On April 16, 2026, one thing became clear once again: successful early-stage investing is about people, meaningful exchange, and substance – not just slides.

Together with Bank Vontobel, the StartAngels Network hosted a Pitch Event that brought exactly these values to life.

Following an inspiring fireside chat on the role of investors and startups, three outstanding companies – selected from more than 60 applications – took the stage: AtlasVR AG, Lepto GmbH, and nordfen.

A special thank you to Brian Fischer for his engaging moderation, and to Kaspar Cottier and Martin Burkhardt for sharing their valuable insights and experience.

We would also like to thank Vontobel for the great partnership, as well as everyone who contributed to making the evening such a success, both on and off the stage:

Norbert Zeller (Co-President, StartAngels Network), Andreas E.F. Utermann (Chairman of the Board, Vontobel), Brian Fischer (Executive Board Member, Vontobel), Martin Burkhardt (Board Member, StartAngels Network & Partner, Lenz & Staehelin), Kaspar Cottier (StartAngels Member & Founder of Creoptix, with a successful exit), Linda Meier (Events & Market Management, Vontobel), Sabrina Johnson (Head of Events & Market Management, Vontobel), Valentin Holzwarth (CEO & Co-Founder, AtlasVR), Elena Mavrona, PhD (CEO, Lepto), Jack Kendall (CEO, nordfen), Edward Filippi (Lead Investor/Mentor for AtlasVR), Lukas Knecht MRICS (Lead Investor/Mentor for Lepto), and Christoph Zaborowsky (Lead Investor/Mentor for nordfen).

Thank you to everyone who helped create an evening full of inspiring conversations, valuable connections, and promising investment opportunities. We look forward to seeing where these conversations lead. 🚀