Jade Sternberg – Supporting Start-ups with the CSS Future of Health Grant

Jade is an innovation manager at CSS and leads the Future of Health Grant program. Her background combines bioengineering, consulting and digital health ecosystem work.

She wanted to combine her interest in science, new technologies and medicine without becoming a doctor. Studying at EPFL offered exactly that mix.

She built a digital health portfolio and brought together stakeholders from healthcare, technology, politics and research. The aim was to identify what Switzerland needs to digitalise its healthcare system.

Jade was impressed by CSS's ambition to become a health partner rather than merely pay bills. The practical structure and broad network of the Future of Health Grant also appealed to her.

It is a joint program by CSS and EPFL Innovation Park that supports early-stage digital health startups. It combines funding with operational guidance and access to a broad network.

CSS already supported research and later-stage investments, but there was a gap for early-stage startups. The new program was designed to fill that gap and strengthen activities in Western Switzerland.

They gain access to coaches, industry mentors and paid specialists. This gives small teams practical expertise and useful connections at each stage of development.

Startups can temporarily bring in a paid expert for a specific task, such as finance, legal matters, sales or design. The specialist joins the team for a defined period with clear deliverables.

Level one covers market validation, level two product development and level three pilots. Across all three levels, a startup can receive up to CHF 90,000.

Coaches help with the overall startup strategy, business model and entrepreneurial development. Industry mentors contribute focused expertise on topics such as regulation or hospital IT integration.

The team first clarifies the startup's strategy and identifies suitable healthcare partners. In level three, startups run year-long pilots to test scalability and economic viability in real settings.

The program is aimed at early-stage digital health startups, whether incorporated or not. International applicants are welcome if their solution fits the Swiss healthcare system and they have considered how to enter the market

Applications are screened, reviewed in depth and narrowed down for interviews with coaches, partners and the project team. In the latest cohort, only six startups were chosen from 283 applications.

The program looks for scientific evidence, a plausible business model and a strong, complementary team. Motivation, coachability and a willingness to pivot are particularly important.

The program accepts a broad range of solutions, including prevention, chronic care, mental health, diabetes and cancer. Administrative tools can qualify too, although they are less central.
 

Its compact market combines strong universities, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and innovation programs. Its cultural diversity can also serve as a stepping stone towards neighbouring European markets.

BeWe progressed through all three levels and now tests its food-craving intervention in two pilots. Other supported solutions translate babies' cries or extend mental health support between therapy sessions.

The program aims to improve care, make patients happier and reduce pressure on the Swiss healthcare system. It also supports CSS's ambition to develop new care models and act as a health partner.
 

She would make selected international standards mandatory and encourage more experimentation. Startups should be able to fail and learn faster instead of keeping weak solutions alive for too long.

Meaningful change in healthcare will not primarily come from technology, but from culture. Switzerland must become bolder, less perfectionist and less afraid of failure.