Transfer research to the market

► Call for applications 2024 has been completed

The UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships track «Bio & MedTech» supports early career researchers planning to found a startup based on UZH research in the fields of BioTech, MedTech and Pharma.

Entrepreneur Fellows must be employed at the University of Zurich and work full-time to further develop a technology or novel service towards a marketable solution and strategies for the commercialization thereof.

The goal of the UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships is to close the gap between research and the market. It strengthens projects to achieve a university spin-off and supports motivated researchers to develop the skills needed to become self-confident entrepreneurs in the health sector. 

The UZH Entrepreneur Fellowships Bio & MedTech amount to CHF 150’000 and is awarded for a period of 18 months. The funding may be used for salaries and consumables.

The Entrepreneur fellows are supported throughout the program by the experienced coaches of the Translational Medicine Accelerator (TMA). TMA support fellows on project management and business development and in areas such as fundraising and industry relations.

Unitectra supports the fellows on commercialization issues, such as the protection of intellectual property and the creation of spin-off companies.

The Entrepreneur fellows participate in the BioEntrepreneurship & Innovation (BEI) Program, a hands-on training course for life scientists that are eager to translate scientific results into real-world applications. Experienced entrepreneurs and experts share their knowledge on how to develop a first business plan and setup a successful start-up company. 

Participation in Module A of the program is highly recommended before submitting your application, as it provides valuable preparation and feedback on your pitch deck.

Entrepreneur fellows are employed at UZH and have access to all the IT and library resources offered by the university. In addition,  the program offers access to the UZH IncubatorLab, a fully equipped laboratory located in the Bio-Technopark in Schlieren. The lab is hosted by the Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

Selected candidates will be invited for an interview with the expert jury.

Applications for the Bio & MedTech Entrepreneur Fellowships can be submitted once a year until April 15th.

For the application you need to submit a description of your project, a 3 minute pitch video, the project budget, your CV and a letter of support by your host professor/mentor at UZH.Here you can find a blank application form (for reference only). (PDF, 128 KB)

Find more information on how to apply for the Entrepreneur Fellowships.

Register on the grants platform and submit your applicationhere.

Curious to learn more about this program?