IMAGINE IF! Accelerator in Lausanne

The third edition of IMAGINE IF! is coming to town!

IMAGINE IF! appears among the 7 Best Biotech Startup Competitions in Europe and it is coming to Lausanne!

IMAGINE IF! is our global accelerator program for science ventures. With IMAGINE IF! we want to identify avant-garde ideas emerging from different local ecosystems. Our goal is to accelerate these ideas into businesses by providing mentorship, partnering and non-dilutive funding. Our local winner will have the chance to pitch at the global IMAGINE IF! Final in UK. At the global finals startups will compete for a further prize, such as a non-dilutive $10k cash prize and 6 month laboratory space in BioCity . Our targets are scientists-entrepreneurs who would like to transform their idea into a business or are already working on an early, pre-seed project. This year IMAGINE IF! will focus on two streams: healthcare and cleantech.

Applications are now open until 16^thNovember 2018. The announcement of the best 10 teams will be given on December 12^that the end of a workshop organized together with Catalyze to which all IMAGINE IF! Applicants are invited. Together we will discover how to navigate in the jungle of grants. You will then have time to grow with our local mentors and get ready to pitch at the Swiss finals on February 21^st2019 at EPFL. The local winners will get access to our global mentorship program as well as a ticket to the global finals held during the Innovation Forum Leaders Conference in June 2019 in Cambridge, UK.

The locally selected ideas will benefit from:

high value mentorship
broad network
funding workshop
different prizes

For more info, check Swissnex and StartLab websites.

If you believe you have a successful project and want to bring it to the next level, or if you have already your own startup, don’t miss this chance to accelerate your idea!

IMAGINE IF you can bring your idea forward! Apply now!

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QGel, a Tiny Extracellular Matrix Gel with a Big Ambition: Making Cancer a Manageable Disease

Innovator of the Month Interview by Alessia Baldo and Martina Genta

QGel is a Swiss start-up based at Lausanne’s Innovation Park, which develops synthetic extracellular matrices (ECM) for the growth of cells outside the body. The ECM is an important material that surrounds cells of the human body, which helps regulate tissue development and maintain homeostasis. Depending on the tissue – eye, bone, brain, muscle, etc., the ECM provides specific biological, biochemical and mechanical cues that affects cell proliferation and tissue health. QGel specializes in creating cell-specific synthetic ECMs that can sustain growth of different cell-types, including freshly isolated patient cells as well as established organoids, offering novel applications for more accurate in vitro disease models. These models can be used as a tool to influence clinical decision-making and save lives. QGel has raised CHF 20M of funding so far and is part of the Scale Up Vaud Community. We interviewed Dr. Colin Sanctuary, CEO & founder of QGel.

IF Lausanne [IFL]: Can you briefly describe how QGel was born?

Colin: We thought about the possibility of creating a start-up for the first time 9 years ago. My background is in soft tissue biomechanics and tissue regeneration and after my PhD I worked in two multinational medtech companies. This gave me the possibility to learn how to operate within large corporate structures and discover new aspects related to marketing, sales and business development. Then, in 2005, I had the opportunity to come back to this region, where I reconnected with a former classmate, and by combining our knowledge and experiences we decided to start QGel.

The initial spark that ignited the founding of our company can be attributed to a mix of luck and circumstance, which is common to most new breakthrough events.

IFL: How does your company differentiate from competitors and existing alternative technologies?

Colin: There are mainly two main points that differentiate us from other companies: the first one is scalability, i.e. we can manufacture cost effectively, and the other one is quality, i.e. we are able to maintain consistency, especially as we scale. If you envision making cancer a manageable disease, you not only need a gel where you are able to culture primary cells from patients, but you actually need something that you can manufacture in sufficient quantity and in a standard and reliable manner so that it is used at a scale large enough to make a real impact for patients. This is what it takes to move from the lab to the clinic. And I believe, thanks to its synthetic yet biologically relevant nature, this is how our extracellular matrix gel stands apart from the existing technologies.

Our technology allows taking the organoid technology from the lab and enabling its adoption in the clinical setting to benefit society.

If you want to know more, you can watch the explicative video about QGel ECM Technology here.

IFL: How did the Lausanne environment help you in creating QGel?

