Medtech startups in the Basel Area (2024 updated).
With decades of expertise in healthcare and mechanics, the Basel Area has become a sought-after location for medtech startups.
Read on to discover promising medtech startups and companies from the region, meet our in-house medtech expert Florian Saner and learn about our new accelerator for medtech startups.
About the medtech industry.
Medtech companies focus on developing and producing medical devices, instruments and equipment to diagnose, treat and prevent disease.
A great example is Biosynex, a key player in the COVID-19 pandemic. Biosynex develops rapid and PCR tests, which are exported to over 70 countries.
The medtech industry is a fascinating world with a vital impact on people’s health. But it’s also a complicated space to navigate in, especially for startups. Critical challenges for ventures include funding, regulatory hurdles, clinical validation, market access and reimbursement pathways.
To generate value for investors, IP rights are generally considered the most important asset for medtech entrepreneurs. To protect it properly, entrepreneurs need IP and legal counsel from the get-go. Also read about IP protection for startups.
Bringing tech to the market can be a long process.
But even with all the hurdles, innovation finds its way!
And the Swiss medtech industry is booming. Over the last two years alone, it has created over 4,500 new jobs. More than 1% of the Swiss population is now employed in medtech. The industry’s revenue in 2021 was around CHF 20.8 billion, exceeding the average of the last ten years.
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Three central questions around medtech.
What does the term medtech mean?
Medtech is short for medical technology. It encompasses every product, service or solution using technology to improve people’s health by preventing, diagnosing, monitoring and treating disease. Often, the term medtech is used to talk about technology in the healthcare sector in general.
What are common challenges in medtech?
The most common challenge in any medtech startup stage is funding. Healthcare is an expensive field with many regulatory barriers. Furthermore, Intellectual property is often considered the most important asset of a medtech startup and protecting the IP usually becomes a top priority and a big challenge.
Why is the Basel Area Europe’s medtech hub?
The Basel region is home to many important players in the medtech industry, like Roche Diagnostics, Straumann Group or Medartis as well as SMEs and startups. The Basel Area, especially the canton of Jura, has a long-standing tradition of watchmaking and industry with highly skilled and specialized suppliers.
Promising medtech startups in the Basel Area (in 2023).
The Basel Area has been known for its expertise in producing small and technical components for the machinery and watch-making industries for decades. Cumulated with the know-how to work with complex materials, it is therefore not surprising that the Basel Area emerged as a medtech hub in Europe.
The region has brought forward many innovative startups. We introduce you to some of the promising medtech startups that we have recently supported.
Bottneuro AG.
Digital solutions for Alzheimer’s patients.
Bottneuro develops custom made, personalized tES and EEG caps. The venture aims to become the leading custom-made device provider of diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases using digital biomarkers, brain imaging and neuromodulation technologies.
Nutrix AG.
Non-invasive glucose monitoring device with saliva.
Nutrix leverages cutting-edge technology, artificial intelligence and remote monitoring to deliver holistic support for patient prevention, management and monitoring. Their core mission centers on elevating patient welfare, improving life quality and fostering longevity. Nutrix offers programs for weight loss, preventive care and diabetes management.
”We started with a course on building a company in Switzerland with Basel Area Business & Innovation and took full advantage of the many opportunities that have been offered to us since: During the Venture Mentoring we worked with an IP expert, which was key for us. We pitched at the DayOne Conference and were chosen to take part in the DayOne Accelerator.
Maria HahnFounder Nutrix
Being introduced to the expert network through Basel Area Business & Innovation was an important door opener for Nutrix. I am neither from Basel nor from Switzerland, yet we found an amazing ecosystem and all the support is in place.
MOMM Diagnostics GmbH.
Point-of-care tests (POCT) for preeclampsia.
MOMM Diagnostics develops a rapid test to diagnose preeclampsia precisely. This pregnancy disorder can harm the mother and child and affects up to 8% of all pregnancies. With only a drop of blood, the biosensor detects preeclampsia more time and cost-efficiently than today’s methods.
Incaptek GmbH
Microcontainer film and microcapsules with a controlled release function.
Incaptek is pioneering novel materials to the market. Its cutting-edge technology produces novel advanced materials for a variety of industries, from biotech to electronics. The material called microcontainer film can be used as a drug-eluting coating with a controlled drug-release function for medical devices or as a next-generation dielectric material with exceptional physicochemical properties.
XanaStim GmbH
Smart neurostimulation for a better life.
Xana creates smart and non-invasive stimulators to modulate the activity of the brain. This allows Xana to treat a wide range of disorders, including anxiety and mood disorders, chronic pain, cardiological diseases, memory impairment and aging-related neurodegeneration, hearing loss, and/or tinnitus, among many others.
Success stories
Click on the logos below to read why they chose Basel
How DayOne supports medtech startups.
Building the next generation of health tech ventures.
DayOne Tech connects startup, academic, corporate, government, payor and individual interests to address complex issues while keeping the patient’s well-being at the center.
It’s the ideal space for medtech entrepreneurs to build a strong network and serve healthcare needs together with like-minded individuals and companies. Take part in a lively community, regular events and conferences, expert discussions, digital health projects and workshops.
- Non-dilutive funding. Receive up to CHF 100’000 (in cash and in kind) of non-dilutive funding to bring your prototype to the next level. We will also coach you to benefit from additional non-dilutive funding, which may be available to you – for example from the Canton of Jura.
- Personalized coaching. Benefit from up to 150 hours of world-class coaching and mentoring to bring your prototype to the next level.
- Networking. Be part of a strong ecosystem bringing academic partners, corporations, startup founders, and hospitals together. Read also our comprehensive guide to the Switzerland startup ecosystem.
- Visibility. Pitch your project at local, national, and international events (Demo Day, DayOne conference, etc.) to gain traction and help your startup to raise funds and identify additional strategic partners.
