Startup bioeconomy Fribourg

Fribourg, The place to grow

bioeconomy start-ups

A specific ecosystem

You are a start-up active in the bioeconomy sector with growth prospects and ambitions. You are naturally faced with many challenges and are looking for an environment conducive to your development.

Join the canton of Fribourg’s “one-stop-shop” ecosystem for start-ups in the bioeconomy, and give yourself every chance of success.

Especially for the bioeconomy

One-Stop-Shop

A "one-stop-shop" to support bioeconomy start-ups at every stage of their development.

Yann Steulet, Director of Fri Up

Pre-industrialization infrastructures

Access to pre-industrialization facilities in the chemical sector (ChemTech Institute pilot hall)

Bioprocess development infrastructures

Access BSL-2 laboratories to develop your biotech processes in non-classified cleanrooms.

Infrastructures for the development of bioplastics and polymers

Access laboratories to develop your bioplastics and polymer processes

Business support

Benefit from the support of experienced business coaches (business plans, introductions, fund-raising support, etc.).

Financing

Take advantage of our financing solutions for the pre-seed and seed phases.

Hosting

Set up your start-up in premises that meet the needs of bioeconomy start-ups.

Start-up network

Join a network of start-ups, experts, partners and investors.

Bioeconomy incubation program | pilot project

Support up to CHF 350,000

Are you a high-potential bioeconomy start-up? Are you in the seed phase, already have a working prototype and a first test customer?

Fri Up is now offering an incubation program for bioeconomy start-ups, with the aim of accelerating their pre-industrialization and commercialization phase. The program offers privileged access to financing, infrastructure and expertise.

How does it work? If your start-up is accepted into the program, it gains access to cash financing of up to CHF 100,000, as well as in-kind benefits of up to CHF 250,000 for 2 years. The cash and in-kind contributions are valued for the start-up in the form of a convertible loan of CHF 175,000.

The program includes specific support, including business coaching, access to specialized networks and onboarding in the Fribourg ecosystem, with particular emphasis on the bioeconomy. It provides pre-industrialization laboratories and workshops, office space and an R&D grant for InnoSuisse projects. It also offers assistance with market development and patent registration, as well as access to legal and accounting services.

Interested? To submit your application, send a 3-minute video pitch based on the template below and a 3-year financial plan to the following e-mail address: maria.lebour(at)friup(dot)ch ➡️ Pitch format available here.

Interested?

Are you a bioeconomy start-up looking to immerse yourself in an environment conducive to your development? Feel free to contact us so that we can explain our "One-Stop-Shop" concept and see how we can support you in these next steps.

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Contact

ChemTech Institute

Access to scale-up chemistry infrastructures

From laboratory to industrial process

The ChemTech Institute (HEIA-FR) stands out for its unique ability to transform laboratory concepts into industrial processes, thanks to its sophisticated pilot plant. This facility is designed to facilitate the transition of chemical innovations from the laboratory scale to pre-industrial production.

Biofactory Competence Center (HEIA-Fr)

Access to biotechnology infrastructures

Bioprocess engineering

The Biofactory Competence Center (BCC) is your partner for research, innovation and education in bioprocess engineering. The infrastructure available at the BCC, comprising unclassified cleanrooms, is ideal for developing and implementing biotech manufacturing processes that can be easily transferred to a GMP environment for subsequent production of clinical-grade products.

Institute for Applied Research in Plastics Processing (iRAP HEIA-Fr)

Laboratories for bioplastics

Industrialization of bio-based polymers

The iRAP institute comprises a team of around ten engineers, all experts in their field, and a range of state-of-the-art equipment.
iRAP offers concrete answers to the specific demands of industry. Its skills range from the material to its application, while taking into account product life-cycle issues. It offers expertise, applied research projects and collaborations with industrial partners.

Fri Up

Support from startup experts

"An innovation only has value if it finds adoption in the marketplace."

Business support

Fri Up is the support organization for start-ups in the canton of Fribourg. Our coaches and experts are there to support you in your business thinking, to work with you to put in place strategies to confirm the market adoption of your technology, and to put you in touch with the right people, including potential strategic partners or investors active in your field.

Financing

Financing tools available

The canton of Fribourg has a number of support and financing tools to help your start-up get off the ground and grow. They are often involved upstream or in parallel with fund-raising from business angels or venture capitalists.

Seed Capital Fribourg

The Seed Capital Fribourg Foundation offers seed loans of up to CHF 100,000 for start-ups in the final stages of development and market testing.

Capital Risque Fribourg

Capital Risque Fribourg offers equity stakes of up to CHF 800,000 in confirmed start-ups.

Economic development agency

The canton of Fribourg's economic development agency offers financial assistance to start-ups wishing to expand in the canton.

Hosting

Sites conducive to innovation

The Bluefactory site is an ideal place to start the adventure. The site has a large capacity and you'll be close to Fri Up for business support. Subsequently, the canton of Fribourg also boasts other sites that are ideal for the development of start-ups in their growth phase.

Bluefactory

Located in the center of Fribourg, the bluefactory site is home to over 1,000 people, including start-up Bcomp, and caters for a wide range of needs and uses within a constellation that fosters synergies and the development of innovations.

Marly Innovation Center

The Marly site is home to 170 companies and offers 7,000 m2 of laboratory space as well as the possibility of renting laboratories for the day. Flagship start-ups such as Seprify and Bloom have decided to locate here to develop their growth.

Agrico

The site, dedicated to agri-food and biomass, offers in addition to the campus 100 hectares of agricultural land for large-scale trials. Several start-ups are based on the site, including Cormo, Alver, Algaltek, PlasmaSeed and Lowimpact Food.

The start-up ecosystem

Peer-to-peer and networking

Fribourg's start-up scene is booming. Take advantage of this dynamic ecosystem to boost your start-up.

Bioeconomy Forum

October 10, 2024 in Freiburg - An event dedicated to the bioeconomy, covering advances in research and highlighting projects aimed at adding value to organic matter and developing high value-added biobased molecules and products.

Start-up workshops and events

Thematic workshops and numerous networking events are organized to encourage exchange between start-ups, but also to share expertise within the canton of Fribourg's innovation ecosystem, which includes experts, the University of Fribourg's tech-transfer, engineering school, competence centers and research institutes.