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Adrian Locher wanted to set up something new in Europe and ended up settling in Berlin with his company. <\/p>\n
SWI swissinfo.ch <\/p>\n
Ten years ago, Adrian Locher from Bern set out to find the ideal location to develop an AI ecosystem \u2013 and ultimately chose Germany over Switzerland. A deep pool of international talent, easier hiring and the opportunity to build something new in Europe proved decisive.\n<\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
April 18, 2026 – 10:00\n<\/p>\n
Near Berlin\u2019s Nordbahnhof train station, a sleek new building hosts the Merantix Campus, a hub where AI converges. Founder Adrian Locher is just one face among many in the co\u2011working space, coffee in hand. If there is a founder gene, he is clearly endowed with it.<\/p>\n
Swiss entrepreneurs abroad series <\/p>\n
Our series profiles Swiss men and women founding and building businesses abroad. Through their personal stories, we explore why they choose to pursue their projects beyond Switzerland\u2019s borders, the working conditions they encounter there, and the challenges and opportunities. <\/p>\n
Through their life stories, this series also showcases how the Swiss Abroad community contributes to Switzerland\u2019s economic, cultural, and political influence. <\/p>\n
He founded his first company while studying quantitative economics and business administration at the University of St Gallen in eastern Switzerland. In 2015, the sale of the bargain marketplace Dein Deal, which he had developed, to the Ringier Group gave him sudden access to significant capital.<\/p>\n
He took time off and traveled to Silicon Valley, near San Francisco, with his family in search of inspiration. \u201cI just wanted a different horizon and was looking for new topics,\u201d he tells Swissinfo.<\/p>\n
At the time, Zurich felt too cramped \u2013 \u201ca bit too small, too settled\u201d. In Europe, artificial intelligence (AI) was only known to insiders, and its disruptive capability was still a long way off. But in Silicon Valley the Swiss, born in 1982, sensed the start of something big.<\/p>\n
Locher immersed himself in the West Coast start-up economy, met leading figures and learned how the ecosystem around AI ensures that ideas eventually turn into companies.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found the dynamics there incredibly inspiring, the level of ambition and the self-image of wanting to change the world. There were people like Elon Musk who were already completely obsessed with this topic at that time. The whole environment was about striving for big goals,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Locher says Silicon Valley thrived on collective ambition, with different spheres interacting and expertise converging. In Europe, he argues, such a place \u2013 and such a climate \u2013 still does not exist.<\/p>\n
Location search in Europe<\/p>\n
The Swiss had found a new idea but not the perfect location for a fresh start as an entrepreneur. San Francisco did not feel like the ideal place for his family. He wanted to build something new in Europe. But this meant finding experts from around the world and cutting-edge research from top universities, investors, a city and a government that supports start-ups.<\/p>\n
Together with his German co-founder Rasmus Rothe, an internationally renowned AI and computer vision expert, Locher went on a European tour in search of the perfect location for Merantix. <\/p>\n
About Merantix <\/p>\n
In 2016, Adrian Locher founded Merantix with Rasmus Rothe. In 2021, the company moved to the Merantix Campus. <\/p>\n
Merantix is an innovative mix of idea incubator, start-up and investment company. In the 5,200m2 co-working space on the campus, anyone involved in AI can rent it at cost price. This is where scientists rub shoulders with investment bankers, programmers and start-up experts. It\u2019s a place where people can connect, be inspired, advance ideas together and seek funding.<\/p>\n
Around 100 teams from start-ups, research, the investor community and the government work on the campus. Over 300 networking events take place every year.<\/p>\n
Merantix also invests in the most promising ideas. It currently has ten companies in its portfolio. For example, Merantix Capital has a stake in the digital fertility clinic Ovom Care, which uses AI to increase the chances of pregnancy. The method is already being used in a clinic in Portugal. Merantix Services also offers AI solutions.<\/p>\n
Zurich, Stockholm, London and Barcelona were all options. But it was clear that there was no single location with the best minds from all areas that they needed for their ambitious project. They would have to attract them. <\/p>\n
At the time, London was a possibility, but there was already an AI ecosystem there \u2013 but not in Berlin.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe saw it as a great opportunity to simply create that,\u201d says Locher.<\/p>\n
More <\/p>\n
Have you founded a company abroad? <\/p>\n
Have you started your own business abroad? Tell us about your experience.\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n View the discussion Berlin is still hip<\/p>\n Berlin\u2019s reputation as a cosmopolitan and fashionable metropolis helped attract people from around the world to join the team. This was a decisive factor for Merantix\u2019s successful growth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s simply an attractive city. People like living here,\u201d says Locher. <\/p>\n But there are things that annoy him about Berlin: the dirt, the unreliable public transport system, and communication with the authorities.<\/p>\n The work permit situation was more favourable for Berlin than Zurich. Ten years ago, it was a major challenge in Switzerland to recruit people from non-EU\/EFTA countries, says Locher. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have people from over 50 nations. Bringing them to Germany is no problem. It\u2019s really only a matter of a few weeks here and then you\u2019ve done everything,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n In Zurich, it is also more difficult to attract good minds to a start-up when there are so many attractive employers in the financial sector offering high salaries, In Berlin, on the other hand, there are hardly any big players and the cost of living was also considerably lower.<\/p>\n But the real downside is German bureaucracy, he admits.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say that the people here are successful not because of the administration, but in spite of it,\u201d he says, adding that this clearly works better in Switzerland.<\/p>\n Dealing with the Berlin tax office, he says, feels less like being a customer and more like being a serf: everything is painfully slow and complicated. Yet he also sees an upside. Those who navigate such obstacles develop resilience \u2013 which can be an advantage. Convenience, after all, is an enemy of success.<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Swiss Abroad\n <\/p>\n The six European cities most loved by the Swiss Abroad <\/p>\n This content was published on <\/p>\n Apr 3, 2026 <\/p>\n Swiss citizens reside in almost every country worldwide, but the largest numbers are found in neighbouring states \u2013 especially in major European cities. <\/p>\n
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