business plan, a market analysis, planned investments, turnover and profit forecasts, your articles of association and the commercial register extract (SEM FAQ).
• Who decides in Bern: you file with the cantonal Amt für Wirtschaft, which checks the labor market side and passes the file to the Migrationsdienst for the residence side. Permits for non-EU workers fall under annual quotas.
• Exemptions: spouses of Swiss citizens and of holders of a C settlement permit need no separate approval.

Pros and cons for founders in Bern

Pros

• be-advanced coaching is free for qualified incorporated startups.
• The STI loan gives founders interest-free money without giving up equity.
• Insel Campus and sitem-insel put medtech teams next to a university hospital.
• Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne covers batteries, manufacturing and healthtech in the same canton.

Cons

• The top profit tax burden of 20.54% is the highest of all Swiss cantonal capitals.
• We found no venture fund headquartered in Bern, so equity rounds need investors from elsewhere.
• Non-EU founders face quotas and a business-plan test with no startup visa.

What does Bern offer women founders?

We found no women-only founder program in Bern with current dates. The University of Bern’s Innovation Office lists Womxn who start up, an outreach series for diversity in academic entrepreneurship, among its activities. Nationally, the Female Founders Initiative Switzerland counts 600+ women founders on its map and offers a WhatsApp community, monthly online sessions, a template library and its FF+ Accelerator.

FAQ about startups in Bern

Is Bern a good city for startups?

Yes for medtech, healthtech, batteries and precision manufacturing, with free be-advanced coaching and the STI founder loan for the first steps.

How much tax does a startup pay in Bern?

Nothing on profit while you make losses. Once profitable, a company in the city of Bern pays up to about 20.5% of pre-tax profit in federal, cantonal, city and church tax, and the patent box and R&D deduction can lower that.

How much money do I need to found a GmbH in Bern?

CHF 20,000 in share capital, fully paid in at founding, plus notary costs. An AG needs CHF 100,000.

Which visa lets a non-EU founder start a company in Bern?

A residence permit for self-employment under Art. 19 FNIA. You need a business plan that shows a lasting benefit for the Swiss labor market, and you apply to Bern’s Amt für Wirtschaft before you start working.

Sources (checked October 2026)

• be-advanced: startup program
• be-advanced: home
• University of Bern: Innovation Office
• Bern Economic Development Agency: sitem-insel
• Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne
• STI: Start-up Loan
• Innosuisse: Start-up Coaching
• Technology Fund: loan guarantees
• KMU portal: GmbH capital and founding
• Zefix
• EasyGov
• ESTV: profit tax rates by canton, tax period 2025
• Finanzverwaltung Kanton Bern: tax multipliers 2026
• KPMG: Berner Steuermonitor, 14 October 2026
• TaxInfo Kanton Bern: STAF measures
• ESTV: VAT rates
• ESTV: VAT liability
• admin.ch: AHV financing vote, 29 November 2026
• SEM: FAQ on work for non-EU/EFTA nationals
• Migrationsdienst Kanton Bern: workers and self-employed from third countries
• Female Founders Initiative Switzerland

MeanCEO Index for Bern 🇨🇭

Bern is a smaller startup city with real strengths in medtech and engineering. Here is how it scores for female entrepreneurs on the ten factors of the MeanCEO Index.

---

1. Weather ☀️

• Score: 6/10
  • Bern has a temperate climate with a fair number of sunny days, and winters get quite chilly. Moderate rainfall moves some networking indoors.

2. Location 🏞️

• Score: 5/10
  • Bern sits in the middle of Switzerland, far from the sea, with lakes and mountains close by. The scenery makes up for the missing beaches on weekends.

3. Women Friendly 👩‍💼

• Score: 7/10
  • Switzerland pays attention to gender equality, and Bern has programs for women in business. Some traditional norms remain in daily life.

4. Foreigners Friendly 🌍

• Score: 6/10
  • Locals are reserved at first, and friendships take time. Expat groups and the international community help newcomers connect.

5. English as a Business Language 📚

• Score: 8/10
  • English is widely spoken in business and in the startup scene, which helps foreign entrepreneurs, women included, get started. German is still needed for paperwork.

6. Delicious Cuisine 🍷

• Score: 6/10
  • Swiss food is hearty and built on quality ingredients, and onions do appear. Local chocolate and cheese are the highlights.

7. Ease of Getting Married and Starting a Family 💍

• Score: 5/10
  • The dating scene is quiet and shaped by a reserved culture. A strong focus on work-life balance slows down relationship building for busy founders.

8. Medicine 🏥

• Score: 7/10
  • Switzerland has an excellent healthcare system, and appointments come quickly. Costs are high, so good insurance matters.

9. Ease of Transportation & Traveling 🚍

• Score: 8/10
  • Bern has trams, buses and frequent trains to the other Swiss cities. International flights are a train ride away at the larger airports.

10. Startup Mindset 💡

• Score: 6/10
  • Bern’s startup culture is growing and takes fewer risks than Zurich. Public money for coaching, research and climate projects keeps new teams coming.

---

MeanCEO Index Score: 64/100 🎉

Bern gives female entrepreneurs a balanced and steady base. Free coaching, a university hospital and good quality of life count in its favor, while high living costs and a reserved social scene hold the score back. For women building in medtech, healthtech or engineering, Bern is a solid and calm place to start.

Happy entrepreneurship! 🚀