The Eclosion Prize

What the prize is for

The Eclosion Prize aims to reward excellence by providing the winner with both recognition and practical support.

The first of these prizes was awarded on Bio-Innovation Day in 2006. The event was a big success, reflecting the region’s commitment to innovation, and giving the winning project the environment and resources it needed to flourish.



The prize is not simply an award, but rather a year’s support and guidance on the long, hard road to starting your own business. It provides valuable access to Eclosion’s resources as the life sciences incubator for the Geneva region, including a panel of expert advisors.

How to enter

The competition is open to all project managers. Simply produce a brief presentation of your project on no more than two pages of A4, and submit it via our website.

What happens next

We start by shortlisting the most promising projects, and invite these entrants to give more detailed presentations of their projects. Our specialist jury analyses these in detail to assess their practical and financial feasibility, and their economic benefits in terms of creating value and jobs. The winner is announced on Bio-Innovation Day. 

The jury

As well as choosing the winner of the Eclosion Prize, the jury provides long-term support and advice on making your project a reality. Its members have detailed knowledge of scientific, technological, regulatory and financial issues.

Conditions of entry

The competition is open to managers of innovative life sciences projects in such areas as biotech, medtech and pharmaceuticals. We particularly welcome entries from young researchers and entrepreneurs in universities, technical colleges and companies wishing to launch startups and spinoffs.
You must be willing to establish your business in the Lake Geneva region.

Selection criteria

These include the following:

• Quality, originality and innovation
• Potential market demand
• The benefits to clients and users
• Development stage of the project and/or product
• How much value Eclosion can add to the startup process

The Eclosion Prize: a springboard to startup success, and an exciting opportunity for project managers