Swiss National Startup Team pitched virtually to U.S. investors ahead of life sciences roadshow to Boston

On June 10, 2020, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Mr. Edward T. McMullen Jr., hosted the first virtual Investor Pitch Session for this year’s Venture Leaders Life Sciences team. The 10 members of the Swiss National Startup Team pitched in front of over 20 hand-selected U.S. investors and corporate representatives. The entrepreneurs showcased outstanding Swiss innovations while kicking off the unique Venture Leaders experience, which is defined by networking and intense fundraising activities.

The Venture Leaders Life Sciences team is geared up to go through an intense program comprising public presentations in and beyond Switzerland and a week-long immersion into the U.S. business and Venture Capital environment. As regulations around the global COVID-19 outbreak forced a delay of this year’s roadshow to Boston, the virtual setting of this month’s session has served as an excellent kick-off for the Swiss National Startup Team while helping to increase awareness and leading to the first meaningful connections. 
 

#AmbMcMullen hosted a virtual pitching event for U.S. investors to get to know ten Swiss #lifescience start-ups who want to do business in the ????. It set the stage for continued bilateral investment cooperation! Thx to partners @SelectUSA, @venturelab_ch and @enrich_usa. pic.twitter.com/0ph1SdXrV2

— U.S. Embassy Bern (@USEmbassyBern) June 11, 2020

The ambassador concluded: “It was a tremendous honor to be a part of the virtual pitching event, featuring 10 promising early-stage Swiss life science startups and highly experienced U.S. investors.? I was impressed by the startups’ technologies and wish them all the very best for their roadshow to Boston in the fall to accelerate their expansion into the U.S. market and connect with the U.S. investor ecosystem. I salute the Venturelab team, SelectUSA, and ENRICH, as we continue to grow this partnership.” 

The Swiss entrepreneurs presented their startup in a virtual investor pitch, followed by an interactive Q&A session. Not only the startups but also the audience was impressed by the presentations and the quality of the selected Venture Leaders startups: “The National Cancer Institute’s Technology Transfer Center enjoyed participating in the Swiss Life Science Pitch Event. The 10 presenting companies represented an exciting range of healthcare innovations. We look forward to follow-up discussions regarding partnering opportunities with the National Institutes of Health,” said Michael Salgaller, Unit Supervisor at the National Cancer Institute. 



Venture Leaders Life Sciences 2020 is made possible through the support of our program partners: EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard, Paul Scherrer Institut, swissnex Boston, University of Zurich, YPSOMED, Canton de Vaud, and the Canton of Zurich.