Zcube – Zambon Research Venture – has launched the fourth edition of Open Accelerator, the international acceleration programme dedicated to startups in the Life Sciences.

With the Call for Solutions 2020, Open Accelerator is seeking innovators whose digital solutionsare shaping the future of health, thanks to the adoption of cutting-edge technologies, such as wearable devices, digital biomarkers and artificial intelligence, to name a few. The Call will be open until the 20^th of July 2020.

To apply, the innovators can access application form on the website and follow the instructions.

Call for Solutions

The Call for Solutions is mainly targeted at the therapeutic areas of the Central Nervous System and Respiratory, with a particular focus on the 4 technological macro areas. It also includes the Special Challenge concerning new ways of interaction among healthcare professionals, Industry and the community in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. After the closure of the Call, on the 20^th of July, the Open Accelerator team in collaboration with a panel of experts will select the startups which between October and November will participate in the intensive 4-week acceleration programme, subdivided into personalized online sessions and sessions with on-site attendance held in the OpenZone scientific campus just outside Milan. In terms of services and mentoring and coaching activities, the estimated value of the programme is of around € 25,000 per participant.

By taking part in the Open Accelerator programme, the most promising startups will have access to a vast international network of entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, venture capitalists and Life Sciences professionals. At the end of the programme the most promising projects will be awarded a seed investment of up to € 100,000. Finally, any possible synergies with the companies of the Zambon Group will be assessed.

In its previous editions, Open Accelerator received over 200 applications from startups based in 20 different countries. As a result, 28 teams have participated in the acceleration programme and seven have been awarded a seed investment of up to €100,000.

The initiative also leverages the support of several partners, such as Deloitte, Unicredit startlab, Premio Marzotto, IQVIA Biotech, Italian Angels for Biotech, Portolano & Cavallo, Bird&Bird, Innogest, Evoleen, HUMA and NINA Capital. Discussions are currently underway with other potential Italian and international partners in order to offer a maximum support to the selected startups during the acceleration phases.

By Fabrizio Conicella

External Links

For details on Open Accelerator visit this page.

For details on OpenZone see this website

For details on Zambon visit this page