Colin: The EPFL environment is extremely helpful at the early stage of a start-up. Being located right next to EPFL is a huge benefit to tap into expertise and to use facilities that no early stage startup could normally afford. However, I think that this already amazing environment can be further improved, if I can give a suggestion: why only open innovation to PhD students with affiliation to the university? We should be able to welcome people from industry too, to help strengthen the ecosystem, increase the networking and create that essential spark I was talking about before.

IFL: What did you learn in the process of creating this startup? And what did you enjoy the most during the process?

Colin: When I finished my undergraduate degree I wanted to escape from the bubble of technical knowledge and I decided to travel. I was hitchhiking all over the place and the most important thing I achieved was learning more about myself. Right now, what I enjoy the most about the start-up life is the feeling that I had while I was travelling: constantly learning, discovering and pursuing a general direction without knowing where I would end up, but at the same time I could feel the direction was generally correct. Similarly, the feeling I get now is the feeling that I am sticking out my thumb in an educated way based on acquired knowledge and we are moving the company forward in the right direction.

We are still venturing into the unknown, creating a path alongside the future end users of our products, while being true to the science and being true to who we are.

Beyond this, one of the most important things I learned in creating this startup is to stay true to your personal values. Ours are: trust, respect, teamwork, courage and commitment.

IFL: If you could go back in time, what would you do differently?

Colin: There isn’t much I would do differently and it is always easier in hindsight. Instead of giving you a precise example, I would say that it is important to have a clear understanding of when, where and how you have failed in order to understand how you need to improve for future decisions.

I like to look at failing in a positive way, I look at failure as the mother of all successes. I continue to learn a lot from talking with other experienced entrepreneurs who have been faced with similar challenges.

Likewise, young and hungry entrepreneurs come to me and I do my best to pass on what I can, to help succeed where I could have done things differently.

IFL: At the end of 2016 you raised 12M of funding and last year you joined the Scale Up Vaud Community. Tell us a bit more about how you managed to take this “big step”.

Colin: The key is to believe in what you are doing. The start-up life is not as easy or as fun as some people might think. You need to convince investors in believing in your idea, which can be difficult if you are creating a new market space. The best way to do this, especially in the life science field, is by providing solid data. Data are absolutely critical, and the entire team must not be afraid of inevitable set-backs, but rather see them as important steps to success. The only way to convince other people is to tell a story in which you and all your team believe and is supported by evidence-based science engrained in a well thought thorough business strategy.

I think that’s how we achieved it: it’s in believing in ourselves and moving beyond failure.

IFL: What are the plans for the future?

Colin: As I said before we want to make cancer a manageable disease. I truly believe that this is possible with the technology that exists today, but it is not going to happen in a finger snap. We still have a long and intense way to go. We have a clear roadmap that we will continue to develop, by partnering with healthcare institutions to accelerate the adoption of our gel, while continuing to make it available for more cancer types. I am convinced we will successfully achieve this and we will play an important role in saving lives. So this is my plan: keep driving this forward and make a difference.

IFL: What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs or to people that would like to become entrepreneurs?

Colin: The first piece of advice I would give is to be self-aware on what you are good at and what you are not good at. This is extremely important for building a new career. You need to fill your gaps with skilled people around you that can constantly challenge you. If you have a great idea, start thinking about the potential market and about what you know about it, then be curious about different fields. Identify what you are capable of doing, and where you need additional expertise. When I was still a student, I was talking with the former CEO of Medtronic, Bill George, a man I admire, and I asked him what I could have done to escape from being trapped in an academic environment and, amazingly, he replied saying: the first step is already done. You are aware that you want to learn about business.

Swiss Motion Technologies: An Affordable and Customized Mobility Solution for Amputees

Innovator of the Month Interview by Eleonora Borda and Ece Yıldız

Swiss Motion Technologies (formerly Nextep) is a Swiss start-up based in Lausanne, which develops innovative mobility solutions for amputees. Their tailored liners combine revolutionary manufacturing techniques including scanning the residual limb and implementing digital manufacturing methods to reduce cost and enhance comfort. Moreover, in view of today’s manual manufacturing methods to make customized socks, their production methods are automated and take much less time to produce. We interviewed Clément Gabry, a co-founder, as part of the Audience Prize awarded to Swiss Motion Technology at the Local Finals of our IMAGINE IF! Accelerator in Lausanne in October 2017.

IF Lausanne [IFL]: Can you briefly describe to us how Swiss Motion Technologies got here today?

