Swissnex San Francisco Propel Swiss Health Startups into the US Market

From June 19 to June 30, 2023, six Swiss startups travelled to San Francisco with their temporary base at Pier 17, home of Swissnex in San Francisco. Powered by Innosuisse, the Bootcamps provide Swiss founders with the tools, knowledge, and connections to establish their presence in the United States. This iteration of the 2-week bootcamp was tailored to Swiss startups in the Health, Food, & Wellbeing space.

This cohort consisted of the following startups:

Cellestia – founded in 2014 as a spin-off from EPFL, Cellestia is a Basel-based clinical stage R&D company developing innovative first-in-class therapies to control and modulate pathogenic gene expression in multiple disease areas by selective inhibition of transcription factors in the cell nucleus. The lead compound CB-103 has advanced to Phase 2 successfully treating patients with multi-drug resistant cancers.

Magnes – with Nushu, Magnes developed the world’s first medical-grade gait analysis system that delivers complex motion analysis from simple sneakers. The AI-powered gait analysis provides 40+ gait parameters and allows healthcare professionals to monitor patients inside and outside the clinic.

MindMetrix – the ETH Zurich spin-off developed myflow, a data-driven neurofeedback training software to quantify the performance of the mind and mental well-being. Coupled with the myflow Virtual Reality (VR) app, the system gives real-time feedback on the effectiveness of your mental training.

Rea Diagnostics – developed a smart sanitary pad that tests clinically validated biomarkers to monitor and identify the risk of a preterm birth non-invasively, and allow doctors to adjust expecting mothers’ prenatal management plan. The startup also provides therapies to boost the baby’s lung and brain development.

SURI Biotech – is developing science-backed probiotics for infants. Its first product BactoKind is a patented probiotic food supplement for the alleviation of infant colic.

Zoundream – by analysing baby cries, Zoundream’s transformative artificial intelligence and sound recognition-based system allow for the early detection of potential neurodevelopmental disorders and pathologies in infants.

Adopting the San Francisco Mindset as a Key to Success

Swissnex in San Francisco provided training on how to pitch the American way, how to respond to challenging questions from local investors, as well as legal advice, expert sessions on establishing a digital marketing presence in the US, as well as fireside chats with local industry experts and further connected the startups with Bay Area mentors and coaches. One of the bootcamp highlights was the pitch night, where each member of the cohort channelled their newfound knowledge into a short, on-stage pitch, judged by renowned Bay Area investors, Maire P. Walsh, Co-Founder and CEO at Belayer, Santhi Analytis, Advisor and Angel Investor, and Sunil Maulik, Managing Partner at SunilM.

Rea Diagnostics was announced the winner of the pitch night, after delivering a smooth pitch and answering the jury questions with confidence. CEO Loulia Kassem is well aware of the difference between pitching in Switzerland and pitching in San Francisco: “As a Swiss startup, we’re used to pitching with precision. However, engaging with the American startup scene introduces a unique dynamism to this process. This experience encourages us to constantly evolve our approach, blending Swiss precision with American energy to communicate our vision effectively.”

Julia Bislin, Entrepreneurship Program Manager at Swissnex in San Francisco, knows that these bootcamps can be tremendous door openers to dedicated entrepreneurs: "I have witnessed firsthand the value that Swiss startups bring to the US market. Swiss founders possess a unique combination of expertise, precision, and a relentless pursuit of quality. If you mix that with American confidence, optimism, and perseverance, you have a recipe for success."

The next Bootcamp takes place in September and is open to startups of all industries. Startups in the Innosuisse coaching programme can apply until 7 July. Bootcamps in 2024 will be focused on startups in the fields of Health, Trust in AI and ClimateTech. Registration opens soon.

(Press release / RAN)