Biopôle is excited to welcome CHD (Connected Health Development) SARL into the Vanguard Accelerator programme, a distinctive six-month initiative, run in collaboration with Swiss Healthcare Startups, that supports promising digital health businesses at key points in their growth. The programme offers personalised mentorship and practical feedback while connecting participants with a wide network of healthcare and industry professionals. It aims to help startups sharpen their strategies, confirm their technology’s value and speed up their move from innovation to clinical and commercial adoption.
Founded in 2026 and headquartered at Biopôle’s campus in Lausanne, CHD is a medtech and e-health service operator advancing maternal–fetal health through an innovative healthcare-certified e-textile belt designed for real-life monitoring conditions. Comfortable, washable and easy to use, the device simultaneously captures fetal movements and electrocardiogram (ECG) readings and maternal contractions and ECG readings without the need for gel-based sensors or clinical installation by a nurse. By covering the full maternal abdomen and using advanced dry-sensor technology, CHD’s solution generates higher-quality signals and enables more accurate diagnostics outside traditional hospital settings.
More than a remote monitoring tool, CHD’s technology supports predictive medicine through machine learning-based health indicators that help identify compromised fetal well-being and risks of preterm delivery. By enabling continuous monitoring in everyday environments, the device also improves patient adherence and quality of life during pregnancy.
Through the Vanguard Accelerator, CHD aims to strengthen its R&D collaborations with research centres, hospitals and clinics while advancing its fundraising and product validation strategy. ‘We were looking for an incubator that provides more than infrastructure – one that offers real support, coaching and integration into one of the leading healthcare ecosystems in Europe,’ explains Laurent Vandebrouck, CEO of CHD. ‘This incubator stood out for its location, depth of expertise and network. We applied to four programmes; Biopôle chose us, and we chose Biopôle.’
Being based at Biopôle further reinforces CHD’s ambition to integrate its remote patient monitoring solution into the Swiss healthcare system. In particular, the proximity to the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), which has recently joined CHD’s Scientific Committee, creates valuable opportunities for clinical collaboration and validation at a crucial stage of development.
By joining the Vanguard Accelerator, CHD becomes part of a growing community of ambitious ventures committed to transforming healthcare delivery through innovation. Participants in the programme have included MoleSense, Undae Science, DigeHealth, Virtuosis, PhenomX, biped.ai, Gabi SmartCare, Impli and Neuria.
