The Bioproduction Forum is taking place on 2-3 June 2026 in Lausanne. The event is co-organized by MabDesign and A3P.

This event brings together Europe’s biopharmaceutical community to explore the latest advances shaping the future of bioproduction. Designed as a complementary addition to the long-standing Bioproduction Congress in Lyon, this first edition aims to broaden the diversity of participants and expertise mobilized across the sector.

Around central themes such as mAbs, ADCs, and biosimilars, the program will address regulatory evolutions, developability strategies and innovative approaches in formulation. This focused event will gather 130–150 participants, feature 12 expert conferences, 24 exhibitors and 4 partners leading three dedicated 60-minute workshops – offering a dynamic platform to exchange, learn, and accelerate progress in biomanufacturing.

In line with the A3P & MabDesign spirit, the Forum is designed to foster concrete knowledge-sharing and meaningful interactions across industry players, start-ups, technology providers, and service organizations.

2-3 June 2026 | More information

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Apply before 31 May 2026 for the H4 Human Health by Design programme, and get a 6-month support and up to CHF 10,000 in non-dilutive funding.

Human Health by Design supports early‑stage startups developing medical devices or digital health solutions, combining clinical immersion through H4 | La Source with the design expertise of Enabled by Design (EPFL/ECAL). The programme helps you de‑risk, prototype, and validate your product in real clinical environments.

Accelerate the design and real‑world adoption of your health innovation.

Human Health by Design is aimed at early‑stage startups seeking to accelerate the design and market launch of a medical device or digital platform intended for healthcare institutions.

The call for projects supports solutions at various levels of maturity – from needs validation to market validation – including mock‑ups, functional prototypes, MVPs, and pilots in real‑world settings.

By integrating a user‑centered design approach, it helps teams to develop solutions grounded in the needs, constraints, and practices of real clinical environments. The objective is to foster the creation of impactful innovations that enable sustainable adoption and deliver concrete, systemic benefits for healthcare.

At a glance 

• Target audience : pre-incorporated / early-stage startups and projects in medtech and digital health
• Support duration : 6 months (from June until December 2026)
• Funding : up to CHF 10,000 per project (non-dilutive)
• Key resources : access to H4 clinical settings, design coaching from Enabled by Design, associated experts (clinical, UX/UI, industrial design, regulatory)

Expected deliverables : evidence of use (observations, test logs), improved prototype/mock-up/MVP, experimentation plan and pre-development roadmap.

Application Deadline: 31 May 2026 | Application

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The jury of the Prix Strategis selected five companies, to advance to the final round of the competition. Three of them are Swiss Health Valley projects.

Irmos Technologies AG, which develops solutions to extend the lifespan of infrastructure. Neology SA, which offers a clean alternative to diesel. Virtuosis AI, specialized in intelligent vocal biomarkers. Isospec Analytics SA, whose technology aims to improve the reliability of clinical trials. And Cria Technologies, which brings innovation to cold-chain logistics. ProSeed Ingredients SA, Twiliner AG, and Identic AI GmbH reached the semi-finals but were not selected for the final

As every year, the Prix Strategis will reward the best Swiss start-up with a CHF 40,000 prize, strong media visibility, and the opportunity to present its project before a prestigious jury as well as an audience composed of influential figures from the Swiss entrepreneurial ecosystem. In 2024, HeroSupport won the prize, and in 2025 Heketiss ended

The Prix Strategis award ceremony will take place on 30 April 2026, at the Centre Patronal in Paudex. On this occasion, the jury will announce the winning start-up among the five finalists. As in the previous edition, an Audience Award will also be discerned by Agefi :participants will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite start-up among the finalists. The winners of both the Prix Strategis and the Audience Award will be announced during the ceremony.

Source: Press Release | Award Ceremony: 30 Avril 2026

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The FONGIT Force Event, The Essentials of Startup Leadership and Governance, with Pierre Strübin is taking place on 12 May 2026 at FONGIT HQ in Plan-les-Ouates (Geneva)

Strong governance is not bureaucracy — it is a competitive advantage for startup success. In this in-person lunchtime workshop, Pierre Strübin will distill the core leadership and governance principles that founders and executives need as their companies grow in complexity and ambition. Drawing on 28 years of board-level experience and firsthand exposure to hundreds of startups, Pierre will highlight the patterns that separate companies that scale successfully from those that stall — or fail — due to governance blind spots and poor decision-making structures.

