Biopôle is extending the scope of its Vanguard accelerator with Swiss Healthcare Startups (SHS). Thanks to this new alliance, the six-month programme designed to help promising digital health projects boost their innovation and take their business strategy to the next level will be aimed at startups in German-speaking Switzerland.
Incorporating proven startup methodologies, the Vanguard Accelerator seeks to rigorously test and refine its participants’ product and business assumptions. The healthcare landscape is a complex one, where stakeholders range from patients to caregivers and regulators, hence why it is so important for companies to access as large and varied a network of hands-on experts as possible.
This is exactly what the new partnership aims to facilitate. The expanded Biopôle–SHS Vanguard Accelerator programme represents a unique opportunity for early-stage start-ups to work with an exceptionally diverse range of experienced digital health professionals. They can advise not only on product or service design, but also on business plans and strategies. Indeed, the programme’s huge and varied network includes clinicians, nurses and pharmacists, alongside regulators, investors and IT specialists, all ready to offer their expertise.
Nasri Nahas, CEO of Biopôle, expressed delight that ‘Biopôle is making the right connection at the right time to further support entrepreneurship’. He continued: ‘It’s a fantastic partnership, because SHS’s mission aligns so closely with ours, yet it also allows us to expand into new territory in the form of German-speaking Switzerland, where there’s a huge pool of talent and potential collaboration opportunities.’
SHS is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering innovation within the Swiss healthcare sector. It seeks to empower startups by increasing their exposure and facilitating access to key stakeholders. Serving as a neutral platform, it actively encourages dialogue, networking and the exchange of ideas across the healthcare landscape, with the aim of catalyzing collaboration and transformation within the industry.
As for the value brought by Vanguard's new field of action, Pierre-Jean Wipff, Director of Innovation and Partnerships, adds that the expected better understanding of the field and access to experts in the field will enable accelerated companies to implement an iterative "test-validation" approach to quickly arrive at the "right product". The Vanguard Accelerator welcomes applications all year round from early-stage companies or projects that have reached proof of concept. Interested startups can apply online until August 28th 2024.
Providing invaluable opportunities to startups
In another strategic move, Biopôle Lausanne has announced that Hôpital de La Tour, the largest private hospital in French-speaking Switzerland, Meyrin-Geneva, and internationally known for being a pioneering institution for high-quality medical care, will become the latest member of its Corporate Partnership Programme. Joining fellow Biopôle corporate partners BD, Labcorp and Novartis, Hôpital de La Tour brings expertise in innovative tech-based solutions to improve patient outcomes.
Speaking of this partnership, Nasri Nahas, CEO of Biopôle SA, says: ‘We are thrilled to welcome Hôpital de La Tour to our Corporate Partnership Programme. This collaboration will provide our start-up members with invaluable opportunities to connect directly with healthcare professionals and receive detailed feedback on the innovative solutions they are developing. Welcome, Hôpital de La Tour!’
(PR - ES)
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The new Swiss Venture Capital Report was published on 26 January. It analyses 304 financing rounds closed in 2020 and includes further article such as an interview with Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, and a list of Swiss "soonicorns". 
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