Human Health by Design – call for early‑stage health innovators

Submit your project

 

Human Health by Design supports early‑stage startups developing medical devices or digital health solutions, combining clinical immersion through H4 (La Source) with the design expertise of Enabled by Design (EPFL/ECAL). The program helps you de‑risk, prototype, and validate your product in real clinical environments.

Accelerate the design and real‑world adoption of your health innovation.

Human Health by Design is aimed at early‑stage startups seeking to accelerate the design and market launch of a medical device or digital platform intended for healthcare institutions.

The call for projects supports solutions at various levels of maturity – from needs validation to market validation – including mock‑ups, functional prototypes, MVPs, and pilots in real‑world settings.

By integrating a user‑centered design approach, it helps teams develop solutions grounded in the needs, constraints, and practices of real clinical environments. The objective is to foster the creation of impactful innovations that enable sustainable adoption and deliver concrete, systemic benefits for healthcare.

At a glance 

Target audience : pre-incorporated / early-stage startups and projects in medtech and digital health

Support duration : 6 months (from June until December 2026)

Funding : up to CHF 10,000 per project (non-dilutive)

Key resources : access to H4 clinical settings, design coaching from Enabled by Design, associated experts (clinical, UX/UI, industrial design, regulatory)

Expected deliverables : evidence of use (observations, test logs), improved prototype/mock-up/MVP, experimentation plan and pre-development roadmap

  • Real access to care environments: immersions, observations, interviews, and in situ testing 
  • Integrated design: UX/UI, industrial design, information design, rapid prototyping, and highlighting of user value 
  • Regulatory & quality alignment: initial framing (risks, classification, essential requirements, design history) 
  • Market analysis: segmentation, stakeholders, integration into care pathways, impact indicators 
  • Networking opportunities: healthcare professionals, institutions, academic partners, and technical and financial partners 
  • Creation of an innovative product or service in healthcare, such as a medical device or digital platform.  
  • Connection with the Canton of Vaud: willingness to incorporate in the canton, and/or potential long-term economic benefits for the Canton of Vaud (business model, practice optimization, company creation, job creation, etc.).  
  • Different levels of maturity may be accepted: from a validated problem to proof of usage/market fit (mock-up, functional prototype, MVP, pilot).  
  • Project ready to deploy support within 6 months: the team has the technical and operational skills needed to advance the project over the next 6 months (research, prototyping, testing).  
  • Project not yet incorporated. 
  • Clinical and societal relevance (problem, beneficiaries, context of use).  
  • Expected impact and adoption potential (integration into care pathways).  
  • Degree of innovation and technical feasibility.  
  • Clarity of the 6-month work plan (objectives, deliverables, risks).  
  • Team capacity (skills, openness to coaching). 
  • Observational/immersive studies, simulations, field POCs.  
  • Qualitative studies: focus groups, co-creation workshops, interviews.  
  • Prototyping: mock-ups, functional prototypes, MVPs (hardware/software).  
  • Product regulatory awareness (initial framing by specialists).  
  • Market/economic activities: segmentation, purchasing journey, initial testing. 

Expenses not covered (examples): major legal fees, regulatory clinical trials, industrialization expenses, large-scale paid marketing. 

  • Application deadline: May 31, 2026 (11:59 PM CET).  
  • Jury pitch and selection: June 16, 2026.  
  • Announcement of the 8 selected projects: no later than June 22, 2026. 

Submission requirements: online form (link to come) + PDF application package (12-slide pitch deck, 6-month plan, budget, key CVs). 

  • Active participation in workshops, design sprints, and observation sessions.  
  • Compliance with ethical requirements, data protection, and consent procedures.  
  • Communication about the benefits and impact of the program. 

Sensitive, clinical, and personal data collected during immersions will be handled in accordance with applicable ethical and legal frameworks. Intellectual property rights remain with the project owners. Partners may be acknowledged as co-authors of methods or deliverables where relevant (subject to specific agreements). 

Step 1 : Applicaton

  • Complete the online form.  
  • Attach your project roadmap with key product validation milestones and planned support needs (objectives, deliverables, risks, assumptions).  
  • Attach your pitch deck (maximum 10 slides).  
  • CVs of the applicants. 