Clément: The project was launched about a year and a half ago by Kevin Mamalis who initially won a 20000 CHF prize that lent credibility to the project. A few months later, Alexandre Grillon and I joined Kevin as the two other co-founders. The first biggest challenge we faced was to find the necessary resources to start a medtech project, which usually requires several hundred thousand francs. Luckily, through the participation in several Swiss competitions and the support of different organizations, we were able to acquire such funds to lay the foundations and start certifying our products. Recently, we hired two additional engineers to speed up the development of our business and put our products on the market as soon as possible.

IFL: You took part in the IMAGINE IF! Competition. How was this experience for you and how do you feel about being chosen as the best start-up by the audience?

Clément: I was positively surprised by the quality of the IMAGINE IF! projects. Overall, it was very good compared to some of the other competitions that we took part in. I believe this also reflects the quality of start-ups in Switzerland.

The Audience Award was proof for us that what we are doing speaks to people, and that we can attract their interest even if they are not directly involved in our field.

IFL: How important is to be part of an accelerator and incubator program during the initial phase of your start-up?

Clément: It really depends on your project and the phase you are at. If you are by yourself, it is crucial because it helps you to get the necessary support and to make you aware of your blind spots. It is also useful to discuss the ideas of others and get to know start-ups from different fields. Moreover, accelerators and incubators can be useful to find co-founders, gain skills and get ideas. For us it proved very useful at first. However, later, as you validate your idea, you need to get out in the real world and start building your business.

IFL: In which aspect does your solution distinguish Swiss Motion Technologies from what is already on the market?

Clément: We accelerate the manufacturing process by automating several production steps. Today, tailored socks are often handmade.

With our technology we can provide products with a similar, to slightly better quality, but we provide them faster and cheaper.

Prosthetic technicians just need to scan the limb and easily order the product. Thanks to that, they save a lot of time compared to doing it manually! To automate the process we have developed several new technologies, such as a novel 3D printing method. Overall, with all the advantages of replacing today’s manual production method, we hope to increase the number of amputees who can benefit from a tailored liner.

IFL: How difficult is it to go through the regulatory aspects for such medical product?

Clément: As our tailored liner is only in contact with the skin, less regulatory aspects have to be checked than, for example, a vaccine or an implantable device. Still, the certification process requires quite some time, especially when you are new in the field. Certification is therefore one of the most time consuming and expensive activities that we have had to focus on. Sometimes, in a start-up, regulatory requirements can be frustrating, as you wish less barriers would be present in order to go faster. In the end however, we all agree that it’s a necessary process, as it ensures a higher level of safety and guaranteed quality for the end users.

IFL: Where do you see Swiss Motion Technologies in 10 years?

Clément: When you build a start-up, it is hard to know what is going to happen, especially in a highly competitive field. For now, we are very grateful for all the support we have received, and we are enjoying the learning process and exciting growth prospects.

Our main vision is to push the project as far as possible and help many amputees to reduce the pain and discomfort they are used to enduring.

We’ll have a hundred possible directions to take, most probably towardsorthopedic applications, such as custom orthotics. Since the beginning, it has always been part of our vision to bring relief to patients in developing countries, where the conditions for people living with limb loss are very difficult. For that, the financial support of some major non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could allow us to bring our portable and versatile solution to those populations in need in developing countries, the number of amputees is much higher due to not only diabetes and accidents, but also untreated diseases, land mines and war. However, the absence of healthcare reimbursement in those countries may be challenging. Alternatively, we could also wait to have grown big enough to be able to fund this kind of project and dedicate our time and resources to these countries.

IFL: In your personal path, you first worked in a consulting company and then you co-founded Swiss Motion Technologies. Was becoming an entrepreneur just an opportunity or a dream?

Clément: After my studies I wanted to become an entrepreneur, but it seemed out of reach as I had neither a specific idea, nor industry experience or resources. Working in business development for a consulting company I got to know the business world and acquired experiences and skills. One year and a half later, when Kevin proposed that I join the team, I jumped on the opportunity. I realise now that I was actually building barriers in my mind when I graduated. Everything is in place here in Switzerland to support entrepreneurs that want to go for it, no matter if you have the resources or the experience.

IFL: What is THE piece of advice you would give to a wannabe-entrepreneur?

Clément: Tough question!

My advice is to go out there and talk to your customers. It is crucial to share your ideas in order to realize problems and set priorities.