- Space. Join us at the Switzerland Innovation Park in Jura and work alongside entrepreneurs, coaches, and field experts with all the office space essentials you may need.
- Tailored training. Join our specific training and education events to reinforce your knowledge.
2 examples of medtech startups accelerated by DayOne Tech.
In August 2022, we launched our accelerator for medtech startups in the canton of Jura.
A selection committee made up of eight experts from renowned research institutes, the public health sector, and industry has chosen three medtech startups to accelerate.
Each of the startups receives a free IP and regulatory gap analysis to kick things off. From there, we develop a plan together to fill those gaps over the next 12 months. Then we connect the startups with research institutes and coaches and help them secure funding. We also provide free office space.
Meet two more medtech startups that embarked on a year-long acceleration program with DayOne Tech in the canton of Jura.
CNS Therapy.
CNS Therapy aims to alleviate chronic pain and disease and improve the quality of life through a combination of operant behavioral therapy and a patented device called Systolic Extinction Training (SET) — no medication, surgery or implants required.
Moonlight AI.
Moonlight AI, headquartered at Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area – Jura, aims to improve access to genomic information used in personalized medicine for cancer treatment. With artificial intelligence and computer vision, Moonlight AI identifies genomic abnormalities from blood or bone marrow samples, which can help hematologists choose the best treatment for individual cancer patients at various stages.
Florian Saner, Manager DayOne Tech Accelerator.
Florian has a background in finance and business strategy. He has worked in licensing and M&A projects for the medical industry and has done upwards of 25M in acquisitions of startups and technology deals. Now he’s heading the DayOne Tech Accelerator and supports startups on their journey toward success.
”If you're looking to connect with the medtech industry in the Basel Area and Jura region for idea and insight exchange, feel free to reach out to me.
Florian SanerManager DayOne Tech Accelerator
Your opportunity to join the DayOne medtech accelerator.
We accelerate three to four new startups every twelve months. If you want your startup to be accelerated by DayOne Tech, get in touch with Florian Saner directly.
Did you know why the canton of Jura is a great place to locate medtech activities?
The canton of Jura boasts the highest density of medtech suppliers in Switzerland per 1,000 inhabitants, making it an ideal location for medtech activities. Thanks to its rich history in watchmaking, the Jura region has developed expertise in producing small and intricate components using difficult materials, making the necessary skills readily available in the area. New and established medtech companies have no trouble finding suppliers and partners.
Upcoming events
Health Hack: Digital Health Nation (virtual event)
The power of co-creation
Startup-Schmiede – Von der Idee zur eigenen Firma
More medtech companies to watch
The Basel Area has been a fertile ground for medtech companies for years. Innovative firms, big and small, built their successful ventures from here.
Straumann.
Pioneering dental solutions with cutting-edge technology.
The Straumann Group is a global implant, restorative, and regenerative dentistry leader. Founded in Switzerland in 1954, the company has since expanded its reach to over 100 countries. The Straumann Group offers a wide range of products and solutions for dental professionals, including dental implants, abutments, orthodontics, and digital dentistry. With a strong focus on research and development, the company is committed to advancing the field of dental medicine and improving patient outcomes.
Medartis.
Advancing orthopedic surgery with innovative implant solutions.
The Straumann Group is a global implant, restorative, and regenerative dentistry leader. Founded in Switzerland in 1954, the company has since expanded its reach to over 100 countries. The Straumann Group offers a wide range of products and solutions for dental professionals, including dental implants, abutments, orthodontics, and digital dentistry. With a strong focus on research and development, the company is committed to advancing the field of dental medicine and improving patient outcomes.
Artidis AG.
Nanotechnology tool for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
ARTIDIS builds biochemical sensors that analyze cancer tissue. The sensor differentiates between benign and malignant tissue in under 3 hours. It calculates the aggressiveness and the probability of metastases. In addition, the company provides ARTIDISNET, a platform for patients and doctors to store medical history and test results.
Advanced Osteotomy Tools – AOT AG.
Cutting bones with a laser.
Advanced Osteotomy Tools is developing digital solutions for bone surgery. CARLO® is the world’s first laser osteotome approved for clinical use. It can cut bone extremely precisely with the help of cold ablation laser, robotics, navigation and smart software. The invention of CARLO® is supposed to be the start of autonomously executed surgeries.
MiniNaviDent AG.
3D navigation system for dental implantology.
MiniNaviDent focuses on precision technology for dynamically navigated implantology for dentists. It produced the Denacam navigation system that uses sub-millimeter accuracy position, angulation and depth control combined with an interactive 3D interface to ensure precision and patient comfort.
Inura Medical AG.
Targeted treatment options for women’s urological diseases.
Inura created a new innovative way of drug administration to treat diseases of the bladder and lower urinary tract. It’s a patient-friendly and local treatment for an overactive bladder. It’s expected to have fewer side effects than common methods. The product is in clinical studies at the moment.
Healios AG.
Using mobile technologies to diagnose and monitor patients.
Using digital biomarkers, Healios helps patients and physicians to monitor medical conditions. Digital tools such as smartphones or smartwatches measure and collect health information and store it on the Healios medical platform to help find treatments. Currently, Helios is mainly focused on multiple sclerosis, but it will be used for different treatments in the field of neuroscience.
HighDim GmbH.
High-performance and quality multimodal data processing solutions.
HighDim co-designs solutions for signal or image processing requiring high-performance computing. The focus lies on medical imaging, like computer tomography. HighDim also offers the use of its cloud computing infrastructure.
Mabritec AG.
Mass-based rapid identification technologies.
Mabritec specializes in the identification of microorganisms and the characterization of biological systems using mass spectrometry. This is often needed, especially in medical microbiology.
