Bioscibex wins the BCV Prize and Ships its First Devices
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Bioscibex, the Valais biotool startup born out of EPFL and based at the BioArk in Monthey, is having a banner few months. The company has both picked up a major regional accolade and reached a key commercial milestone by shipping its first bioreactor units to customers.
On 11 June 2026 evening, Bioscibex took home the 2026 Prix Créateurs BCVS, awarded at a ceremony held in the historic former Chandoline factory in Sion in front of 450 guests. Capturing 44.7% of the public vote, the startup—co-founded by Chloé Albietz and François Carruzzo, and supported by The Ark foundation—was recognized for its bioreactor SW1NGO, which radically simplifies the manufacturing of cell-based therapies for cancers and autoimmune diseases. The prize comes with CHF 25,000, split between CHF 10,000 in cash and CHF 15,000 in coaching, presented by Stéphane Ganzer, head of the Valais department of security, institutions and sport, and Oliver Schnyder, CEO of Banque Cantonale du Valais. Four other finalists—Sof-IA, Aerostrad, Adiutor and Olymra—remain in the running for the “coup de cœur des anciens finalistes” award, to be announced in October at the Foire du Valais.
What makes SW1NGO stand out, according to the jury, is its ability to collapse a process that typically requires up to six separate steps into a single integrated system. By replacing the manual transfers between machines that cells normally undergo as they grow, the device cuts production costs and significantly reduces contamination risk—bringing advanced cell therapies a step closer to being accessible to more patients.
That promise is now moving from the lab to the field. Just months after unveiling SW1NGO publicly, Bioscibex has begun delivering its first units to early customers—major global biopharma companies and CDMOs that validated the technology and are now running paid trials in their own facilities ahead of the system’s official European launch early June 2026 at the ESACT conference in Slazburg, Austria, one of the leading gatherings for cell culture and bioprocessing professionals. CEO Chloé Albietz says these early adopters are drawn to SW1NGO’s potential to reduce manual labor, lower contamination risk, and cut plastic waste through more sustainable processes.
Looking ahead, Bioscibex—currently a five-person team in Monthey focused on customer support, sales, quality and operations, while relying on external partners for manufacturing—plans to grow its commercial team and expand internationally, with a U.S. market entry targeted for 2027.
Bioscibex was also selected for the BioTools Innovator 2026 Accelerator in Los Angeles joining a group of 30 life science tools and diagnostics companies recognized for their potential to address critical challenges in research, diagnosis, treatment, and biomanufacturing.
Founded in 2007 by Promotion Économique Valais and Banque Cantonale du Valais, the Prix Créateurs BCVS has become a benchmark for innovation “made in Valais” over its 17 editions, with the 18th edition set to launch in January 2027.
➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸©TheArk