Biopôle SA is proud to unveil the Biopôle Investment Programme (BIP), an evolution of its successful Start-up Fund, which launched in 2021. Built on feedback from Biopôle’s entrepreneurial community, the BIP goes beyond financial support to help start-ups master investor relations and build strong foundations for long-term growth.

‘We wanted to offer our companies more than just funding,’ explained Nasri Nahas, CEO of Biopôle SA. ‘Rather than another pitch-focused bootcamp, we have created a programme that prepares early-stage founders for due diligence and investor engagement. It combines financial aid with practical training and personal guidance – the ideal conditions for attracting investment.’

A comprehensive 24-month support scheme

All start-ups located on the Biopôle campus are eligible to apply. Applications are then rigorously assessed and participants selected by the Investment Advisory Board (IAB), composed of a panel of seasoned experts. The programme offers non-dilutive financing of up to CHF 90,000, with no strings attached – perfect for covering rent, R&D, consulting or salaries, among other costs.

This financial support, which was a feature of the former Biopôle Start-up Fund, is now embedded within a structured training and mentoring programme, featuring due diligence simulations, documentation reviews and direct interactions with investors.

Participants also benefit from continuous feedback and follow-up from both the IAB and Biopôle SA throughout their 24-month journey.

The training programme is delivered in partnership with leading industry experts, including Katzarov for intellectual property, EY for business strategy and market analysis, Lenz & Staehelin for legal structuring and virtual data room implementation, Virgo Ventures for finance and team dynamics, and Biopôle’s Postgrad Consulting group for scientific evaluation.

Madiha Derouazi, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Switchkine, a dynamic biotech company that is reshaping the future of immune-mediated disease treatment, is among the first programme participants. When asked about the programme, Madiha praised its rigour: ‘The Biopôle Investment Programme is like a bootcamp for a first-time entrepreneur – by the end, you’ll be prepared for the challenges that panel presentations and due diligence processes will throw at you.’

An extra boost

Recognising that early life sciences ventures face high pre-clinical validation costs, Biopôle has also introduced the Pre-Clinical Top-Up – a convertible loan of CHF 250,000. This additional funding is available to BIP graduates who have raised at least CHF 250,000 in external capital, bringing their total support to a minimum of CHF 500,000.

‘Clinical validation places a significant strain on the budgets and timelines of life sciences start-ups,’ noted Pierre-Jean Wipff, Innovation and Partnership Director at Biopôle SA. ‘The Pre-Clinical Top-Up provides a financial bridge as well as a sign of confidence, reassuring future investors.’

As part of this initiative, Biopôle SA also provides support for the recruitment of a key C-level fractional executive (CxO) to accelerate company growth and scale operations.

Having already raised funds from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, the Lichtsteiner Foundation and ZKB, Switchkine was the first company selected for the Pre-Clinical Top-Up.

‘The Pre-Clinical Top-Up has been essential for bridging the funding gap to our next value inflection point,’ said Madiha. ‘It will finance critical proof of concept studies and other costs that other investors are often reluctant to pay, such as capital expenditure.’

Since its debut this year, six other companies have joined the programme: Emovo Care, Precise Health, Evidone, Prevision Medicine, Ai.Qimia and Calico Biosystems.

Applications now open

Eligible companies can learn more and submit their application directly on the Biopôle website.