| News
Boosting innovation with our Digital Health Nation program
The Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster, powered by Innosuisse, is one of the key components of DayOne’s mission to drive the future of healthtech.
Explore the essence of the Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster, get to know the leading startups of 2024 backed by the program, and find out how you can be part of this transformative journey, whether as a partner or future participant.
What you will find on this page
About DayOne and the Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster
DayOne is a leading launchpad for high-potential ventures in healthtech at the intersection of pharma.
At the heart of our mission are three tailored accelerator programs designed to meet specific needs in the healthtech industry:
- The DayOne Tech Accelerator supports medtech ventures.
- The DayOne Health 4.0 Accelerator focuses on scaling international healthtech ventures
- The Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster empowers Swiss ideas and startups in the early stages of their journey.
The Digital Health Nation program is dedicated to advancing Swiss healthcare by transforming ideas into impactful solutions for patients and healthcare professionals. This is achieved through a collaborative approach, bringing together experts, patients, academia and entrepreneurs.
”The DayOne Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster has been a true game-changer for OncoSwab. This program allowed us to explore how integrating patient data could unlock new potential in our technology, enhancing both its performance and clinical impact. What truly stood out was the collaborative environment, where we worked alongside other passionate innovators and startups. The exchange of ideas and perspectives, combined with the guidance of industry experts, provided invaluable lessons that went beyond technical insights, inspiring us to think bigger and move faster toward our goals.
Roberta GattaClinical Operations Specialist, OncoSwab
The program is supported by the biggest Swiss public-private consortium in healthcare, ranging from academia and hospitals to health insurance and pharma companies. The consortium plays an important role in fostering open innovation, by creating a collaborative ecosystem where a broad range of stakeholders can share knowledge, resources and expertise. This helps accelerate the development of innovative solutions to complex healthcare challenges.
”With the Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster, we are excited to actively shape the future of healthcare in Switzerland and support the growth of innovative start-ups. The program provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to further develop their digital health solutions and make a significant contribution to a patient-centered digital health ecosystem. We are proud to be part of this initiative to strengthen the Swiss digital health ecosystem and look forward to continuing to drive innovative solutions that will sustainably improve the healthcare sector.
Erik SchkommodauDirector of the Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics, FHNW
To transform challenges into solution-driven ideas, we collaborate with patients, clinicians, healthcare professionals and entrepreneurs through a series of onsite challenge events, including the 5th edition of the Health Hack.
These events resulted in approximately 100 applications, from which our expert panel select 20 startups to advance to the Idea phase. During Stage 1, participants receive CHF 3,000 to develop and test their idea’s viability, desirability and feasibility in a focused bootcamp.
Half of the participants progress to Stage 2: Prototyping. The ten selected startups are awarded up to CHF 10,000 to further develop their concepts, CHF 5,000 for coaching, and the chance to participate in an intensive two-day prototyping bootcamp.
The top five finalists advance to Stage 3: Readiness & Go to Market. In this final phase, startups receive special prizes and up to CHF 4,000 to refine their readiness and validate their go-to-market strategies.
”The DHN Innovation Booster was an incredible learning experience that was well organized and provided valuable guidance and support to turn an idea into a concept. I think the biggest impact was to motivate teams to take a systematic approach to their projects and help them de-risk the endeavor moving forward. I highly recommend the program for anyone who seeks to test their ideas and want to build viable concepts.
Aleksander KleinLead “Autism Care” team; Group Leader Digital Health, Personalized Healthcare Center of Excellence, Roche
Expert voices
Check out the following video of three of our industry experts explaining why they are happy to be involved in the DHN Innovation Booster program:
What entrepreneurs gain when they join the Digital Health Nation program
Besides non-dilutive funding of up to CHF 22,000, our innovation booster program offers guidance and support, with industry experts providing customized coaching in validating the three aspects: feasibility, viability and desirability of the solution.
In detail, startups benefit from:
- Funding opportunities to fuel the growth and development of their idea, turning their vision into reality.
- Participation in a vibrant ecosystem of healthcare players, where they gain exposure to the latest trends, insights and technologies shaping the future of healthcare.
