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In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi discuss a structural shift in the venture capital market.

In the news segment, they cover the current shift from software to hardware, the new quantum partnership between ETH Zurich and IBM, and the ambitious potential SpaceX valuation ahead of a possible IPO. The discussion focuses on defensibility in the age of AI, Europe’s opportunities in strategic technologies, and the growing role of narrative-driven valuations in tech.

In the featured topic, they analyze the underappreciated shift in VC from spray-and-pray investing to a small number...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi discuss new dynamics in the Swiss and European venture capital landscape.

In the news segment, they analyze the first cohort of Project Switzerland, discuss the acquisition of Zurich-based AI startup Starmind by Capacity, and break down the appointment of Michael Stucky as the new CEO of the Swiss Startup Association. Key themes include scaling challenges in the Swiss ecosystem, the growing importance of platforms in AI, and the role of policy advocacy for startups.

In the featured segment, they cover the Burn Rate Market...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi discuss new dynamics in the Swiss and global venture capital landscape.

In the news segment, they cover the Digital Shapers 2026, break down the latest European Deep Tech Report by Dealroom and Lakestar, and discuss the first closing of the new climate-tech VC Vitamin C. The focus is on Europe’s deep tech opportunity, Switzerland’s role as a bridge between research and capital, and how selective climate-tech investing is shaping the next industrial wave.

In the featured segment, they are joined by Wanja Humanes, CEO...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi discuss new dynamics in the Swiss and international venture capital market.

In the news segment, they analyze Kickfund’s highly scalable VC model with more than 100 portfolio companies in less than two years, discuss the new Startup Selection Switzerland ranking launched by NZZ and ZHAW, and break down Yann LeCun’s record-setting billion-dollar seed round as a sign of increasingly extreme power-law dynamics in the AI market.

The featured topic is a conversation with Frank Floessel, Head of ETH Entrepreneurship. They discuss ETH Zurich’s record...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi break down the most important startup deals from February 2026 in the Swiss venture ecosystem.

In the Burn Rate Market Snapshot, they review a quieter Swiss funding month with around CHF 100 million invested across 15 disclosed rounds, discuss positive ecosystem signals from ETH, EPFL, the Swiss Startup Association and the startup support ranking, and touch on Constructor Capital’s first fund closing. The European view also points to a selective but active market environment, with capital continuing to concentrate around AI infrastructure and deep...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi discuss recent developments in the Swiss venture capital ecosystem.

In the news segment, they analyze ETH Zurich’s record year with 46 new ventures, the rebound in invested capital highlighted by the EY Startup Barometer, and Switzerland’s strong performance in the Financial Times European startup support ranking.

The featured topic explores Oomnium’s growth financing platform together with founder Leandro Davies, including its approach to community investing, deal sourcing and the use of AI in due diligence.

In the listener question, they discuss whether SPACs could...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi break down the latest developments in the Swiss and international venture capital landscape.

In the news segment, they analyze the record number of startup liquidations in Switzerland in 2025 and explain why rising shutdowns and recovering investment volumes are not contradictory, but typical for a delayed market cycle. They also discuss a growing trend in venture capital: leading funds investing simultaneously in direct competitors — particularly in AI — and what this means for loyalty, governance, and founder–investor dynamics. Finally, they examine Europe’s quantum...

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi break down key developments across the Swiss and global venture capital landscape.

In the news segment, they analyze the record year of EPFL with 39 new spin-offs and CHF 701m in funding, discuss the new startup reform agenda introduced by the Swiss Startup Association, and examine the launch of the $10 billion mega-fund by Thrive Capital.

Key structural questions include:
Is Switzerland better at building deep-tech companies than scaling them?
Who fills the Series B financing gap?
And is venture capital evolving into a...

Here is the English version of your Spotify description for Episode 82, in your standard Burn Rate format:

In this episode of Burn Rate, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi analyze the most important startup deals from January 2026 in the Swiss venture capital ecosystem. In the Burn Rate Market Snapshot, they break down around CHF 496 million invested across 19 financing rounds, discuss the strong acceleration compared to December, recent exits without disclosed prices, and key ecosystem signals around the ETH Deep Tech Summit, Project Switzerland, and the Swiss Venture Capital Report. A look at Europe shows a stable but...

In this episode of Burn Rate, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi cover the latest signals from Switzerland’s venture ecosystem — recorded on Thursday, February 5. In the news segment, they discuss the first closing of Constructor Capital Fund I ($110M), the new cohort of the Microsoft for Startups Switzerland AI Tech Accelerator, and a look back at 20 years of Venture Leaders with standout ecosystem results.

The main segment is a deep dive into the Swiss Venture Capital Report 2026 (“Trend Reversal”), featuring an interview with Thomas Heimann (co-initiator and co-author). Together, they unpack what’s really behind the headline numbers:...