The DayOne Accelerator is a 3-month hybrid program designed to support international, high potential, early-stage ventures at the intersection of healthtech with pharma R&D, to refine their value proposition, connect with key industry players, and accelerate their growth. The top startups in each cohort have the chance to get long-term support, space and funding. The Accelerator is based in Basel, Switzerland, Europe’s leading life science innovation hub.
Welcome to the DayOne Accelerator
The accelerator designed to fast-track early-stage ventures at the interface of healthtech and pharma R&D
On this page:
Who is the program for?
The DayOne Accelerator is built for founders who are serious about breaking into pharma.
Healthtech and techbio startups enabling pharma R&D
Pre-Seed to Series A stage, with less than $10M of dilutive funds raised to date
Startups aiming to collaborate or partner with pharma companies
Why you should apply
Gain unparalleled access to pharma industry experts and key players in the Basel Area
Develop or refine your pharma-specific value proposition with hands-on mentorship
Tap into Basel’s world-class life sciences ecosystem – home to global pharma leaders
Potential to get access to the post-accelerator program, including CHF 50,000 in non-dilutive funding, up to CHF 50,000 in personalized support and 12 months’ office space
Stay independent: our accelerator is equity-free and fee-free
”Through the DayOne Accelerator, we provide founders with what they really need – expert guidance, industry connections, and a pathway to real pharma collaborations. We don’t just accelerate, we enable.
Cécile Tardy-SrinivasanDayOne Portfolio & Accelerator Lead
What makes the DayOne Accelerator different?
The DayOne Accelerator is a pharma-readiness program designed for real-world impact:
No equity, no fees: Keep full ownership of your company
Pharma-neutral: Agnostic program ensuring input from and access to all major pharma players in the region
Top-tier mentors & experts: Learn from pharma leaders, investors and entrepreneurs
Hands-on support: Go beyond theory with practical guidance tailored to your needs
Industry integration: Unique in-person networking opportunities
Serves as an entry path for incubation in Basel: Access to dilutive and non-dilutive funding
How does the program work?
The DayOne Accelerator runs over 12 weeks and combines in-person events in Basel with online mentoring and cohort sessions. Here’s what the 3 months look like and what comes after:
Week 1: Kick-off Bootcamp (Basel, in-person)
- Develop a compelling pharma-specific pitch deck and value proposition
- Sessions on storytelling, Go-to-Market planning, negotiation skills, and more
- Get immersed in the Basel Area’s life sciences ecosystem
- Build connections with key industry players
Weeks 2-12: Hybrid accelerator program
- 1:1 mentoring with pharma industry executives (12+ hours)
- Industry-specific coaching from top experts, including regular ‘office hours’
- Cohort exchange (forum) and alumni learning sessions
- Optional flex desk at one of our Switzerland Innovation Park sites (Novartis campus or Main campus) during the 3 months of the program
Program close: Innovation Showcase (Basel, in-person)
- Pitch your solution to industry decision-makers and investors
- Gain contacts and traction to be ready for investment
- Startup Award for winning venture
- Join the DayOne alumni community
Post-accelerator extension program (Expert-in-Residence)
- Optional offering to all cohort members, in partnership with the Match for Impact initiative
- Opportunity to be matched with a fractional senior-level resource for 90 days
- Program designed to tackle a specific short-term, well-defined project
- Fractional resource program provided at an exclusive price
Post-accelerator funding (DayOne NEXT)
At the end of the program, up to three startups can receive:
- CHF 50,000 in non-dilutive funding
- 12 months of personalized support valued at up to CHF 50,000
- 12 months desk space at a Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area site
- Investment opportunities from DayOne’s partners
- More details here
Be supported all along
- Visibility opportunities
- Founder exchange
- Benefit from DayOne’s service provider network
- Access to DayOne’s investor community
And the location is no coincidence...
Why the Basel Area?
The Basel Area: Europe’s leading life sciences innovation hub
Home to industry giants like Novartis, Roche and Lonza
A thriving startup ecosystem with access to top-tier investors and corporate partners
Direct connections to pharma innovation hubs in Switzerland and beyond
The best place for healthtech startups to launch and scale
Key dates
Call for applications
March 31 – May 31, 2026
Selection days
June 25 – June 26, 2026
Kick-off bootcamp
September 7-8, 2026 (in Basel)
Innovation showcase
Early December, 2026 (in Basel, exact date TBA)
Post-accelerator program
DayOne NEXT for up to 3 startups from the cohort
What founders say about the DayOne Accelerator
Meet our experts
Frequently Asked Questions
Have any questions? Check the FAQs below first, and if you still don’t have the answer then contact Cécile Tardy-Srinivasan, DayOne Portfolio & Accelerator Lead: cecile.tardy@baselarea.swiss.
For which ventures is DayOne Accelerator suitable?
DayOne Accelerator is aimed at supporting early-stage digital health, medtech and techbio ventures that want to better understand the Pharma industry, to get ready to engage and collaborate with pharma companies as potential clients or partners in the mid-to–long-term. Ventures going through the program typically at the Pre-Seed to Series A stage, with less than US$10m of dilutive funding.
Which ventures are eligible to apply?
Individuals and teams from any country may apply to participate in the program. This also applies to individuals and teams that have registered their company with the commercial register or have founded a society.
Ventures should be developing solutions in digital health, medtech or techbio, with a specific focus on enabling Pharma R&D processes. Examples of solutions include, but are not limited to:
- AI-aided drug discovery
- Digital or imaging biomarkers
- Diagnostics
- Clinical trials protocol optimization
- Patient screening & stratification
- Decentralized clinical trials & remote monitoring
What does the acceleration program look like?
