The most promising Swiss biotech startups and scale-ups of 2024, according to investors

The 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups are picked by a panel of 100 leading investors and industry experts and are revealed at the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award. This year, the biotech sector has 15 representative startups in the TOP 100 Swiss startup ranking (including 1 in the TOP 10 and 5 in the scale-up ranking). We have also talked with biotech investor and TOP 100 jury member Bettina Ernst about her sector insights. Learn more about these biotech companies that promise to redefine the future of life science.

The annual ranking of the TOP 100 Swiss Startups has become a benchmark in Switzerland’s startup ecosystem—and beyond. Every year, a panel of 100 leading investors and startup experts chooses the 100 most innovative and promising Swiss startups. Each jury member nominates 10 Swiss startups that are fewer than five years old and show the greatest commercial potential. They assign 10 points for the first place and one point for the tenth place. The companies with the most points make it into the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Ranking.

The COVID crisis highlighted the crucial role of biotechnology in providing solutions. “A lot of money went into the sector during this time,” says biotech entrepreneur and investor Bettina Ernst. But now funding is being cut drastically, which is a challenge even for leading startups. Switzerland is world-class in research, but when it comes to financing, risk aversion is greater here than in the US, which means that Swiss startups are sooner or later drawn to America: industry leader Haya Therapeutics recently opened a site in San Diego. However, Ernst is convinced of the potential of Switzerland as a biotech location: “The trend is clearly pointing towards curing diseases rather than just fighting symptoms.” Companies such as Haya, Araris, and Muvon offer groundbreaking technology for precisely this purpose.



Discover the 15 biotech startups that impressed the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award Jury in 2024:

HAYA Therapeutics, #5
HAYA Therapeutics is dedicated to treating heart failure through the discovery and development of innovative first-in-class RNA-based therapeutics, with a specific focus on long noncoding RNAs.

Araris Biotech, #17
Araris Biotech, a spin-off from PSI and ETH Zürich, offers a novel ADC linker technology that attaches any payload to antibodies in one step without prior engineering. This results in stable, effective ADCs with low toxicity, providing new treatment options for patients with unmet medical needs.

MUVON Therapeutics, #18
MUVON advances healthy ageing by regenerating damaged muscles with its cell-based platform. They've completed a Phase I trial successfully treating stress urinary incontinence, which affects 40% of women over 40 and 20% of men over 60. They're now in Phase 2 and need support to continue advancing their therapy.

FimmCyte, #28
One in 10 women suffer from Endometriosis, a painful condition comparable to cancer, yet only one new treatment has been approved in the past decade. Existing treatments are limited and have many side effects. FimmCyte's new treatment shows promise in lab and animal studies, with plans to advance it to clinical use soon to improve women’s health.

Navignostics, #34
Navignostics imploys spatial single-cell proteomics to identify the most effective cancer treatments for each patient and accelerate drug development. Its advanced technology and data analytics help personalize cancer diagnostics and support pharma and Biotech partners, improving drug availability and matching the right treatment to each patient.

Noema Pharma, #41
The Biotech company develops drugs for the treatment of diseases of the central nervous system. It has a well-differentiated pipeline with four mid-clinical therapeutic candidates that have been licensed by Roche. Noema Pharma raised CHF 103 million in a series B financing round in the first quarter of 2023.

Recolony, #43
Recolony has discovered a new target for cancer immunotherapy through its research on host-microbiome interactions. A microbial-derived metabolite the Biotech startup has identified activates the immune system against tumors. Recolony is developing a small molecule to harness this finding and aims to start clinical trials in 2026.

InkVivo Technologies, #59
InkVivo’s patented technology provides controlled release systems for active ingredients, focusing on gastroretentive drug delivery for micronutrient anaemia and obesity. The Biotech startup enhances treatment effectiveness, reduces side effects, and helps partners develop and extend therapies.

Perseo pharma, #64
Perseo Pharma is creating advanced metabolic therapies using its proprietary enzyme platform. Initially targeting gastrointestinal issues like Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency, it aims to improve drug efficacy and safety. The Biotech startup is partnering with Nestlé Health Science and also developing a systemic version of its platform for broader enzyme replacement needs.

GlycoEra, #71
GlycoEra is a Biotech firm leveraging expertise in glycobiology and protein degradation to develop high-value medicines. Its CustomGlycan platform facilitates the creation of novel biologics for various indications, with several assets progressing to human clinical trials.

Limula, #72
Limula provides a modular, all-in-one device for scalable, personalized Cell & Gene Therapy manufacturing. It tackles the challenge of shifting from manual to automated processes with its end-to-end automation and integrated analytics. The Biotech startup solution supports the efficient development and transition of cell therapy products from R&D to commercial-scale production.

Nagi Bioscience, #77
Nagi Bioscience replaces animal testing with micro-organism assays using its SydLab™ One. This all-in-one device automates and standardizes bioassays and high-content screenings, offering scalable and reproducible results.

ArcoScreen, #81
The EPFL spin-off ArcoScreen specializes in tools for GPCR drug discovery. Its technology predicts drug efficacy early, during lead optimization and mode of action identification, using primary cells. The Biotech startup mission is to transform drug discovery and enhance patient outcomes.

Synendos Therapeutics, #96
Synendos is a clinical-stage neuroscience company developing innovative therapies for neuropsychiatric disorders like PTSD. Its lead drug, SYT-510, is a Selective Endocannabinoid Re-uptake Inhibitor (SERI) that restores natural brain function. With pre-clinical development completed and CTA approval from the EMA, the Biotech startup started Phase 1 trials in early 2024 and aims to validate its potential through early clinical studies.

Tandem Therapeutics, #97
Drug development often targets cells, ignoring the extracellular matrix (ECM) that surrounds them. Excessive ECM proteins are linked to drug resistance and poor outcomes in fibrotic tumors and organ fibrosis. Tandem Therapeutics aims to target this ECM barrier with precision, enhancing drug safety and efficacy. Using optimized peptides, the Biotech startup decodes complex matrix-disease interactions to develop innovative treatments for fibrotic diseases.

Winner of the public voting

The TOP 100 Public Voting runs parallel to the expert jury rankings and highlights 1 outstanding Swiss startup in biotech sector. All startups that are no older than five years and listed on startup.ch are eligible to participate. Each person with a LinkedIn profile has one vote, and the company with the most votes win. The TOP 100 Public Voting biotech winner 2024 is Recolony.

Swiss biotech scale-up ranking 2024

The TOP 100 Swiss Scale-up Ranking includes companies that are between 5 and 10 years old and have the greatest potential to become future Swiss unicorns. A growth jury of 25 investors selects the TOP 100 Swiss Scale-ups: Each jury member names five scale-ups and awards points similar to the startup ranking. Companies with the most points secure a spot in the TOP 100 Scale-up Ranking. Discover the 5 biotech startups that impressed the scale-up jury in 2024:

• Immunos Therapeutics
• Cutiss
• Tolremo Therapeutics
• Numab Therapeutics
• Eracal Therapeutics

The 14th edition of the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Award 2024 celebrated Switzerland's most promising startups. Discover the biotech startups and all other startups in the TOP 100 Swiss Startup Magazine 2024 or follow the hashtag #TOP100SSU on Linkedin, Twitter, and Instagram for insights.