Venture Leaders Medtech: 10 Swiss medtech startups showcase cutting-edge innovations in Boston

The Venture Leaders— as members of the Swiss National Startup Team— have a clear-cut goal: They envision themselves as global players and are looking to fuel their global expansion. The ten entrepreneurs of this year’s selection had the opportunity to practice their pitches for their promising medtech startups in front of a distinguished audience during the Investor and Business Development Roadshow to the Boston area. The week-long trip allowed for a deep dive into the global medtech scene and included pitch sessions, high-level networking opportunities, workshops, and individual business development activities.

Boston is one of the world’s major life sciences hubs and the ideal springboard for ambitious startups on their way to global expansion. By building a strong network during a week full of pitches, expert workshops, and inspiration, the entrepreneurs will be able to accelerate their international growth. The participating startup founders flew back to Switzerland with helpful, firsthand feedback from U.S. investors, new insights on the cultural differences that should be taken into account when fundraising abroad, and dedicated knowledge and advice from experts covering all aspects of U.S. market entry. 



Swiss medtech startups engage investors in Boston and Cambridge, U.S.A.
The Venture Leaders Medtech roadshow organized in partnership with Swissnex Boston offered a one-week deep dive into the life sciences ecosystem for the founders of aiEndoscopic, Arbrea Labs, ArcoScreen, b-rayZ, Bearmind, EarlySight, MOMM Diagnostics, Oncobit, REA Diagnostics, and TWIICE. Joining the 2022 cohort was Gora Conley, CEO and co-founder of Annaida, who was selected as part of the 2020 team, but whose roadshow had to be delayed due to the pandemic. 



The roadshow included investor pitches with renowned investors such as RA Capital or Gurnet Point, expert feedback session with experts including Richard Anders from Mass Med Angels; Vinit Nijhawan from MassVentures; Edward Melia, Managing Partner at Evolution Global Growth Partners; Julien Pham, Founder GP at 3CC Third Culture Capital; and Tal Wenderow, Venture Partner at Genesis Medtech Group and workshops on U.S. regulatory process for the Swiss National Startup Team with Mark Lesselroth, President and CEO of BioPortUSA. Participants were not only able to build a strong network in Boston but also amongst one another as part of a team of entrepreneurs sharing similar objectives and challenges.

"The Venture Leaders program is a great entry point for making contacts in the U.S. life sciences and VC ecosystem. Thanks to the excellent team dynamics, there was a lively exchange of experiences between the other entrepreneurs, which will certainly continue beyond the program."
— Mathias Wipf, CEO and co-founder of MOMM Diagnostics



Founders also benefited from a great investor and expert panel led by Bret Siarkowski and Christopher Ford from MedScience Ventures, which was followed by a talk from David Riemer, author of “Get Your Startup Story Straight: The Definitive Storytelling Framework for Innovators and Entrepreneurs.” Additional conversations with entrepreneurs were made possible by Helbling Technik, who organized a workshop with inspiring founders who shared their experiences with developing and industrializing medical products. Patrick Anquetil shared his remarkable insights gained as CEO and founder of Portal Instruments, a Boston-based medtech startup that successfully raised USD 50 million. 

"Being part of Venture Leaders gave us a great introduction to the Boston Startup Ecosystem. We were a wonderful group and the interactions within the team and with local startups were super helpful. I met potential investors and have lots of contacts to follow up with to better plan our market entry."
— Claudia Scheckel, CEO of Oncobit and captain of the Swiss National Startup Team

At the Medtech Pitch Cruize Pitchfest organized by Swissnex Boston, each Venture Leader Medtech pitched their project alongside Boston-based startups representing U.S. talent in a friendly competition. Congratulations to Claudia Scheckel of Oncobit, who was selected by the audience as the big winner of the evening! The MedTech Pitch Cruize award includes complimentary registration to the MedTech Conference 2022 in Boston from October 24-26, 2022, as well as guaranteed entry to the AdvaMed Accel Leadership Seminar on the conference’s first day, courtesy of AdvaMed.

"The Venture Leaders roadshow was an outstanding opportunity to establish the first contacts in Boston's ecosystem. During this time we received feedback from several high-profile players that helped us to improve our U.S. go-to-market strategy. I highly recommend it to every medtech startup."
— Philippe Ganz, CEO of aiEndoscopic

Participating sponsors were once again enthusiastic in their support of the Swiss National Startup Team. Nicolas Mosimann of Kellerhals Carrard shared his thoughts: "Venture Leaders Medtech is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to promote their startup in America, enhance their network, and perfect their pitches. It is one of those initiatives that are paramount for the Swiss Startup ecosystem."

Christian Peterhans of Helbling Technik added: “I was impressed by the selection of the venture leaders program. The founders convinced with their drive and motivation to bring new products and solutions to the medtech market. The participants shared their great ideas and visions to become a successful company. It was interesting to learn for all of us, what it takes to thrive. The feedback from the VCs and the executives of multi-million dollar corporations was excellent. A great trip to a great city with great people.”

Jordi Montserrat, Managing Partner at Venturelab, says this year’s medtech roadshow was a resounding success: "It was great to be back in presidential mode, allowing for direct interactions. Feedback from the investors and partners was very positive, and I am convinced we will hear a lot more about these startups in the future."



Venturelab has been organizing international roadshows for the Swiss National Startup Teams for 17 years. The ambitious entrepreneurs and their promising startups are introduced to top-class investors and potential customers in leading technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, New York, London, Munich, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Barcelona.

The Venture Leaders Medtech program is organized by Venturelab and supported by EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Helbling Technik, Kellerhals Carrard, Paul Scherrer Institut, Swissnex Boston, Canton of Vaud, Canton of Zurich, and Venture Leader alumnus Dominik Lysek. 

Learn more about the Venture Leaders Medtech 2022 startups below: