Transfer research to the market
► Call for applications 2025 is now closed! Next call in April 2026.
The UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships track «Bio & MedTech» supports early career researchers planning to found a startup based on UZH research and products in the fields of BioTech, MedTech and Pharma.
The UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships provide funding and resources to translate UZH research with commercial potential by demonstrating proof-of-concept and establishing market viability.
The goal of this Entrepreneur Fellowship track is to accelerate the development of new therapies, medical devices, diagnostic tools etc. for the health sector. The proposed solutions are based on a new technology that is descriped in the invention disclosure.
Early career researchers supported by an Entrepreneur Fellowship will gain the skills, knowhow and network needed to become confident entrepreneurs in the health sector.
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Funding
The UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships Bio & MedTech amount to CHF 150’000 and is awarded for a period of 18 months. The funding may be used for salaries and consumables.
Workshops & Training
The product lab is organized in September each year and consists of five full-day workshops and individual work. In the lab, fellows work on their projects individually, in groups and guided by experts and entrepreneurs to create a strong product profile, identify gaps and come up with a detailed plan and deliverables until the review meeting. During the product lab, the fellows are expected to dedicate at least 50 % of their time to this work.
The fellows participate in the BioEntrepreneurship & Innovation (BEI) Program, a hands-on training for life scientists aiming to translate scientific results into real-world applications. Experienced entrepreneurs and experts share their knowledge on how to develop a first business plan and setup a successful start-up company.
Expert advice
The Entrepreneur fellows are supported throughout the program by the experienced coaches of the Translational Medicine Accelerator (TMA). TMA support fellows to develop a strong foundation for their startups through advice on how to plan value-generating and "killer" experiments, how to identifying and engage key opinion leaders (KOLs) around key gaps and by providing opportunities for "soft" feedback from investors before launching.
Unitectra supports the fellows with the protection of intellectual property (IP) and the development of an IP strategy.
Infrastructure
Entrepreneur fellows are employed at UZH and have access to all the IT and library resources offered by the university. In addition, the program offers access to the UZH IncubatorLab, a fully equipped laboratory located in the Bio-Technopark in Schlieren. The lab is hosted by the Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Jury
Selected candidates will be invited for an interview with the expert jury.
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Dominik Escher Partner Pureos Bioventures |
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Zoë Johnson Chief Scientific / Development Officer M:M Bio |
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Philipp Fürnstahl Head of Research in Orthopedic Computer Science, UZH, Balgrist |
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Simon Hoerstrup Professor for Regenerative medicine, UZH, Jury head |
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Niklas Sjöblom Senior Director, KIRKBI |
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Gabriela Ecco Senior Associate at +ND Capital |
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Onur Boyman Professor of Clinical Immunology, UZH |
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Jan Lichtenberg CEO InSphero |
Important Dates
- Jury meeting: July 2nd 2025
- Funding decision: 1 week after jury meeting
- Product lab: September 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th 2025
- Fellowship starting date: At the latest 6 months after funding decision
Application
Applications for the Bio & MedTech Entrepreneur Fellowships can be submitted once a year until April 15th.
The application requires the following elements:
- Project description
- Project budget
- Invention disclosure
- Filled application form on the grants platform
- 3 minute pitch video
- Your CV
- Support letter from your mentor
Read the application guidelines
Submit your application on the grants platform
Learn more at the Innovator Mornings!
Curious to learn more about this program?
At the Innovator Mornings event you’ll have the chance to meet previous recipients of the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships and Innovation Grants as well as entrepreneurship coaches. The event focuses on internal exchange within the UZH innovation community and includes presentations by supported researchers and startup founders.