# Katka Letzing

> Katka Letzing is the Zurich-based CEO and co-founder of Kickstart Innovation, which connects later-stage startups with established companies and public institutions. Her background spans international education and exchange programs in Silicon Valley, startup acceleration in Asia, entrepreneurship, and advisory work in Switzerland.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-Founder at Kickstart Innovation
- **Organizations:** Kickstart Innovation, Swiss {ai} Weeks, SICTIC, Capacity, Institute of International Education
- **Nationality:** Czech-American
- **Education:** CMI Prague, ESMA Barcelona
- **Known for:** Co-founded and leads Kickstart Innovation., Recognized as a Bilanz Digital Shaper in 2019 and 2023., Received recognition for diplomacy and innovation work from U.S. Department of State/White House initiatives, according to her event biography; specific award names are not given.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2013** — Worked in finance and education, then spent more than a decade in Silicon Valley on international education and exchange initiatives.
- **2013** — Began startup acceleration work in Asia, including engagements with Startup Malaysia.
- **2016** — First edition of Kickstart Accelerator, the initiative she co-founded, launched after development during 2015.
- **2018** — Identified as Kickstart program co-lead and FinTech vertical lead in a Moneycab interview.
- **2019** — Kickstart became Kickstart Innovation with a stronger focus on commercial collaboration with later-stage startups; recognized as a Bilanz Digital Shaper.
- **2023** — Recognized again as a Bilanz Digital Shaper.
- **2024** — Listed on Capacity’s board and spoke on female entrepreneurship at Startup Nights.
- **2026** — Listed on the Swiss {ai} Weeks team and sounding board; participated in public discussions about applied AI.

## Achievements

- Co-founded and leads Kickstart Innovation.
- Recognized as a Bilanz Digital Shaper in 2019 and 2023.
- Received recognition for diplomacy and innovation work from U.S. Department of State/White House initiatives, according to her event biography; specific award names are not given.
- Co-authored material in Kickstarting Collaboration.
- Kickstart reports more than 530 startups supported and more than 400 partnerships as of October 2026; these are organization-level results.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Featured with Anna Hakobyan in a TechDrive Zürich episode dated October 19 about Swiss {ai} Weeks and practical AI adoption.
- **2026-07** — Listed as a panelist on the state of AI in Switzerland at Venture Client Summit Zurich on July 8.
- **2025-11** — Led Kickstart during its tenth-anniversary program, which announced more than 20 new innovation partnerships.
- **2025-02** — Co-authored a piece on future skills with Anikó Ivanics.

## Links

- Website: https://www.kickstart-innovation.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katkaletzing/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/katka-letzing
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23