Besides this, have partners with whom you can work. This was really important to get us here today: just two of us couldn’t have made it! Don’t isolate yourself and go find the people who have the skills you need and give you a different perspective!

Start-up Slam, Barcelona, pitching competition!

The Innovation Forum is partnering with Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the EBD group in organising the Start-up Slam in Barcelona, Spain. We believe this event offers a rare opportunity for start-up companies from across our global network: to gain international exposure in front of a specialist life-sciences audience, to raise funding from a diverse range of global investors and to network with 1000’s of leading professionals; all at a special heavily discounted registration price (the event normally costs a few thousand Euros).

The Application deadline is February 24th 2017,to apply please visit here.

What is Start-up Slam Barcelona?

Start-up Slam is a pitching competition offering emerging entrepreneurs a chance to pitch their company at BIO-Europe spring, the largest partnering conference in Europe serving the global biotechnology industry (20th-22nd March in Barcelona). The finalists companies will receive a special discounted rate on BIO-Europe spring registration and have the opportunity to go through 1-on-1 mentoring with Johnson & Johnson Innovation to make sure they are pitch perfect come competition day!

Why apply to pitch at BIO-Europe’s spring: Start-up Slam?

Increase your company’s visibility and generate interest among over 2,500 industry delegates in the pharmaceutical, medical technology and biotechnology industries. (many from a BD/Licensing background!).
Get mentorship and advice on how to improve your pitch: increasing your chance of raising funding.
Pitch your company to top-tier life-science/healthcare investors from global VC firms, corporate investors and private equity funds.
Get a discounted attendance rate (saving 1000’s of the list price). This is the only discount offered in the whole conference and reflects the central importance of the Start-up Slam!

Who should apply to pitch at BIO-Europe’s Start-up Slam?

Start-up companies who have raised up to $10M from seed up to post Series-A.
Companies active in Biotech, Medtech, Diagnostics or Pharmaceuticals (surprise us!)
Existing companies that are looking to spin-out a side programme.

The Application deadline is February 24th 2017,to apply please visit here.

An interview with Stanisa Raspopovic

SensArs Neuroprostethics is an award winning EPFL spin-off offering prosthetic limbs to upper- and lower-limb amputees and nerve-damaged persons. SensArs mission is restoring complete sensory-motor functionality, diminishing phantom limb pain and enabling them to feel the artificial limb as part of their own body.

How did SensArs Neuroprosthetics start?

Stanisa: Francesco Petrini (SensArs Neuroprosthetics co-founder) and I were involved in a research on amputees (collaboration of EPFL and two top research institutes in Italy) where we have obtained some very impressive data. We decided to make a patent on top of it and it seemed that potential application was very appealing to the people. It was an idea guided by a real need. We never thought that we want to become billionaires, we just realized how many people we could help and that pushed us forward.

Weren’t you afraid of failing?

Stanisa: We were quite realistic about the fact that many mature companies might be developing similar project, however we saw the need and we had a capability of delivering the product. And that was our motivation.

What do you think were the issues that you have underestimated when becoming an entrepreneur and founding your own company?

Stanisa: The quantity of questions you receive… (Laughing). I am joking. Probably the costs of clinical trials and neurostimulators. For instance, if you make a convincing research in rodents, you still have to show that it will work in humans, you have to perform clinical trials and those are quite pricy.

How many people are currently working in your company and do you have advisors?

Stanisa: We are currently 4 employed people in our company. We have two technical advisors, two business advisors and clinical studies advisors. If you want to go far, you need to have a good and strong team. I can’t highlight enough how important it is to have good advisors. Never pretend to do what you don’t know.

What are your plans for the next 5 years?

Stanisa: Our company has a very aggressive, however very realistic timeline. For the next 2 years we will be finalizing the development of neurostimulator implant and additional certification for the electrodes (several parts of the very advanced prosthetics developed by SN), for the further 2 years we complete the second round of extensive clinical trials and further we apply for certification in Europe.

And what do you like to do in your free time?

Stanisa: With SN is only work and no fun. (Laughing) The beautiful thing is that I am lucky to work with my friends and we travel together for work and have a lot of fun together. It is a venture, but it is also an adventure.

What would be your advice for the young entrepreneurs?

Stanisa: Ah, so we are old entrepreneurs therefore? (Laughing) Try to verify whether there is a real need for your product. Challenge your idea.

Select your branch

Author: Dr Marek Tyl