We catalyze innovative life sciences discoveries for society

We aim to build a hands-on comprehensive and expertise driven incubator to support early technologies and innovative project with high potential in their path towards application, technology transfer and product development. Our vision is to advance and leverage technologies of the School of Life Sciences with the final goal to serve welfare of the society. Catalyze4Life is an innovation encouragement program. We design, support and tutor the validation of promising technologies and concepts and thereby we facilitate the path towards technology transfer and potential commercialization. We operate in close proximity with scientists and act upstream and in support of the missions of the Vice Presidency of Innovation and the Technology Transfer Office.
EPFL Life-sciences Start-up Social
May 4, 2023 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in SV 1717
Besides creating a ground for meeting like-minded people under one roof, the goal of the event is to understand the common needs of MedTech and BioTech start-ups and how they could still benefit from the EPFL ecosystem.
The outline of the event is as follows:
- Welcome by Prof. Bart Deplancke, SV Vice-Dean of Innovation
- Inspiring keynote lecture by Dr. André Mercanzini, Founder and CSO of Aleva Neurotherapeutics
- Pitch session by innovative start-ups launched at EPFL
- Interactive discussion panel with local stakeholders including Dr. Ursula Oesterle, EPFL Vice-President of Innovation
- Networking cocktail
*Upon invitation only. Please contact [email protected].


Our purpose
We support innovative projects and we educate to innovate.
Innovators Forum
A new series of round table disucssion every other months, especially created for students to dialogue with industry experts.
Educate for Life
We propose industrial R&D and business expertise and education through courses, seminars and workshops with volunteer industry experts.
Recommended Courses
A list of courses by other universities or innovation stakeholders
Toolbox for Innovation
R&D and Business expertise, Partnering, Funding, Education.
Projects we support
Treatment for rare hematologic diseases, Cell therapy for cancer, Whole genome diagnostics, …
Submit your Project
Interested in working with us? We encourage you to submit your ideas to us.

“Catalyze4Life follows the principles and quality standards that have been cornerstones of SPARK at Stanford. We are excited that C4L is now an official member of the SPARK Global network. We are looking forward to advancing projects together.”
– Prof. Daria Mochly-Rosen Director of the Stanford SPARK Translational Research Program
Contact
Vice-Dean for Innovation : Bart Deplancke
Office : SV 3823
Mail : [email protected]
Phone : +41 21 69 31821
Program Director : Gautam Maitra
Mail : [email protected]
Mailing address
EPFL School of Life Sciences
Station 19
CH-1015 Lausanne
Switzerland