- Mentorship and coaching from industry leaders to guide them through the intricacies of scaling their digital health venture.
- Networking opportunities with influential industry leaders, investors and fellow innovators.
- Enhanced visibility within the healthcare community, building credibility with partners and investors and forming strategic partnerships.
- Access to space, working alongside entrepreneurs, coaches and industry experts at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area.
”The Day One Digital Health Innovation Booster is an amazing opportunity for great health and medtech startups to connect with the right industries. We gained so much valuable insight from our colleagues and industry experts. It was truly eye-opening, and we're thrilled to put our newfound knowledge into practice!
Mike SchälchliCo-Founder & CEO, Nutrai
Project voices
Gwenael Hannema
CEO, OrthoSens
Maren Schinz
Founder, Beyond Diagnostics
Perrine Lhuillier
Head, Partnerships and Communications, Chair for Methods of Plasticity Research, University of Zurich
”The Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster was an outstanding program that provided invaluable opportunities to connect with key stakeholders essential for driving the success of our nutrition tracking solution.
Robert SchreiberCo-Founder, ALPINA+SANA
Joining the Digital Health Nations accelerator opens up opportunities to transform your innovative healthcare ideas into a viable product that solves real-world problems.
The 2024 edition: This year’s Digital Health Nation finalists
Get to know the five startups that our independent selection panel selected for the third stage, chosen for their level of innovation, feasibility and potential impact on the Swiss economy and society:
Alpina+sana’s AI-based food tracker will automatically track and analyze patients’ nutritional intake by installing a 3D cam above treadmills in hospital kitchens. If a patient consumes less than 75% of their daily recommended intake, the nutritional staff will be informed to take appropriate action.
OrthoSens is designing orthopedic implant technologies and a SensApp platform that will provide continuous real-time data, empowering surgeons, physiotherapists and patients to actively engage in the post-surgery recovery process.
OncoSwab is developing a point-of-care test for lung cancer that can be performed in various healthcare settings. Its innovative approach leverages AI and machine learning to integrate non-invasive biomarkers with imaging results and lifestyle factors, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and significantly reducing the alarming rate of false positives.
Beyond Diagnostics aims to revolutionize diabetes treatment by developing a point-of-care test for insulin efficacy, allowing for more precise drug administration and thereby improving insulin stability during treatment. The project’s aspiration is to reduce insulin wastage, lower healthcare costs, and enhance care globally.
neurodAIgnostics’ vision is a world in which neurological and psychiatric conditions are promptly and accurately diagnosed and treated. It uses artificial intelligence to improve the speed and accuracy of clinical neuropsychological assessments.
We had another 15 great startups who took part in this year’s program. For information about these companies and their innovations check out the DHN 2024 cohort announcement.
Get involved!
The partner perspective
”The Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster initiative is making a real impact, and it’s inspiring to see the wave of innovation it has generated in healthcare. Through our role as a consortium member, we engaged with talented entrepreneurs, helping them transform their ideas into actionable solutions and assess their technical viability. This initiative is playing a valuable role in advancing innovation in the Swiss digital health sector.
Samantha PaolettiHead of Research and Business Development, Life Science Technologies, CSEM
”The Digital Health Nation Innovation Booster program has been highly beneficial for Smilamind. It provided key resources, expert guidance, and a strong network that helped us refine our product and align it with market needs. Thanks to the program, we now have a clearer roadmap and greater confidence in advancing Smilamind in the digital mental health space.
Polina VeltmannCo-founder & CEO, Smilamind
The participant perspective
Are you ready to help transform healthcare in Switzerland?
Join our country’s largest Swiss public-private consortium in healthcare, where partners can bring business challenges to top innovators, and startups can access the resources they need to make groundbreaking digital health solutions a reality.
Whether you’re looking to sponsor next year’s program as a partner or are a startup eager to accelerate your journey from concept to MVP with personalized mentorship and expert collaboration, we want to hear from you.
Let’s break down barriers and create a healthier future together!
Yana Yoncheva
Manager Innovation Projects – DayOne
