Ten Swiss biotech start-ups travel to the Boston Roadshow

Venturelab has been selecting the Swiss national startup team since 2006 and organizes roadshows in global technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, Asia, Barcelona, London and Munich. As part of these programs, entrepreneurs network with leading experts, investors and potential customers.

After reviewing over 70 applications, a panel of experts and investors selected ten startups for the Venture Leaders Biotech 2026 Roadshow in Boston. The program will take place from May 31 to June 5 and offers participants the opportunity to accelerate their expansion into the US, connect with industry leaders and gain valuable insights through investor pitch sessions and targeted workshops.

Wide range of innovative solutions

The ten selected startups cover a wide range of areas, including AI-assisted drug development, vaccines, peptide therapies, bioreactors, CAR therapies, in vivo gene editing, enzyme delivery, RNA-based therapies, proteomics and organoid automation.

«Preparing for this roadshow for the 21st consecutive year is a strong sign of the innovative power of new startups,» says Jordi Montserrat, Managing Partner at Venturelab. «I look forward to being part of this new edition and supporting the team in the fundraising phase and international expansion.»

Successful alumni as role models

The ten start-ups follow in the footsteps of successful alumni such as Araris Biotech (recently acquired for 1.1 billion US dollars), Covagen (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), Versantis (acquired by Genfit), Amal Therapeutics (acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim), NBE-Therapeutics (acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim), Alentis (financing round of 105 million US dollars in 2023) and Bioversys (recent IPO on the SIX Swiss Exchange).

The ten selected startups

Baio Labs from the canton of Vaud uses generative AI to rapidly develop new small molecules for specific therapeutic targets, replacing slow and costly screening processes. Baxiva from Zurich is developing glycoconjugated vaccines against severe bacterial infections, starting with ExPEC, based on a scalable nanoparticle technology.

Biodelphis Therapeutics from the canton of Vaud develops peptide-based active ingredients that selectively inhibit disease-causing proteases and target specific cells without toxic side effects. Bioscibex from Valais is developing disposable bioreactors that simplify antibody production by combining several cell culture steps in a safe and efficient process.

Gliocart from Basel is developing CAR-T therapies against glioblastomas that directly attack tumors and simultaneously reprogram immune cells to enhance the anti-tumor response. Immitra Bio from Geneva is developing an in vivo gene editing platform for rapid, standardized therapies without chemotherapy or complex ex vivo processes.

Nanozymex from Basel enables the targeted transport of therapeutic enzymes into cells using lipid nanoparticles, thereby improving efficacy and tolerability. Translation-X from Basel is developing brain-activated inhibitors to correct dysregulation of RNA translation in certain forms of autism.

Unomr from Zurich offers single-molecule protein analysis using nanopore sensors to investigate protein modifications for medical applications. Visienco from Lucerne automates the sorting and analysis of organoids using AI, thereby improving throughput, reproducibility and scalability.

Program starts with pitch appearance in Basel

The program starts with a pitch appearance at the Swiss Biotech Days in Basel on May 4, 2026 from 5:45 to 6:30 pm in the Singapore room. The Venture Leaders Biotech Roadshow can be followed on social media with the hashtag #VLeadersBiotech.

Venture Leaders Biotech is organized by Venturelab and supported by EPFL, ETH Zurich, University of Basel, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard and Vischer. Companies founded by the 600 Venture Leaders alumni have created 14,000 jobs and raised more than 9 billion Swiss francs in investment capital.

Source: www.venture-leaders.ch/venture-leaders-biotech