All episodes

In this episode of Burn Rate – The VC Insider Podcast, Max Meister and Guy Giuffredi discuss Physical AI, a new Swiss unicorn and the question of how to become a great VC.

In the news segment, they cover the Sifted ranking of Europe's top Physical AI hubs – with Zurich ranking #2 by deal count – the unicorn status of vVARDIS following a strategic investment from Apollo, and the structural shift in the US seed market toward larger rounds and growing bifurcation.

In the main topic, Oliver Flückiger from Vibe VC joins the show. Together they discuss how early-stage...

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

In the news segment, they cover the Stanford AI Index 2026, where Switzerland ranks first globally for AI talent per capita, Swiss founders featured on the Forbes Europe 30 Under 30 list, and Goldman Sachs’ investment in BLP Digital. The focus is on AI talent, international visibility, and how Swiss AI scale-ups are building global relevance through enterprise process automation.

In the featured topic, they are joined by Mathias Ruch, founder and CEO...

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

In the news segment, they cover the first closing of Herbert Fund I, the growing compute bottleneck in the AI market, and the latest Innosuisse certificates awarded to Swiss startups. The focus is on new fund models without follow-ons, the strategic importance of compute for AI adoption, and the breadth of substantial Swiss startups beyond short-term hype cycles.

In the featured topic, they analyze the current state of VC fundraising in Europe. While...

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...