Step 2 : Pitch to Jury 

  • Prepare for the pitch (10 minutes + 15 minutes Q&A). 
  • “We are not yet incorporated. Can we apply?” Yes. Incorporation is not mandatory at the application stage.  
  • “Our solution is purely software-based. Are we eligible?” Yes, if it addresses a healthcare context and complies with safety and data protection requirements.  
  • “Does the funding cover external services?” Yes, when they are linked to the project objectives (e.g. prototyping).

  • To foster the creation of startups in the Canton of Vaud developing solutions with an impact on the medical sector and society. 
  • To accelerate the development of platforms and medical devices centered on users and stakeholders within the care environment. 
  • To support teams in experimenting with and implementing their solutions in medical settings. 
  • To provide access to key resources to accelerate product development iterations, testing, and real-world learning. 
  • To connect with other stakeholders in the field to accelerate the development and impact of solutions. 
  • To support fundraising efforts. 

  • Real access to care environments: immersions, observations, interviews, and in situ testing 
  • Integrated design: UX/UI, industrial design, information design, rapid prototyping, and highlighting of user value 
  • Regulatory & quality alignment: initial framing (risks, classification, essential requirements, design history) 
  • Market analysis: segmentation, stakeholders, integration into care pathways, impact indicators 
  • Networking opportunities: healthcare professionals, institutions, academic partners, and technical and financial partners 

  • Creation of an innovative product or service in healthcare, such as a medical device or digital platform.  
  • Connection with the Canton of Vaud: willingness to incorporate in the canton, and/or potential long-term economic benefits for the Canton of Vaud (business model, practice optimization, company creation, job creation, etc.).  
  • Different levels of maturity may be accepted: from a validated problem to proof of usage/market fit (mock-up, functional prototype, MVP, pilot).  
  • Project ready to deploy support within 6 months: the team has the technical and operational skills needed to advance the project over the next 6 months (research, prototyping, testing).  
  • Project not yet incorporated. 

  • Clinical and societal relevance (problem, beneficiaries, context of use).  
  • Expected impact and adoption potential (integration into care pathways).  
  • Degree of innovation and technical feasibility.  
  • Clarity of the 6-month work plan (objectives, deliverables, risks).  
  • Team capacity (skills, openness to coaching). 

  • Observational/immersive studies, simulations, field POCs.  
  • Qualitative studies: focus groups, co-creation workshops, interviews.  
  • Prototyping: mock-ups, functional prototypes, MVPs (hardware/software).  
  • Product regulatory awareness (initial framing by specialists).  
  • Market/economic activities: segmentation, purchasing journey, initial testing. 

Expenses not covered (examples): major legal fees, regulatory clinical trials, industrialization expenses, large-scale paid marketing. 

  • Application deadline: May 31, 2026 (11:59 PM CET).  
  • Jury pitch and selection: June 16, 2026.  
  • Announcement of the 8 selected projects: no later than June 22, 2026. 

Submission requirements: online form (link to come) + PDF application package (12-slide pitch deck, 6-month plan, budget, key CVs). 

  • Active participation in workshops, design sprints, and observation sessions.  
  • Compliance with ethical requirements, data protection, and consent procedures.  
  • Communication about the benefits and impact of the program. 

Sensitive, clinical, and personal data collected during immersions will be handled in accordance with applicable ethical and legal frameworks. Intellectual property rights remain with the project owners. Partners may be acknowledged as co-authors of methods or deliverables where relevant (subject to specific agreements). 

Step 1 : Applicaton

  • Complete the online form.  
  • Attach your project roadmap with key product validation milestones and planned support needs (objectives, deliverables, risks, assumptions).  
  • Attach your pitch deck (maximum 10 slides).  
  • CVs of the applicants. 

Step 2 : Pitch to Jury 

  • Prepare for the pitch (10 minutes + 15 minutes Q&A). 

  • “We are not yet incorporated. Can we apply?” Yes. Incorporation is not mandatory at the application stage.  
  • “Our solution is purely software-based. Are we eligible?” Yes, if it addresses a healthcare context and complies with safety and data protection requirements.  
  • “Does the funding cover external services?” Yes, when they are linked to the project objectives (e.g. prototyping).

 

Academic partners

Summary of privacy policy

This site uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best possible user experience. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognizing you when you return to our website and helping our team understand which areas of the site you find most interesting and useful.

Read more