Meet Patrik Schär, CEO of Selma. The Fintech startup is transforming wealth management in Switzerland with AI-powered financial advice and fully personalised investing. In November, Patrik and the other nine Swiss National Fintech Team members will fly to London on a business development and investor roadshow.
Name: Patrik Schär
Location: Zürich
Nationality: Swiss
Graduated from: FHNW (BSc) & Copenhagen Business School (MSc), CFA Charterholder (CFA Institute)
Job title: CEO & Co-Founder
Number of employees: 20
Money raised: CHF 14M
Can you tell us who your product or solution helps, and how?
Selma helps people in Switzerland who want to invest and plan their finances — whether they’re just starting out, building wealth, or managing pension savings. With Selma AI, clients get personalised financial advice that fits their full situation, and we combine that with tailored, cost-efficient investment solutions that are managed for them every day.
What market are you addressing and what is the potential of your startup in that market?
We target the Swiss wealth management and pension market, worth hundreds of billions but still dominated by costly, traditional banks. Most people lack proper advice unless they’re already wealthy. Selma changes this with AI-driven financial guidance and tailored investments, making wealth management accessible to everyone—from first-time investors to retirees. With rising demand for pension planning, a generational wealth transfer, and the shift to digital solutions, Selma is well positioned to capture this opportunity.
"Persistence makes
the impossible
gradually possible."
How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?
I spent over a decade in Swiss banking and realised most financial services were expensive, complex, and mainly for the wealthy. In Copenhagen, I saw startups built with simple, customer-first design and wondered why finance couldn’t be the same. I met my cofounders there, and through their ties to Finland we founded Selma Finance before relocating to Switzerland, shaped by my banking background. Blending Nordic design with Swiss financial expertise, we first helped millennials start investing. Today, we also support older and more affluent clients, particularly those preparing for retirement and managing larger savings.
What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how do you think it will help you achieve your vision?
I spent over a decade in Swiss banking and saw how financial services were costly, complex, and geared toward the wealthy. During my studies in Copenhagen, I experienced a different approach—startups built on simple, customer-first design. I asked myself: why not finance? I met my cofounders there, and with ties to Finland, we launched Selma Finance before relocating to Switzerland, where my banking background proved valuable. By combining Nordic design with Swiss financial expertise, we began helping millennials invest for the first time and have since expanded to serve older clients, including retirees managing substantial savings.
What are your team’s key achievements to date?
We launched the first AI-powered financial advisor in Switzerland and recently added a pension user-experience specifically to help retirees manage their savings. Today, we serve over 14,500 clients, manage more than CHF 300 million, and are backed by large corporations like TX Ventures and Migros Group. And, of course, being selected for Venture Leaders in London is another great step as we keep growing our team and impact.
Is there a key principle or value that guides you as you build your company?
For me, transparency and putting clients first are key. In finance, too much is hidden behind complicated jargon: fees, risks, the actual products. That’s frustrating, and it limits access to useful tools and information. With Selma we wanted to do the opposite: educate investors, explain in plain language, and give everyone the confidence to be smart about their money. If people understand what happens to their savings, they can lean back and relax while making sure they put their money to work.
What is the most important lesson you have learned as a founder?
My biggest learning as a founder is that while things always take time and effort, there are very few things you truly can’t achieve if you keep believing, pushing, and consistently executing. Persistence and conviction make the impossible gradually possible.
What is your favorite productivity hack or tool and why?
When I need to focus to get things done, I like to use timeboxing and limit internet access. The best option I have found so far is to go on a round cruise on the Lake of Lucerne which I do often after meeting filled days. There I can focus on getting things done with beautiful landscapes passing by.
What was your dream job when you were a child?
Growing up on Mount Rigi which is a tourism hotspot, my dream job as a child was to become a Hotel director.
