The Foundation

We build the talent layer for the AI-first economy.

START Foundation is a tax-exempt non-profit foundation.

Who we are

A Swiss charitable foundation.

START Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable foundation seated in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Under Swiss foundation law, we pursue a public-benefit purpose: building practical, interdisciplinary competencies for the next generation of talent, builders, and institutional leaders.

That gives START a credible long-term institutional form for partnerships, philanthropy, and programme support — one built around public benefit rather than short-term transactions.

Seat

St. Gallen, Switzerland

Legal form

Tax-exempt charitable foundation

Legal framework

Swiss foundation law

Donations

Donations and eligible support are generally tax-deductible

Our Mission

We help talented people build practical competencies that translate into interdisciplinary collaboration and meaningful contribution to the economy and society.

Our focus is not theory for theory's sake. We build the environment in which talent can pursue real projects, take responsibility, and develop competencies that remain relevant regardless of career path.

Interdisciplinary

Technical and commercial perspectives cross-pollinate inside one builder environment.

Practically relevant

Competencies are built through real projects — not only through abstract curriculum.

Built for any path

Entrepreneurship is one valid outcome, but the skills remain valuable across careers.

“We encourage entrepreneurship as a viable path — but not as the only valid outcome.”

Our foundation model

Public mandate, private relevance, academic proximity.

START brings public and private actors together in one model that creates both practical relevance and financial durability. Academic institutions are part of the surrounding environment — but they do not co-design programmes or co-invest in the foundation model itself.

Public sector

Public-interest mandate with real institutional weight.

Public actors engage both through content and financing. They reinforce the long-term talent infrastructure, regional competitiveness, and public-benefit mandate of the foundation.

Private sector

Real-economy proximity and practical relevance.

Private actors also engage through both content and financing. They bring real-economy challenges, operator perspective, and practical relevance into the ecosystem around START.

Academic environment

Strong institutional proximity — without being part of the foundation model.

START is well placed within a strong academic environment. That proximity matters for talent access and institutional credibility. At the same time, universities do not co-design programmes and do not co-invest in the foundation model.

Governance