Since 1 October 2021, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a capitalization of less than CHF 500 million can list their shares on a new stock exchange segment of the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX). The so-called Sparks segment of SIX offers more relaxed listing requirements compared to those of the main segment. It aims to open up the capital market in Switzerland for SMEs by developing a functioning public equity market specifically designed for them. The present article addresses mainly the capital requirements and provides some thoughts concerning Sparks and its chances of success.

By Matthias Kuert / Olivia Zingg (Reference: CapLaw-2022-03)