Baselaunch

BaseLaunch is managed and operated by Basel Area Business & Innovation, the innovation and investment promotion agency for the Basel Area. They support healthcare startups who are looking for industry access, market know-how and access to labs.

They are looking for breakthrough innovations that can form the basis of new biopharma ventures, from all over the world, so they help launch and build ventures to the point where they can complete a Series A financing or similar.

Projects at any stage are welcome, from pre-seed to seed, at the very beginning, or even before. Additionally, projects where the only person involved is the Post Doc or Professor – with a promising discovery but no one else to develop it – are perfectly acceptable.

Baselaunch provides access to best-in-class scientific avenues– discussing topics as detailed as assay levels, animal models, etc. – with strategic breadth – defining key milestones to de-risk the science or sharpening overall positioning. They do this together with relevant consultants and experts and involve their partners, where they can add value. Typically, they also get involved in:

-Building the team – bringing in drug development and commercial expertise, as needed, and establishing fair ways to compensate early team member,

-Providing support with IP licensing and incorporating the company,

-Providing introductions, globally, to venture funds and assisting in negotiations with these funds.

Unlike incubators or accelerators, they do not have a specific program or courses compulsory for our ventures to follow. They do not require ventures to all work in the same building, but if needed, they can give access to their fully equipped labs and offices, and can also help find other infrastructures in the Basel Area. We ensure our ventures become deeply embedded in what is arguably Europe’s strongest biotech ecosystem.

Through all of this, ventures retain full entrepreneurial freedom to decide what they want to do, and how they want to do it. Importantly, ventures retain control over the extent to which their partners become involved.

Portfolio: Alentis, Anaveon, Tolremo, T3Pharma.

Application process

Application closes in May, and the program is divided into two phases: Phase I September to November, Phase II January to December. Candidates willing to apply can do it through this link, but the application process is as follows:

-Fill out the expression of interest, which helps them understand what the project is about.

-If successful, they will receive a full application form that should be completed with all the relevant documents.

-If successful, they will get in touch with you shortly to discuss next steps.

Last update: April 8, 2022