The Health Innovation Hub (HIH) is the startup support arm of the Innovation & Startup Center (ISC) of the USZ, which was founded by the USZ in 2018. The aim of the ISC is to promote entrepreneurship and innovation in healthcare at and with the University Hospital Zurich (USZ) in a targeted manner. Through a multi-stage process with successive decision points, USZ HIH offers selected startups various support packages to accelerate their development during an incubation period, which lasts between 6 months and 4 years.
Notably, the HIH is not a profit-oriented incubator;It was established in conjunction with the USZ Foundation to provide philanthropic and sustainable support for innovation based at USZ, ultimately aiming to benefit future generations of startups. Thanks to its supporting partners, the USZ Foundation can provide early-stage funding. In cases of commercial success, earnings return to the USZ Foundation to finance additional medical innovations for patients, creating a sustainable funding cycle that enhances the impact of every franc donated.
During the incubation period, the projects receive feedback from 20-30 internal and external experts offering tailored advice across different areas such as funding, business strategy, regulatory pathways, and beyond before launching their startups. “These are projects that should not just end in scientific publications but should also find their way into practice and onto the market to bring tangible benefits to patients,” emphasizes the USZ HIH team.
Eligible to participate are projects that have a connection to USZ, a clear clinical need, a strong founding team, and a patient-centered solution that ultimately benefits the Swiss patient population and market. Additionally, in order to qualify, applicants' first-in-human trials or market access should be planned within the next five years.
With around 40 early-stage projects currently being supported, approximately 3–6 startups join the portfolio each year. The portfolio includes startups that have successfully completed the incubation phase and earned the “USZ Startup Label,” along with financial support of up to CHF 200,000, as determined by the annually selected innovation board. Thus far, the 15 startups in the portfolio have achieved remarkable milestones, including securing CHF 30 million in follow-on rounds and creating more than 75 jobs.
Since its inception, the following startups have received the USZ Startup Label: Adularia, ATlyphe, aiEndoscopic, b-rayz, Breathe-UpLeap, Celerato, Citus, IMAI Medtech, FimmCyte, Oncobit, Ontrack Biomedical, Salomo Thinking Systems, and Stromal Therapeutics.
This year, two additional startups have already been added to the portfolio:
OBaris – is developing the OctoPatch® technology – a small, needle-free patch that patients can easily self-apply to the inner cheek – to transform the delivery of peptide drugs. The solution provides a painless, sustainable, and patient-friendly alternative for patients depending on injectable peptide drugs.
Spirit X Solutions – offers a digital mental health application and serves as a modular digital hub for screening, assessment, monitoring and automated triage, facilitating the path of clients from initial symptoms to appropriate mental health care.
Interested USZ-affiliated startups can submit their applications anytime here.
(RAN)
Images by Pascal Landert