From inventions to innovations

Dear reader

Innovations are more than inventions. Only when a novelty has gained a foothold in the market, and then in everyday practice, can it rightly be called an innovation. This step is the central challenge for every start-up. It is particularly demanding in healthcare markets, which are characterised not only by regulatory conditions, but also by a complicated network of interests of hospitals, doctors, insurance companies and other players. This is exactly where the ‘Smarter Healthcare’ initiative comes in. The project of the Swiss Healthcare Startups Association, with the support of Engagement Migros, aims to bring together the various stakeholders, thus eliminating the hurdles on the path to innovation. Find out in our article how start-ups will benefit specifically.

Arkathon, a hackathon for the healthcare sector, will also bring together people from different backgrounds in mid-April – it’s a promising recipe, as the start-ups that have emerged from the previous Arkathons show.

Several success stories this week illustrate the potential of the Swiss healthcare sector. For example, Nestlé has participated in the biotech company Amazentis to develop anti-ageing foods. A consortium of investors from Asia, the US and Switzerland is supporting the young EPFL spin-off Embion Technologies, which develops food additives that positively affect health. And the medtech company Loop-Medical, which is developing a novel, painless blood collection device, has received more than CHF 3 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Two other young medtech companies have received support from Swiss initiatives: Viventis has received CHF 130,000 from Venture Kick and MotionTech CHF 100,000 from the fit Foundation. A look at the selected start-ups for the next Swiss Biotech Day shows, in addition to the large number of promising projects, the permeability of the boundaries today between biotech, medtech and IT.

Some success stories this week illustrate the potential for Swiss start-ups that want to present themselves to an international trade audience and which are sponsored by Innosuisse; they can now be supported by the innovation agency as exhibitors and visitors at all international trade fairs. More in our article.

You can meet me next week at SEF.Award Campus Day in Zurich. The 15 start-ups aiming to qualify for the final of the SEF Awards have now been announced. We will also be present at the Startup Champions Seed Night in Lausanne. Swiss Venture Day takes place in Zurich the following week, and again the first start-ups for the pitches have been selected. Start-ups, supporters, corporates and investors can still apply for a pitch.

This year’s Swiss Startup Day is planned for the end of May. You will learn everything important to the event in our article.

Have a good weekend.
Stefan Kyora

Editor in Chief, Startupticker.ch