BaseLaunch successfully ran its first acceleration phase from September to November 2017. During these three months, 11 healthcare ventures worked together with experienced advisors to further define and advance their projects. Activities included firming up their respective business opportunities, ensuring focus on the essential tasks to bring forward their ventures, but also identifying key risks and corresponding actions to address them. Furthermore, the projects benefited from accessing valuable industry knowledge and market know-how from seasoned professionals representing the BaseLaunch healthcare partners: Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Novartis Venture Fund, Pfizer, Roche and Roivant Sciences.

Trudi Haemmerli, who presides over the selection committee of BaseLaunch, explains which parameters were prioritized: “We focused on innovation, the quality of the people and the scientific evidence that was presented so far. Also we took in consideration if and how the project could benefit from the Basel life sciences cluster.” The selected projects are strongly committed to explore the Basel region and the talent the ecosystem has to offer, by having operations in the region.

BaseLaunch will support six projects in Phase II of the program: Anaveon, Tepthera, TheraNASH and T3 Pharmaceuticals will receive grants ranging from 120,000 to 250,000 Swiss francs. Furthermore, Polyneuron Pharmaceuticals and Versameb will gain access to the ready-to-use laboratory and office space, both free of charge, at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area.

BaseLaunch started in 2017 to accelerate the development of promising and innovative healthcare startups benefiting from the dynamic life sciences cluster of the Basel region. During the first cycle, more than 100 projects from more than 30 countries applied, reaffirming the strong unmet need that BaseLaunch addresses. The healthcare partners played an active role by giving key strategic feedback to the projects. “We provided a highly customized program making the needs of the entrepreneurs and their ventures our key priorities,” says Alethia de León, Managing Director of BaseLaunch. “Now we are looking forward to helping the selected companies to move further in the venture creation process and to attract further investments.”

Applications for the BaseLaunch cycle of 2018 are now open. For more information on companies selected for Phase II and the application process, visit www.baselaunch.ch