Swiss startup competition >>venture>> is calling for up-and-coming entrepreneurs to send in their applications for this year. Founded by Dr. Thomas Knecht in 1997, the >>venture>> competition aims to empower young entrepreneurs to develop their viable business ideas into startup companies. The competition is a joint initiative between public research university ETH Zurich, McKinsey & Company, Swiss transportation company Knecht Holding, Swiss Innovation Agency Innosuisse and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). >>venture>> is looking for applications from five industry verticals; finance and insurance, health and nutrition, ICT, industrials and engineering as well as retail and customer services. The finance and insurance vertical is the latest addition to their long-standing competition.