CSS launches its own venture fund with Redstone and invests 50 million in start-ups

With SwissHealth Ventures AG, CSS is the first health insurer to establish the necessary structures to invest in innovative start-ups in the healthcare market. The fund is built up with surpluses from the supplementary insurance business and amounts to 50 million Swiss francs.

Investments for the insured

CSS is committed to providing high-quality and cost-efficient care for the future. The leading Swiss health insurer is therefore investing in digital start-ups. These should make tomorrow’s medical care accessible to the insured through innovative offers. “With our own venture fund, we play a pioneering role in the Swiss market. Our goal is to create added value for our customers and to anticipate and meet their needs even better”, explains Philomena Colatrella, CEO of CSS Versi-cherung.

Startups from the fields of telemedicine to early detection diagnostics

Targeted investments are to be made in start-ups that advance the health care system through new and digital technologies in the areas of prevention, recovery, care and special care. The fo-cus is on telemedicine, early detection diagnostics as well as digital therapies and tools for the chronically ill. An initial investment has already been made: CSS supports the ETH spin-off “Preg-nolia”. The startup has developed a measuring method for better estimation of the risk of prema-ture birth.

A separate company

SwissHealth Ventures AG is an independent company, which is located under the umbrella of CSS Holding AG. To implement the investment activities CSS has entered into a partnership with Redstone Switzerland – one of the leading venture capital specialists in Europe. With this structure CSS positions itself as a professional investor for ambitious start-ups.

The press release is available at www.css.ch/medien