Do you have a project in the biotech field? Or do you know anyone who does? 

Then this might interest you…so keep reading!

The Euskadi branch of the Innovation Forum offers you an opportunity to participate in IMAGINE IF! – the first global competition and accelerator program for science-based ventures and your start-up could compete in the international finals hosted in the UK.

Who are we?

The Innovation Forum Euskadi is the newest of the 15 branches of the global Innovation Forum network which was established in the UK in 2013.   

Collectively, we are a global innovation platform that brings together companies, investors, scientific researchers, universities and start-ups to create ecosystems that foster the impact technology in the health field has in the global economy.  For further information, please read our news article.

What can we offer you? 

The Innovation Forum Euskadi offers you the opportunity to participate in our IMAGINE IF! Program – an international accelerator program for start-ups focused on the tech and health fields.

A group of selected projects will receive both clinical and business-oriented professional mentorship for over one month. The selected start-ups will then pitch their projects to a panel of judges; leading biotech companies, investors and clinical and technological researchers from the Basque region, during our event at Palacio Euskalduna on November 8th (Bilbao).

The finalist of the local Euskadi competition will then participate in the Global IMAGINE IF! finals that will take place in Cambridge in June 2019. The finalist will have access to local/global mentors until then and to the Innovation Forum network. Companies like Johnson & Johnson Ventures, IBM, Roche and Astellas Pharma, among others, will attend the event in Cambridge where you will also have a chance to connect with them and other leading professionals from pharma, academia and investors.

Who can participate? 

• Any Basque Country based team or start-up (between 2-7 members) with a project in the biotech field that has raised less than £300,000 GBP (or equivalent in Euros) and has less than 6 years of experience.
• You must be fluent in, and able to pitch your idea in English language.
• You must attend the Mentorship – Startups presentation day that will take place on 11 September 2018, at Tecnalia offices (Bilbao).
• You must attend the IMAGINE IF! Semi-finals on 8th November in Bilbao.
• You should be willing to travel to the IMAGINE IF! Finals in Cambridge in June 2019.

How can you apply? 

Application forms are now open here: from 1st June until 1st September (midnight). Please bear in mind that the deadline for application in the Euskadi branch may vary from other branches. Please read our FAQ section for further information.

Find a summary of the key dates and events below:

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!

For more information please contact the Innovation Forum Euskadi Team on [email protected]

This initiative is led hand in hand in partnership with Tecnalia, the first privately funded applied research & technology organisation in Spain and one of the leading such centres in Europe — and the Diputación Foral de Bizkaia — the Council of one of the three Basque regions. Thanks to our great sponsors such as: BioCruces, Universidad de Deusto, UPV, Mondragón, Health2.0 Basque, TZBZ, the British Consulate, the medical team of the Athletic de Bilbao, etc.