Swiss Biotech Report 2026: talent and tenacity drive record performance

The 2026 edition of the Swiss Biotech Report highlights a strong year for Switzerland’s biotech sector under the theme “Talent and Tenacity”, with record revenues of CHF 7.5 billion and more than 21’000 full-time employees, a new high for the industry. Despite continued challenges in global public capital markets, Swiss biotech companies raised CHF 2.6 billion in total financing in 2025, a 2.1% increase over 2024. The standout development was in private funding: privately financed companies raised a record CHF 1.15 billion, up 38% compared to 2024, representing 45% of total sector financing, a significant jump from the roughly 30% share seen in prior years.

Private funding record and a landmark IPO

On the public markets side, 2025 saw only one Swiss biotech listing: BioVersys‘ CHF 80 million IPO on SIX Swiss Exchange in February, the largest biotech IPO in Europe in five years. Among the largest private financing rounds, Windward Bio raised CHF 186 million and GlycoEra secured CHF 104 million. R&D investment remained at a high level at CHF 2.5 billion, reflecting sustained confidence in Switzerland’s innovation capacity despite a more cautious global environment.

Collaboration and licensing agreements continued to serve as important sources of non-dilutive financing. Notable transactions included BioVersys’ global research collaboration with Shionogi worth up to CHF 479 million, and a USD 456 million licensing agreement between CDR-Life and Boehringer Ingelheim. On the regulatory front, Swissmedic approved 40 new products in 2025. Life sciences products remained Switzerland’s dominant export category, with the chemical, pharmaceutical, and life sciences industries reaching CHF 152.1 billion, 53% of total Swiss exports. The immunologicals subsector alone, comprising therapeutic proteins, cell therapies, and vaccines, contributed CHF 57.4 billion, or 20% of all national exports. This year’s Swiss Biotech Success Stories Award was presented to Patrick Aebischer, former president of EPFL and founder of four biotech companies, in recognition of his contributions to translational neuroscience and the Swiss life sciences ecosystem.

Western Switzerland remains a significant contributor to the national biotech landscape, with private companies in the region raising CHF 253 million and public companies CHF 454 million in 2025. The region’s universities, hospital clusters, and research organizations continue to attract global investment and talent, the foundations on which Switzerland’s continued biotech leadership rests.