Swiss National Startup Team 2023: 10 biotech innovators are headed to Boston

An expert jury selected ten startups to participate in the Venture Leaders Biotech program. As members of the Swiss National Startup Team, the participants will meet international investors and industry leaders on a roadshow in Boston, gaining new opportunities for the growth of their ventures while expanding their international network and expertise.

Selected from over 70 applications by a jury of investors and biotech experts, the ten startups will join the roadshow in Boston, one of the world's most important life science hubs. The roadshow, which will take place from June 12 to 16, provides a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to accelerate their startups' expansion in the US while expanding their professional network and profiting from workshops with investors and industry leaders.

The biotech sector represents a significant pillar of the Swiss economy, with 42% of Swiss exports coming from the life science industry, according to the Swiss Biotech Association. By establishing international connections between Swiss biotech innovators and the international startup ecosystem, the Venture Leaders Biotech program contributes to the enduring strength and vitality of the sector.

The selected startups are developing innovative therapeutic solutions for the treatment of health- and life-threatening issues, including metal poisoning, parasitic diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, and cancer.

The startup will follow in the footsteps of 2022 team member Alentis, who announced a USD 105 million funding round last week, and other renowned alums such as Covagen (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), Versantis (acquired by Genfit), SimplicityBio (acquired by Precision for Medicine), and AMAL Therapeutics (acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim). The startup NBE-Therapeutics participated in the Venture Leaders program in 2003 and was acquired for EUR 1.18 billion by Boehringer Ingelheim in 2020.

"With solutions ranging from new therapies for cancer and metal poisoning to novel analytical and manufacturing platforms, this year’s team illustrates once again the quality and diversity of our biotech startup scene. The team's balance of male and female founders indicates that the entrepreneurial path is gaining momentum among women," said Jordi Montserrat, managing partner at Venturelab. "I'm looking forward to the 18th edition of the Boston roadshow with this outstanding group of innovators."

"The Venture Leaders was a fantastic experience, as we were able to learn hands-on how to fundraise in the US and also build our network within Boston's startup ecosystems," said Frank Bonnet, CEO of Bionomous. Bionomous recently announced that it secured USD 2.7 million in a Series A funding round.

At the recent Venture Leaders Graduation Ceremony, Priyanka Dutta-Passecker highlighted the value of the trip for biotech companies looking to enter the US market. "You need to know how fundraising is different in the US. The specialized fund experts helped us figure out how to pitch for the US market," she said.

This year's Venture Leaders Biotech will introduce themselves at a kick-off event at the Swiss Biotech Day in Basel on April 24, 2023.

Venture Leaders Biotech is organized by Venturelab in partnership with Swissnex Boston and supported by Debiopharm, Novartis, EY - Ernst & Young, VISCHER, EPFL, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, and the Swiss Biotech Association.



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