The roadshow facilitated numerous meaningful connections, with startups securing potential collaborations and gaining valuable insights from Japan’s thriving biotech and healthcare sectors.

• Adoram Therapeutics, represented by David Pejoski, is a spin-off startup from the University of Geneva, using allosteric biochemistry to create new treatments for patients with tumours or immune-based diseases.
• illumicell AI, represented by Michel Bielecki and Jeyla Sadikova, redefines fertility care and treatments by incorporating AI and space technology into their new machine of the same name, aiming to provide it directly to healthcare communities.
• Nanoflex Robotics, represented by Matt Curran, develops telerobotic solutions for critical endovascular surgeries. Thesesolutions solve the issue of geographical access to these procedures and deliver superior outcomes.
• Nutrix, represented by Maria Hahn, is a digital health startup that makes healthcare accessible and personalized. It developed the first-ever Swiss noninvasive cortisol monitoring sensor designed for home stress monitoring (CortiSense).
• Risklick, represented by Poorya Amini, is developing AI-based clinical trial protocols enabling professionals to design high-quality and time-efficient protocols, shortening and mastering the release of clinical developments.

On October 6, the group, accompanied by Consul & CEO Felix Moesner, started their tour at the STS Forum in Kyoto. Swissnex held a pitch event for the Swiss startups with prominent speakers, including President André Kudelski, Innosuisse, and Director Thomas H. Zurbuchen, ETH Zürich Space. The high-caliber delegation from Switzerland also included President Martin Vetterli (EPFL), President Michael Schaepman (University of Zurich), Director Angelika Kalt (Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF), Chairman Brabeck-Letmathe Peter (GESDA – Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator), Chairman Christian Lovis (Medical Information Sciences, HUG – Hopitaux Universitaires de Genève), CEO Nicolas Demartines (CHUV, Lausanne University Hospital), Vice President & IBM Fellow Alessandro Curioni (IBM Research Zurich), Vice President Christian Schwarzenegger (University of Zurich), and Chief Metrology Officer Peter Blattner (METAS).

Continuing to pitch and showcase their advancements, the startups made their way to Osaka on October 8 for an insightful visit to the newly built Nakanoshima Qross Center for Future Medicine, accompanied by our Startup and Innovation Team members Marko Radovic, Baptiste Thiébault, and Shigehiko Nakayama. Later, the team organized a pitch-networking apéro at Swissnex in Japan. With more than 60 attendees invited, this evening was an amazing opportunity for our startups to make valuable connections in the heart of the Kansai region.

Next was Yokohama for BioJapan, the world’s longest-running biotech expo and Asia’s largest partnering event, from October 9 to 11. At the Swiss Biotech Pavilion, organized by the Swiss Business Hub Japan, our startups showcased their groundbreaking biotech solutions, reinforcing Switzerland’s position as a global leader in life sciences. In addition, Swissnex in Japan organized two deep-dive workshops with PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) and ARC Therapies to give valuable insights to our Swiss startup founders.

For our Swiss startups, the captivating journey ended with a Pitch Night at the Ambassador’s Residence in Tokyo on October 10. This exclusive event was an excellent opportunity to connect with the Tokyo ecosystem. The startup founders met with Ambassador-Designate Roger Dubach and enjoyed the rest of the evening with local investors, VCs, and potential business partners.

All stops on the Swiss Deeptech Roadshow gave voice to interesting discussions and allowed for important networking sessions, with not only academics, scientists, and diplomats but also investors, VCs, and potential business partners joining in to learn about these successful startups and exchange ideas. A big thank you to our partners Presence Switzerland, Innosuisse, and Swiss Business Hub Japan!

The Swiss Deeptech Roadshow 2024 not only celebrated innovation but also forged meaningful connections, paving the way for enduring Swiss-Japanese partnerships in life sciences. As Switzerland continues to push the boundaries of deeptech, we eagerly anticipate expanding this collaboration to create transformative global solutions.