Startlab is looking for startups

In June 2017, Biopôle, a life sciences community in Lausanne bringing together industry and academia, announced the opening of a new life sciences incubator, StartLab, on its premises. StartLab enables life sciences entrepreneurs to take the bold step of moving out of their comfort zone while providing an environment designed to maximize their chances of success. The Incubator will accommodate 10-12 startups of 35-40 persons.

Participants will get access to StartLab for periods of 3 months renewable for a maximum period of 3 years. This helps them to adjust their spending quarter by quarter as their needs evolve. A detailed list of the offering will be presented to the applicants in the Service Agreement to be signed with Biopôle SA upon the acceptance of the candidature.

“A key feature of StartLab offer is our “pay as you play” flexible model, which requires less funds to get started, reduces risk for investors and lowers dilution for entrepreneurs. Moreover, Biopôle recognizes how precious your ownership capital is to your future prosperity, and therefore we do not take any equity in members of StartLab”, comments Nasri Nahas, CEO of Biopôle.

In addition to infrastructure StartLab offers an accessible network of life sciences and business experts from whom startups can learn and gain new skills and knowledge vital for turning an idea into a viable business reality. The network includes the University Hospital of the Canton of Vaud (CHUV) and the University of Lausanne as well as investors and more than fifty companies and institutions already present at Biopôle, including several head offices of multinational corporations, start-ups and clinical development teams, together with technology and service providers.

At an event at Biopôle two startup representatives explained recently why they think that StartLab solves serious problems of start-ups. Fabien Rebeaud, CSO of Abionic explained: "When we started we missed really something like StartLab. We would have benefitted a lot from a network to experts that StartLab will offer." And Colin Sanctuary, CEO and founder of Qgel added: "Because a space like StartLab did not exist when we started we had to buy our own expensive equipment."

Applications are now open for aspiring life science entrepreneurs to join StartLab. Their projects will be screened by an Advisory Board of successful leaders from business, science and academia.