The first cohort of the Israeli-Swiss Lean Launchpad program was a success, although the program, which was planned before Covid, had to be moved online. The second edition will take place in a hybrid mode. Swiss startups in the sector of life science and HealthTech are invited to apply for a chance to get an inside look at the Israeli ecosystem.
With its focus on deep tech companies, the Israeli start-up ecosystem is similar to the Swiss. However, when it comes to generating investments, Israeli start-ups are clearly ahead. After the record year of 2020, 2021 has already broken and surpassed it, more than doubling the last year and surpassing the number of 17.8 billion dollar investments by Q3. More specifically, investments in Israeli Digital Health companies crossed $1B at the end of H1, surpassing the full-year amount raised by the sector in 2020 ($813M). Israel is also home to roughly 1500 life sciences and HealthTech companies with solutions ranging from digital therapeutics to clinical workflow.
To connect Swiss start-ups with the Israeli ecosystem, Innosuisse and the Embassy of Switzerland in Israel are organizing the second edition of the Israeli Swiss Lean launchpad. Swiss life science high-tech start-ups will have access to Israeli entrepreneurs, have live conversations with some of the leading figures of the industry and fully immerse themselves into the vibrant start-up ecosystem in Israel. Along with networking and one-on-one mentorship, the program also offers seminars in marketing, storytelling and more, which in the first edition led to the production of professional pitch videos. The camp will start in February 2022 and last until April 2022. It will include online sessions as well as a week in Israel.
The first Launchpad programme held last year was a success, although it had to be purely virtual due to travel restrictions. Participant satisfaction was very high, so it was decided to run another cohort, now designed as a hybrid programme. The thematic focus on life science and digital health is the same as in the first cohort to offer the start-ups from the first cohort the opportunity to participate in the in-person exchange of the second programme, among other reasons. The second programme is again designed as a pilot. If successful, a further sequel with possible expansion into other areas, namely cybersecurity, AI, sustainability, fintech or agritech, is possible.
(Press release / SK)
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