Vanguard Accelerator

FAST-TRACK YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE VANGUARD ACCELERATOR

The Vanguard Accelerator is a six-month programme for promising digital health-oriented companies to transform their innovative ideas into market-ready products. Unlike traditional accelerators that focus on mentorship and consultancy, the Vanguard encourages rapid, iterative progress through extensive interaction with our diverse network of experts.

This network includes clinicians, nurses and pharmacists, alongside regulators, investors and IT specialists. Aimed specifically at health projects involving digital technologies, the programme enables early-stage start-ups to gain valuable, actionable feedback on both their product and their business strategy. Run by Biopôle SA in collaboration with Swiss Healthcare Startups, our programme managers make sure participants have the resources they need to build momentum and achieve their goals.

Are you a forward-thinking entrepreneur ready to receive constructive feedback and make fast, informed decisions to propel your digital health start-up forward? The Vanguard might be just what you need.

application form

A PROGRAMME DESIGNED FOR START-UPS

25+

frontline experts

for a 360° review of your venture

100+

hands-on professionals

to help you design your product and strategy

insightful months

to build rock-solid business foundations

programme managers

who facilitate access to the best Swiss facilities and opportunities

WHO WE’VE HELPED SO FAR

Thanks to their privileged access to our wide network, which allowed them to cultivate a deeper understanding of their business environment, many Vanguard alumni have subsequently engaged in pilot projects and more. In fact, in just six months, participants can achieve what might take years without the programme, significantly reducing risks and enhancing their chances of future success.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

Start-ups selected for the Vanguard Accelerator benefit from real-world insights for business hypothesis testing and networking support to bring their digital health innovations to life. They enjoy six months of desk space at Biopôle and the support of two dedicated programme managers, who will ensure that they receive expert feedback, personalised follow-ups, regular meetings, access to the Digital Health Hub (DH²) and financial backing for collaborative projects with H4. Participants also receive ongoing discounted access to DH² infrastructure and additional support from partner organisations for financing, business modelling and coaching.

WHAT WE’LL NEED FROM YOU

Participating start-ups must commit to increasing their impact in French-speaking Switzerland, ideally by maintaining a physical presence at DH² or by exploring collaborations with local players. They’re expected to follow up with the experts they’ve been introduced to and acknowledge the support received from the Vanguard Accelerator on their website throughout the programme’s duration.

We massively grew our network. It helped us to shape our business and position ourselves in a more mature way. We wouldn’t be here without them!

Anna Luisa Schaffgotsch, Founder and CEO of Impli

A SWISS PARTNERSHIP

Biopôle is delighted to host the Vanguard Accelerator programme in collaboration with Swiss Healthcare Startups (SHS). SHS is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering innovation within the Swiss healthcare sector. It seeks to empower start-ups by increasing their exposure and facilitating access to key stakeholders. Serving as a neutral platform, it actively encourages dialogue, networking and the exchange of ideas across the healthcare landscape, with the aim of catalysing collaboration and transformation within the industry.

Swiss Healthcare Startups

METHODS PROVEN TO WORK

The Vanguard programme has been designed according to proven start-up methodologies, including Value Proposition Design (Osterwalder), Lean Startup (Ries) and Customer Development Process (Blank). The healthcare landscape is a complex one, where the notion of the ‘customer’ is not as straightforward as with other consumer products. For digital health ventures, you must understand the factors at play for a range of stakeholders – from patients and prescribers to caregivers and regulators – to support effective healthcare delivery. That’s why it’s important to access as large and varied a network of hands-on professionals as possible.

VANGUARD EXPERTS

The Vanguard Accelerator ensures that your ideas have the potential to fill a gap in the market and become an innovative solution for patients. The programme is designed to challenge and hone your business model, helping your start-up become more attractive to investors, early adopters and other partners. Our experts are the people who will help you get there.

Anette Chauhan

VP/GM Medical Delivery Solutions EMEA

Cindy Blackburn

Director, Digital Health at CSL Behring

Pierre Chauvineau

Chairman of the Board at Sequana Medical

Laurent Christe

Senior Engagement Manager chez La Poste Suisse

Ghada Farah

SVP, Terumo Interventional Systems, EMEA at Terumo Europe

Shayesteh Fuerst-Ladani

CEO of SFL Group of Companies

Anna Gräbner

Peter Greaney

Co-Founder Populus Bio

Tom Gibbs

Director Debiopharm Innovation Fund at Debiopharm Group

Diana Hardie

CEO Swiss Healthcare Startups

Thomas Hugle

Professor and Head of Rheumatology, University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV)

Jean-Luc Jaquier

Partner & Head of Healthcare at OWT, a Swisscom company

Tim Juergens

Co-Founder & General Manager en SeedLink SL

Nicolas Loeillot

Business Models and Innovation Development - Strategy and Corporate services at CSS insurance

Cristina Lovera-Haas

Head Business Excellence & Execution at Novartis

Remco Loos

Senior Director, Predictive Sciences at Bristol Myers Squibb

Christian Perrudet

Senior Brand Manager at iQone

Angelina Rau

Novo Nordisk

Rami Rajab

CEO Mecomed

Ramon Roig

Director Corporate Development, New Ventures & Strategic Alliances

Rodolphe Eurin

CEO at Hôpital de La Tour

Philippe Ryvlin

Head of Department of Clinical Neurosciences chez CHUV

Dominique Truchot-Cardot

Professeur Institut et Haute Ecole La Source. Lausanne

Alexandra Vallon-Eberhard

Senior Director Global Business Development at Roche

Thierry Weber

Partner, Vivactis Group

Nasri Nahas

CEO, Biopôle SA

Pierre-Jean Wipff

Innovation and Partnerships Director, Biopôle SA

Load all

HOW TO APPLY

We welcome applications from early-stage companies or projects that plan to deliver high-added-value work at Biopôle and in the canton of Vaud. The only prerequisites are that you’ve reached proof of concept and can show your project has the potential to be clinically impactful. So far, we’ve taken on projects focusing on mobile health, electronic medical records, wearable devices, telemedicine and personalised medicine. However, we welcome applications for any health project that involves digital technologies.

Applications are accepted all year round and undergo a review process. Our experts select companies for the programme based on the quality of the application, the project’s potential impact, its clinical relevance and how well it fits with the committee’s expertise.

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED?

Successful applicants first attend an onboarding meeting to set critical objectives for their time in the programme. This is followed by six months of personalised support, with a focus on helping the CEO and their team move the business forward. By providing access to a wide range of experts, the Vanguard Accelerator seeks to help companies embark on a new stage in their development. This is done through rigorous testing and refining of their product and business assumptions, turning hypotheses into facts.

HAVE A FIRST CHAT
WITH PIERRE-JEAN

The best way to learn about the Vanguard Accelerator is to have a chat with Pierre-Jean Wipff, Director of Innovation and Partnerships at Biopôle. Pierre-Jean is a seasoned innovation adviser with varied experience in entrepreneurship. Alongside managing the Vanguard Accelerator, together with Diana Hardie at Swiss Healthcare Startups, he runs the Corporate Partnerships Programme and the Biopôle Start-up Fund.

FAST-TRACK YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE VANGUARD ACCELERATOR