What you will learn

• The roles, rights, and responsibilities of board members, executives, and shareholders
• How to build an effective, value-adding board of directors
• Best practices for running productive board meetings and professional AGMs
• Common governance mistakes startups make — and how to avoid them before they become costly

12 May 2026 – 12 PM to 2 PM | FONGIT HQ, route de la Galaise 34, 1228 Plan-les-Ouates | Registration

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The 3 Rs Day will take place at the Biozentrum in Basel on 11 June 2026, and will focus on advancing the 3Rs in immunology and infectious disease

3Rs Day is the Swiss 3RCC’s flagship annual event, bringing together researchers, animal welfare officers and professionals working with animals in research to exchange knowledge, foster collaboration and discuss the latest advancements in the 3Rs.

The event features a keynote lecture from a leading expert, a poster session showcasing innovative research and presentations on novel approaches to Replacement, Reduction and Refinement. Researchers from academia and industry share their findings, offering insights into the evolving landscape of responsible animal research.

By creating a space for discussion and collaboration, 3Rs Day helps drive innovation and supports the ongoing refinement of animal research practices in Switzerland.

11 June 2026 | Biozentrum Basel | More Information

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Apply before 31 August 2026 for the Micronarc Prize x PX Group and try to get CHF 5,000 and a booth at one of Micronarc’s events

This annual award recognizes subcontractors in French-speaking Switzerland active in the field of micro- and nanotechnologies—that is, companies that contribute to their clients’ success through technological, business, or service innovations.

Why this award?

To recognize these players who too often remain in the shadows but whose contribution is essential to the success of the entire micro- and nanotechnology ecosystem in French-speaking Switzerland.

What’s the prize?

5,000 CHF, a fully equipped space at a Micronarc group booth of your choice, extensive visibility through various communication channels, and recognition by a panel of experts.

Who can participate?

Any subcontractor offering a solution (technological innovation, business innovation, or service) that contributes to the success of a client company.

Application Deadline : 31 August 2026 | More Information | Application

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Apply for Venture Technology Connect and go to Verbier next November to pitch you project to a selected audience of investors

Swiss start-ups are seeking for capital to fuel their growth. And investors want to invest their money intelligently, according to their values and preferences. 

Venture Technology Connect is coming to the Verbier region for the third time on 3 and 4 November 2026, bringing together the most innovative start-ups and visionary investors.  

The mission of Venture Technology Connect?  To put investors in touch with the visionaries of tomorrow, while guiding them in their strategic choices.

Apply Here | Event: 3 and 4 November 2026

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Apply before 15 May 2026 for next Mission BioCapital Platinum Programme, designed to help early-stage biotech projects

Mission BioCapital (MBC), in partnership with sponsors AbbVie, Ono Venture Investment (OVI), Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP), Connecticut Innovations, Alloy Therapeutics, HitGen, CCRM, Goodwin, Norton Rose Fulbright, and van den Boom & Associates announced today that applications are open internationally for the 2026 Platinum Programme. MBC’s Platinum Programme aims to advance high-potential life sciences start-up companies by providing pre-seed funding, global laboratory space, expert mentorship, and discovery services to accelerate their launch and initial development. Early-stage biotechnology innovators from around the globe are invited to apply.

“Since 2022, Mission BioCapital’s Platinum Program has helped launch 24 exceptional early-stage founders, deploying a total of $11.5 million in pre-seed funding and hands-on support to turn breakthrough ideas into medical breakthroughs,” said Jennifer Griffin, Ph.D., Partner, Mission BioCapital. “We’re thrilled to celebrate our alumni’s ongoing achievements and excited to extend Platinum Program access to the next wave of biotech visionaries from around the world.”

