Swiss start-up Advanon has secured the backing of an investor with experience in Silicon Valley, allowing it to develop the business model, which targets the liquidity demands of small- and medium-sized companies in the German-speaking region.

Advanon, based in Zurich, is a matchmaker, bringing investors together with companies in need of liquidity. Founded in spring, the start-up has now secured the money it needs for legal, regulatory and marketing purposes, Phil Lojacono, chief executive of Advanon told finews.ch.

The money Advanon received may seem small fry - less than a million francs according to Lojacono - but the three founders managed to get the backing of Daniel Gutenberg (picture). Gutenberg is known to have invested in Netscape and Facebook. Gutenberg put his money in Advanon in a personal capacity and through the Venture Incubator Fund, a Swiss venture capital firm.

Offer for Relocation to UK

With his committment, Gutenberg signals his conviction that Advanon's business idea will be successful. Small- and medium-sized companies can find investors to prefinance their invoices through the online plattform Advanon operates.

The start-up has such a convincing business model that the British embassy approached the founders in the summer, trying to convince them to relocate to the UK, as finews.ch reported.

The company in September booked its first ever turnover, Lojacono told finews.ch.