The integrated innovation program behind Startup Creasphere

A diverse group of people in a bright meeting room, with one smiling man in focus, surrounded by bottles, notepads, and a whiteboard with notes.

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Startup Creasphere

published

Established by Roche in 2018, Startup Creasphere is a leading digital health-focused open innovation platform.

Through Startup Creasphere, Roche engages with digital health startups worldwide to pilot their technology and co-create new solutions. Over time, it has developed from a program within specific locations to a globally integrated program, offering participating startups a well-organized co-creation framework for a time-boxed collaboration (typically three to four months) with Roche, as well as mentoring and networking opportunities around the world.

Program structure

Selection

Leveraging our scouting capabilities, we run a selection process to nominate the best startups for the internal challenge we have identified.

Kick-off

Every integrated program edition starts with a kick-off where the selected startups can pitch and present the problem statement they will address with Roche teams.

Deep-dives

Over the course of the program, startups and Roche teams continuously engage and typically meet during three deep-dive weeks involving mentoring, and joint working sessions.

Closing event

At the end of the program, the startups and their Roche teams present the outcome of the pilot projects.

This figure shows the timeline and structure of our Startup Creasphere integrated innovation program. The first step is the selection of startups, where we leverage our scouting capabilities to select and nominate the best startups for the internal challenge we have identified. The program Kick-Off marks the beginning of program, where participating startups and Roche teams can pitch and present the problem statement they will tacke over the duration of the program. After the Kick-Off, participating startups and Roche teams continuously engage and meet during three deep-dive weeks involving mentoring and joint working sessions. The first deep-dive week is focused on exploring potential solutions, and the following two deep-dive weeks on co-creating the most suitable solution. A closing event marks the end of the program, where participating startups and Roche teams can present the outcome of their pilot project and the solution they co-created throughout the program. Some of these projects might be followed up outside of the Startup Creasphere program, depending on their outcome and the willingness of both parties to pursue the collaboration.

* Follow-up depends on the pilot project outcome and the willingness of the two parties to pursue a longer collaboration.

Focus areas

Advanced data analytics

Digital biomarkers

Lab of the future

Disease management

Clinical decision support

Digital service solutions

We are proud of our proven track record of successful collaborations with startups, based on our pilot-driven approach and globally integrated co-creation program.

Facts & figures

+100

Pilot projects

+100

Events

+50

Mentors

+550

Matchmaking sessions

Benefits for participating startups

Focus

Pilot your digital health solution with Roche pilot owners.

Capabilities and network

Access specific Roche capabilities and expertise.

Collaboration

Join forces with a global leader in the healthcare industry.

Testimonials

00:00: Without Startup Creasphere, we as a company, we would have never come as far as where we are now. And without Startup Creasphere, we would have never had these partnerships to Roche, to customers, to other innovative companies. So Startup Creasphere was the nucleus for us as a company to experience digital healthcare, to experience digital diagnostics, and to understand this market we are now operating in.

00:00: Startup Creasphere is a very interesting program and it's a super chance for startups to eventually get access to key players, to technical experts, to stuff within the Roche entity and have the chance to really speak to the right people at the right time, and even Roche takes it seriously, because it takes the time to really give each startup the chance to present your solution complete and everyone to showcase what you can do.

Our alumni

Co-creating with disruptive digital health startups is at the core of what we do. We scout and accelerate the best startups around the globe that challenge clinical practices, improve data analytics, and enhance the patient journey across the continuum of care with their solutions.

To date, more than 100 startups have participated in our global innovation program. Learn more about our alumni and the field in which they innovate.