The 2026 Platinum Program will award each of up to eight winning start-ups:

• A guaranteed lab bench in one of MBC’s 31 affiliated incubators located in 22 cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Japan
• Up to $500,000 of pre-seed capital from MBC, AbbVie, OVI, TIAP, and Connecticut Innovations
• Drug discovery services from Alloy Therapeutics and HitGen to enable companies with a derisked path to lead candidate
• Consulting support from any affiliates within the CCRM group of companies
• General counsel, intellectual property, and finance and accounting services from Goodwin, Norton Rose Fulbright, and van den Boom & Associates
• Strategic scientific and business development mentorship from experts at MBC, AbbVie, OVI, Alloy Therapeutics, HitGen, CCRM, and other companies across MBC’s corporate network

Deadline: 15 May 2026 | Application

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Five EPFL-based startups: Alpion CryoSolutions, Eleum,  Feedback Intuitive, MOLECL, and NourishAI are the latest recipients of the EPFL Startup Launchpad Innogrant and Innogrant for biotherapeuthics. Each team has secured CHF 100,000 to accelerate the development of their technology. 

Alpion CryoSolutions

Cryo-electron microscopy has transformed biology by allowing researchers to see proteins in extraordinary detail. However, existing technology only allows these molecules to be seen in a static state. In reality, proteins move, change shape, and have interactions which determine how they function. These dynamics are central to drug discovery, where researchers need to understand how proteins change in order to design effective new medicines. Existing instruments struggle to capture these rapid changes – particularly at the microsecond timescale where many processes occur.

The Alpion team – based in Professor Christoph Bostedt’s LUXS lab – has developed technology which allows researchers to capture protein molecules mid-movement. Their laser-based system briefly melts frozen samples, giving the proteins a fraction of a second to move before rapidly refreezing them. This makes it possible to trap and image short-lived shapes that may otherwise remain invisible, providing a more complete picture of their structure and enabling more accurate three-dimensional reconstructions. Compact and user-friendly, their instrument integrates into standard cryo-EM workflows.

The team will use their Innogrant to transform their prototype into a robust pre-commercial product ready for pilot deployment.

Eleum

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease affecting the large intestine. It causes intestinal ulcers, leading to abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and weight loss that severely impact quality of life. Current treatments mainly work by suppressing the immune system to reduce inflammation — but do not directly heal the intestine lining, which is a key predictor of long-term remission. Research increasingly suggests that certain modifications of the gut microbiome contribute to the disease. For instance, patients with UC tend to have low levels of a particular class of microbial metabolites called secondary bile acids. These molecules produced by gut bacteria have been shown to play a crucial role in repairing the intestine lining.

The Eleum team, based in Professor Kristina Schoonjans’ Laboratory of Metabolic Signalling at EPFL, is developing a new type of treatment called a Live Biotherapeutic Product, or LBP. Unlike probiotics, which are often used for general health, LBPs are designed to prevent, treat, or cure specific diseases by targeting known biological pathways. Eleum’s therapy introduces specific bacteria in the gut that restore the body’s production of secondary bile acids and return the bile acid balance to that of healthy individuals. This has been shown to help the gut heal faster and strengthen the gut barrier by supporting the body’s natural ability to regenerate the intestinal lining. By restoring this key metabolic pathway, this therapeutic approach aims to promote long-term remission for UC patients.

The team will use their Innogrant to prepare their therapy for clinical use – establishing the quality controls required by regulators and optimising the preparation protocol to maximise bacteria engraftment in the gut.

Feedback Intuitive

Sports performance is increasingly data-driven, with athletes and teams relying on metrics to optimise training and competition. Yet, ‘Recovery’ – although critical for injury prevention and long-term development – still remains hard to quantify. Most athletes rely on indirect indicators such as heart rate or sleep scores to judge their readiness. While useful, these metrics do not reveal what’s happening inside the specific muscles that have done the work. As a result, training decisions are often made without a clear picture of muscular recovery.

Feedback Intuitive – a team based in Professor David Atienza’s Embedded Systems Laboratory – is developing a compact wearable that measures oxygen levels directly in targeted muscles during training sessions. By tracking how quickly a muscle re-oxygenates after effort, the system provides a direct measure of local fatigue and recovery. Combined with broader metrics in a single wearable, the team hopes to make muscle-specific recovery measurable in everyday training, not just in specialised labs.

