By Matheo Kappeler, SV Industry Reporter 2024–2025
& edited by Enzo Espinosa, SV Industry Reporter 2025-2026
At SV Industry, our core purpose is to connect EPFL’s Life Sciences Engineering students with the vibrant world of industry. As the academic year began, our team gathered to map out our schedule and brainstorm ideas for this year’s initiatives. A shared goal took shape: to ignite entrepreneurial thinking among SV students.
Our aim went beyond mere exposure to industry—we wanted to push students to adopt the mindset of founders, creators, and innovators. The year unfolded as a series of conversations, encounters, and moments of insight. As SV Industry’s reporter, I attended every event, spoke with students, and witnessed firsthand how their outlooks transformed. One recurring theme stood out: VentureLab wasn’t just aligned with our mission in name—it was making a tangible difference.
We kicked off the year with MAKE Projects in Life Sciences, an event spotlighting EPFL’s most ambitious student-led initiatives. From N-PULSE, which is developing open-source biomedical technology, to GenoRobotics, leveraging DNA sequencing for biodiversity research, the projects revealed the incredible creativity thriving within our
community. BioSense, EPFL’s team in the SenseUs competition, particularly caught attention with its groundbreaking biomarker detection work. Recently, this project evolved into a startup, NeoSense, thanks to support from Venture Kick—a program under VentureLab. Even for students with no plans to launch a company, the event sent a powerful message: « Creation is the first step, and it’s within your reach. »
Our second event brought together four trailblazing entrepreneurs: Yann Cotte (Nanolive), Thomas Gurry (Myota), Madhia Derouazi (Amal Therapeutics, AC Immune, Switchkine), and Margaux Duchamp (Arcoscreen). Each shared their unique journey in the life sciences, offering advice on founding startups. A clear pattern emerged from their stories: VentureLab had played a pivotal role in their paths, whether through startup training, business creation programs, or mentorship. Many students admitted they were unaware of these opportunities—and how accessible they were. It became evident: VentureLab had to be part of our journey this year, as its mission resonated deeply with ours.
In March, we officially partnered with VentureLab for one of the year’s most engaging events: the Precision Medicine Sprint. Students tackled real clinical challenges posed by experts from Quant Biomarkers, GSK, and CHUV. The focus wasn’t strictly on entrepreneurship, but the sprint demanded rapid problem-solving, creative thinking, and persuasive pitching. Watching students refine their ideas under pressure highlighted how startups thrive on turning raw concepts into clear, actionable plans. For those hesitant about pitching, VentureLab’s newly introduced training programs—designed to help students articulate their ideas with confidence—proved to be a game-changer.
EPFL’s neuroscience scene is abuzz, and our NeuroConnect event capitalized on that energy. Six cutting-edge companies—Onward Medical, IDUN Technologies, NeuroRestore, Neurosoft, Juveon HS, and NogalMedicin—joined us for pitches and live demos. Strikingly, most had been nurtured by VentureLab, underscoring its influence in shaping the region’s neurotech ecosystem. The presence of these ventures spoke volumes about VentureLab’s role in fostering innovation from the ground up.
One standout moment came from Piotr Nogal (NogalMedicin), an ophthalmologist-turned-founder, who presented a diagnostic device he built from scratch. After his demo, students shared how they saw themselves in him: « professionals willing to step beyond their comfort zones to drive meaningful change. »
The academic year drew to a close with the Gala Alumni, an event less about innovation and more about the journeys that unfold after graduation. Four alumni—Eleonora Borda, Fadhel El-May, Axel de Tonnac, and Anthony Aho—shared their diverse career paths, reflecting the broad possibilities open to SV graduates. While not all were entrepreneurs in the traditional sense, VentureLab’s programs naturally wove into the conversation, reinforcing its relevance across innovation-driven careers. The evening’s takeaway was clear: « There are countless ways to shape the future of life sciences. »
What surprised me most this year was how organically VentureLab appeared across our events. We didn’t plan to feature them at every turn, yet they were consistently present—behind the startups, programs, and individuals we admired. This underscored their deep integration into Switzerland’s innovation landscape and their crucial role in helping science-driven students turn ideas into impact.
VentureLab became more than a sponsor; they became a partner in vision. Their support allowed us to experiment, design an ambitious program, and show students that the entrepreneurial leap isn’t just possible—it’s practical. Through bootcamps, training, and targeted guidance, they made innovation feel attainable.
By the year’s end, many students told us they were « rethinking what’s possible. » Not everyone aspired to become a founder immediately, but they now saw value in taking risks, building, and stepping forward. For SV Industry, that was the exact spark we hoped to ignite.
Thank you VentureLab.
If reading about VentureLab makes you want to take the leap, please check out their programs. Among those:
Venture Briefing
A series of keynote talks designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, this program
guides students, recent graduates, and researchers as they take their first steps toward launching a startup. It serves as both an introduction to entrepreneurship and a gateway to the support programs available for young innovators, helping them navigate the early stages of building a business.
Venture Challenge (EPFL & ETH)
This interactive workshop series focuses on validating and executing your business idea. Participants learn to use essential tools, define their mission and priorities, set clear milestones, and leverage feedback to refine their approach. Beyond skill-building, the program oJers inspiration, networking with like-minded peers, and practical insights into securing funding—turning raw ideas into actionable plans.
Additional Workshops & Courses VentureLab also oJers a range of specialized workshops and semester-long courses covering critical topics in business creation, overcoming key challenges, and entrepreneurship training. From inspiring talks by industry leaders to hands-on sessions, these programs equip participants withthe knowledge, confidence, and resources to transform their visions into reality.