Life Sciences & Health: First Venture Challenge under NWO ready to start

Life Sciences & Health: First Venture Challenge under NWO ready to start

(PRESS RELEASE) THE HAGUE, 2-Apr-2020 — /EuropaWire/ — The first Venture Challenge organised under the NWO is formally ready to start with the teams selected and the tender procedure for the coaching has almost been completed.

The Venture Challenge, developed eleven years ago by Health-Holland, is a coaching trajectory for start-ups in the Life Sciences & Health sector that want to launch their product or service on the market. During an intensive trajectory of about ten weeks, including two three-day boot camps and weekly coaching sessions, five or six teams will receive professional coaching in developing their venture pitch.

Connection with previous editions
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy sponsors the Venture Challenge, and from this year onwards it has awarded the realisation of the programme to NWO Domain Applied and Engineering Sciences. Up until last year, Health~Holland was responsible for the realisation. NWO’s basic premise is, in good consultation with Health~Holland, to keep the organisation as close as possible to that of previous editions.

In the past few months, the programme has been set up in the new constellation. Six teams have emerged from the selection procedure, at the recommendation of an independent committee, for the next round: Pacing Cure, MedicalVR, GUTS to the market, Ventilation Perfusion Protector, Scope Biosciences and ShanX Medtech. The tendering procedure for the coaches who will provide the training is now in the final phase. NWO soon hopes to conclude the agreement with the winning party.

Introduction to relevant network
The programme, which has two rounds each year, is closed with a pitch in front of a jury and a public of investors so that the participating teams are immediately introduced to the relevant network. Thanks in part to the collaboration with Health~Holland, the participating teams will subsequently be given the opportunity to hold a one-minute pitch for their idea at the Dutch Biotech Event on 26 June. In view of the current situation regarding the coronavirus, NWO is considering how the programme can be realised in consultation with all parties involved.

More information on the Venture Challenge:

22 January: Venture Challenge: life science research to the market
9 January: Venture Challenge: Coaching for enterprising researchers in life sciences
More information on the history and background of the Venture Challenge can be found on the website LifeSciences@Work.

Contact
Dr. ir. M. Mario van der Linden
Program officer
+31 (0)30 6001346
venturechallenge@nwo.nl

Source: NWO