Turn research into a Spin-off with the Entrepreneur Fellowships
The Entrepreneur Fellowships empower sciencepreneurs to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey. It provides time and resources to lay the foundations for a venture that can attract partners and investors with the goal to generate long-term impact.
The impact of the Entrepreneur Fellowship, is best described by the Fellows themselves. Coming from diverse backgrounds across UZH, they enter the program as researchers and leave as entrepreneurs – equipped to translate their ideas into real-world applications.
«The Entrepreneur Fellowship helped me shift from a research-driven mindset to a user-oriented approach, showing me that market validation is just as important as the technology itself. Early conversations with experts and potential users became essential in shaping the direction before moving into product development.»
The Product Lab workshops provided within the Bio&MedTech Fellowship play a key role in this transformation. Designed as hands-on learning experiences, they guide fellows through the early stages of venture creation and encourage active exploration, testing and exchanges.
«I have learned how to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world applications. Strong science alone is not enough. You need a clear value proposition, the right team and it is important to gain a deep understanding of the market as early as possible. This mindset has been essential in shaping my project after the kick-off in the Product Lab workshops and later in the Fellowship.»
The reflections of our Fellows highlight how the Entrepreneur Fellowship shaped not only their projects, but also the way they think and act as founders, from gaining early access to relevant networks and expert coaching, to developing focus through structured milestones:
«The Fellowship combines strong access to networks, tailored coaching, and a clear structure that helps you focus on what truly matters from the start. It not only accelerates learning and progress but also helps you avoid common early-stage mistakes by providing the right guidance at the right time, like value propositions and business models.»
By combining structure, mindset and access to the right ecosystem, this support program empowers Fellows to move from exploration to direction, equipping the next generation of entrepreneurs with the clarity and confidence to create meaningful impact from the very start.
