The Swiss Excellence Product Award will also be awarded in 2026. The award recognizes market-ready products that demonstrate a high degree of innovation, compelling market potential, and a strong business model. Innovative Swiss SMEs and startups have until May 15, 2026, to apply. The award ceremony will take place on September 17, 2026, at Technopark Winterthur.
Anyone in Switzerland who has developed a technically sophisticated, innovative, and market-ready product is given an attractive platform through the Swiss Excellence Product Award. Presented by the Swiss Excellence Foundation, the award is aimed at Swiss SMEs and startups whose products are not only technologically impressive but also economically and strategically well-positioned.
A Platform for Market-Ready Innovations
Each year, the Swiss Excellence Product Award honors companies that are driving new momentum with innovative products and sustainable business models. Two awards are presented: one in the SME category and one in the startup category. The focus is on products that are already market-ready and stand out for their clear added value, a compelling marketing concept, and strong value-creation potential.
The award ceremony will once again take place at Technopark Winterthur in 2026. This will once again make the venue a meeting place for companies, innovation promoters, and decision-makers from the worlds of business and technology.
An Award as a Door-Opener
Winning the Swiss Excellence Product Award is far more than a symbolic honor. For the winning companies, it means increased visibility, a stronger market position, and access to a valuable network. Winners are permitted to label their award-winning products with the “Swiss Excellence Product Award” label and use it in their communications.
Added to this are media attention, new networking opportunities, and the chance to further strengthen the trust of customers, partners, and investors. The award can thus become an important door opener—both for brand awareness and for further business development.
The example of Rigitrac demonstrates the award’s potential impact: In 2025, the company won the Product Award in the SME category and, just four months later, also received the prestigious Watt d’Or energy prize from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy.
These criteria are key to the application process
Anyone wishing to apply for the Swiss Excellence Product Award 2026 should bring more than just a good idea to the table. Four key aspects will be evaluated in particular: the product’s level of innovation and uniqueness, its potential for value creation, the quality of the marketing concept, and the viability of the business model and business plan.
Products are sought that clearly stand out from existing solutions and, at the same time, can convincingly demonstrate how they can be successfully positioned in the market. The award is thus aimed at SMEs and startups that combine technological excellence with entrepreneurial substance.
Past winners demonstrate the breadth of topics covered
A look back at previous years shows just how diverse the award-winning innovations are. In 2025, the Swiss Excellence Foundation honored, among others, the electric tractor from Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG and the neuroimaging solution from Rhovica Neuroimaging AG at Technopark Winterthur. In 2024, the awards went to X-ray optics manufacturer XRnanotech and the developers of a construction monitoring platform, irmos technologies AG.
It is precisely this thematic openness that makes the Swiss Excellence Product Award particularly exciting: what matters is not the industry, but the quality of the innovation and the product’s potential.
Apply Now
For Swiss startups and SMEs with a market-ready, technically sophisticated product, this offers an attractive opportunity to present their innovation to a wider audience. The application deadline for the Swiss Excellence Product Award 2026 is May 15, 2026. The award ceremony will then take place on September 17, 2026, at Technopark Winterthur.
Photos in this article were produced and provided by Peter Brandenberger – www.im-licht.ch.
