BioBAC and BioValley Basel merge forces to expand offering

BioBAC(BioValley Business Angels Club) and BioValley Basel share ambitions: they offer a platform matching their members with interesting life sciences startup projects. They have shared members, participants and contributors and have collaborated on regular industry events.

On January 10th, 2022, members of both organisations approved a merger to create one single association under the name BioValley Basel. The new organisation aims to continue the roles played by the two legacy organisations and maintain its position as the leading, wholly independent life science industry association in Basel. The so-called “Basel cluster” is a dynamic life science industrial cluster operating within a rich local ecosystem.

The newly merged BioValley Basel Association strives to play a facilitative role within this ecosystem, aiming to 1) provide a platform to match its members’ investment interests with life science startup companies from the region; 2) foster a local networking and integration platform across the many and varied stakeholders in the Basel life sciences community and 3) play a role in the tri-national BioValley cluster.

”We are convinced that merging both organisations to a single one expands the offering for members, such as startup support, business angel investments and partnering and collaboration opportunities across the tri-national life-science ecosystem – and more”, as highlighted in the announcement.

The BioValley Basel Association will hold future events bringing life science companies to a broader local audience. It will continue to foster relationships with Business Angels and other life science industry stakeholders, as appropriate, either remotely or in person.

Board of Directors appointed

The Board of the newly merged BioValley Basel Association will consist of the following members:

• Matthias Staehelin (Chair), Lead Partner Life Sciences, Vischer AG
• Thomas Möller (Treasurer), venture investor and General Partner, BioMed Partners
• Nicholas Benedict, biotechnology entrepreneur and CEO of Vaderis Therapeutics AG
• Hans-Andreas Engel, serial entrepreneur and investor in biotechnology and IT sectors
• Neil Goldsmith, serial entrepreneur in life sciences and sustainability sectors
• Ruedi Gygax, Innosuisse expert, coach and angel investor
• Trudi Hämmerli, investor and Partner SNGLR Group
• Ariane Hegel Reynolds, Chapter Lead and Co-Lead Innovation Office, University of Basel, Business Angel
• Sara Núñez-Garcia, venture investor, Partner and co-Founder of Forty51 Ventures
• Zaki Sellam, entrepreneur and CEO of Avicenna Oncology GmbH
• Georg Wiebecke, angel investor and consultant

(Press release/RAN)