The team will use their Innogrant to create a field-ready MVP and conduct structured athlete pilots, generating the evidence needed for the next stage of development.

MOLECL

Protein modifications play an important role in many biological processes and are closely linked to human health and the performance of biological therapeutics. However, current analytical methods for detecting these modifications are often slow, costly, and lack the ability to precisely identify structural variations at the molecular level. As a result, important molecular information can remain hidden, limiting the effectiveness of biological analysis and contributing to inefficiencies in healthcare and biotechnology.

The MOLECL team is developing a new approach for analyzing protein modifications using nanopore based sensing. By combining solid state nanopores with molecular recognition strategies, the technology enables analysis of individual protein molecules and the structural features associated with their modifications. This single molecule approach provides a new way to detect subtle molecular differences that are difficult to observe with existing bulk measurement techniques.

The team will use their Innogrant to advance from early laboratory proof-of-concept to clinical validation, testing their assay against real patient samples at CHUV.

NourishAI

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurological disease for which there is no cure. ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or motor neurone disease) attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary movement. Over time, the brain loses its ability to send signals to the muscles and patients become unable to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe. ALS can also disrupt the body’s metabolism. Around two thirds of patients have already lost weight by the time they are diagnosed, and even a small drop in body mass index is associated with significantly faster disease progression. Despite this, nutritional care for ALS patients remains generic – based on broad caloric guidance and supplements, with little account for the fact that each patient’s metabolism behaves differently.

The NourishAI team, based in Professor Johan Auwerx’s Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology at EPFL, is building a data-driven approach to nutrition in ALS. Their platform combines genetic, metabolic, and clinical data from ALS patient cohorts. They then use machine learning to identify which nutrient pathways are most predictive of disease progression in individual patients. The goal is to move from observation to intervention: offering a personalised nutritional framework based on the patient’s specific metabolic profile. The team is working in collaboration with Swiss neuromuscular centres in St. Gallen, Geneva and Lausanne, and will integrate with the MyFoodRepo platform – developed at EPFL – to enable real-world food logging and biomarker tracking.

The team will use their Innogrant to validate their computational findings against clinical data and develop a working prototype of the NourishAI decision tool for use by clinicians.

Source: EPFL | ©EPFL

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Eli Lilly has handed Vaud-based AC Immune (Switzerland) 10 million Swiss francs ($12.5 million) to expand their Alzheimer’s disease collaboration as a candidate moves closer to the clinic.

The U.S. pharma first tapped up AC Immune in a 2018 deal that included an $81 million upfront fee. That pact, which came with up to 1.7 billion francs ($2.1 billion) in milestone payments attached, was centered on a preclinical small-molecule designed to inhibit tau aggregation in Alzheimer’s patients.

Dr. Andrea Pfeifer, CEO of AC Immune SA, commented: “The progress in this collaboration highlights the important breakthroughs we have made with Morphomer small molecules for intracellular targeting of Tau. We look forward to working with the team at Lilly to drive forward the development of these potentially disruptive small molecule therapeutics for early-stage treatment and long-term prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Increasingly, the scientific evidence suggests that targeting intracellular Tau can slow or even completely halt the pathology. This collaboration exemplifies our work towards precision prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. We expect to initiate Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies imminently.”

Morphomer Tau candidates were selected for their ability to enter the brain when dosed orally, and for their specific binding to the targeted pathological conformation of the Tau protein. AC Immune has generated strong preclinical data suggesting that Tau Morphomers should be clinically relevant for inhibiting aggregation and seeding across pathological and disease stages.

Under this amendment, AC Immune will receive a CHF10 million upfront payment and a subsequent milestone payment with Phase 1 dosing, in addition to milestones announced in a prior amendment. AC Immune is eligible for further development, regulatory and commercial milestones of over CHF1.7 billion, plus tiered percentage royalty payments in the low double digits, as previously disclosed.

Source: Press Release | ©Canva Library

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