The accelerator program provides the selected teams with education (cohort exchange and learning sessions), 1:1 mentoring (12h of individual sessions with Pharma executives and veterans, Director-level and above), and expert coaching (from industry and subject matter experts) to shape their Pharma-specific value proposition, better pitch to engage a Pharma audience, and set the foundations and direction to scale business opportunities in Pharma.
The program kicks off on 7-8 September 2026, with a 2-day in-person bootcamp in Basel to kickstart your exposure to the Basel Area Pharma ecosystem. The program continues online for three months, comprising of cohort sessions, 1:1 mentoring and expert coaching to advance your solution and improve your chances of industry partnership. An in-person Innovation Showcase event in Basel closes the program early December 2026 (exact date TBA).
How much does it cost to participate in the DayOne Accelerator?
Nothing! Our program is equity-free and fee-free. You will only be responsible for your expenses to cover your travel costs for the two in-person events; however, DayOne helps you cover these costs thanks to a grant of up to CHF 1,000.
How much funding does the DayOne Accelerator provide?
We provide up to CHF1,000 to ventures to cover part of their costs for travel and accommodation for the initial bootcamp of the DayOne Acceleration program (allowance based on the country you are traveling from). This will be at the discretion of Basel Area Business & Innovation.
Among the 15 startups selected for the 2026 cohort of our DayOne Accelerator (7 September to 15 December 2026), up to three startups will be selected for the DayOne NEXT long-term support program. These startups (up to three each year) will benefit from CHF50k in non-dilutive funding by DayOne, up to CHF50k in personalized support, as well as 12 months desk space at a Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area site. If invited to be part of DayOne NEXT long-term support program and receive our funding, you will need to either be incorporated and/or legally registered in the canton of Basel-Stadt and/or run R&D activities in Basel-Stadt. If you have not incorporated yet, we can help you with this.
How to apply?
The application happens in two steps:
- Startups must submit their application via an online form available on the Babele platform from 31 March 2026 and at the latest by 31 May 2026 [23:59 CET]
- Up to 40 shortlisted applicants will be notified by mid-June and invited for a session of virtual interviews with our Selection Committee on 25 or 26 June 2026. A final selection of 15 startups will then be made by our Selection Committee.
What are the key criteria for a successful application to DayOne?
There is no exact answer here. Exceptional technology and a strong commitment from the founder(s) are two important things.
The successful startup applicants usually:
- have a science-backed solution, with high potential to solve current problems of pharma R&D
- have a prototype or product ready to be offered to, and used by, pharma companies (ideally within the next 12-18 months)
- are interested in shaping or refining their value proposition specifically for Pharma companies
- are open to coaching, using every opportunity offered by the program (e.g. education, mentoring, coaching, networking) to process and incorporate feedback.
What projects do you not support?
DayOne will not support basic research, therapeutic molecule discovery projects, or drug development projects (e.g. clinical trials of molecules). If you have molecular projects, we encourage you to apply to our sister initiative, BaseLaunch.
If you are not sure if your project will fit the DayOne criteria, please reach out to Cecile at cecile.tardy@baselarea.swiss.
What level of time commitment is typically required across the three months, and are there mandatory onsite elements?
Your in-person presence is required both for the kickoff bootcamp (7-8 September 2026) and the closing showcase (early December 2026 – exact date TBA), the rest of the program is online to accommodate a global cohort (eg in the past 3 editions: startups from Europe, UK, Switzerland, Israel, Canada, USA) without disrupting your daily operations.
Over the 12 weeks of the program, you will need to commit to:
- 1.5-2h on average for the weekly cohort session (with guest speakers from the industry and our partners), and
- 1h weekly session with your dedicated mentor (one matched with each startup after the bootcamp).
To make the most of the program, you also need to add your personal work to process the insights from the cohort sessions and your 1:1 mentoring, and reflect them in your pitching deck to Pharma companies (the time required for this will vary from one startup to another).
Will I need to relocate to Basel, Switzerland, to participate in the Accelerator?
No. The acceleration program will be in a hybrid format comprising three months of intense activities, educational sessions and events, all designed to scale up your venture at the interface with the Pharma industry.
During the 3 months of the program:
The team’s physical presence in Basel is required for:
- The initial bootcamp on 7-8 September 2026
- The closing Showcase early December 2026 (exact date TBA)
Beside these two events, if you are interested in being present in Basel to benefit most from the program and our life sciences ecosystem, you will have access to a hot desk at the Switzerland Innovation Park Basel Area, either at the Novartis Campus or our Main Campus.
After the program:
If you are one of the startups selected by DayOne for the DayOne NEXT post-acceleration program, you will have to establish some presence and/or R&D activities in the canton of Basel-Stadt so that you can benefit from the funding (to be tailored to startup maturity and individual situation).
In addition, the incorporation of a Swiss entity for non-Swiss applicants opens up significant opportunities for local funding and collaboration during and after the program. The incorporation of a Swiss entity is also likely to increase the ease with which you can obtain a work permit.
Do I need a work permit to work in Switzerland?
If you live outside of Switzerland and want to reside for longer than three months in Basel, you will require a permit. If you are an EU or non-EU national, you may want to write to the migration office directly to learn what you need for entrepreneurial work status in Basel at: migrationsamt@jsd.bs.ch. You can also consult this website for more information.