Newly founded companies in Switzerland (December 2025): a strong finish to the year

French-speaking Switzerland remains the most active region

With 1,568 new companies, French-speaking Switzerland remains the most active region in December. Compared to November, this equals a rise of 22.7%, and the region is also above last year’s level.

The canton of Vaud (526 foundations) shows particularly strong momentum. Geneva (435) remains at a high level, while Fribourg (203) and Neuchâtel (97) record clear increases. Only Valais (259) and Jura (48) remain below their 2024 levels, although Jura rebounds strongly after a weak November.

‍

Northwestern Switzerland with a strong recovery

Northwestern Switzerland records 1,321 new companies in December, representing an increase of more than 50% compared to November. The region is also clearly above December 2024.

This development is mainly driven by:

• Bern: 472 foundations
• Aargau: 388 foundations
• Solothurn: 148 foundations

Both Basel cantons also show increases, marking a clear recovery after a weaker November.

‍

Central Switzerland among the strongest regions

Central Switzerland reports 865 new companies in December, making it one of the strongest regions of the month. This corresponds to a 31.1% increase compared to November and 25.7% more than December 2024.

Key contributors include:

• Zug: 392 foundations
• Lucerne: 247 foundations
• Schwyz: 157 foundations

Despite lower volumes in smaller cantons, Central Switzerland confirms its strong appeal as a business location.

‍

Eastern Switzerland slightly above last year

In Eastern Switzerland, 682 new companies were founded in December. This is significantly higher than in November and slightly above the level of December 2024.

St. Gallen (294) remains the largest canton in the region, while Thurgau (120) and Graubünden (124) post stable results. Smaller cantons such as Appenzell Ausserrhoden (43) and Schaffhausen (58) record noticeable increases compared to the previous month.

‍

Zurich with a moderate increase

The Zurich region records 816 new companies in December. This represents a slight increase compared to November and also a moderate rise year-on-year. Zurich thus closes the year at a consistently high level.

‍

Ticino: slight improvement, but still below last year

In Ticino, 186 new companies were founded in December. This equals an increase of 8.8% compared to November, but remains below the level of December 2024. December therefore brings a modest recovery without fully offsetting the annual decline.

‍

Conclusion: a very strong year-end

December 2025 shows a clear rebound compared to November and exceeds last year’s level by a wide margin. French-speaking Switzerland, Northwestern Switzerland and Central Switzerland contribute significantly to this result.

With 5,438 new companies, December confirms Switzerland’s continued attractiveness as a business location and provides an excellent conclusion to an overall very successful year 2025.

‍