On February 25, 2025, Startup Creasphere hosted its Expo Day in the event venue of Roche Rotkreuz, bringing together industry professionals, academia, and digital health innovators to explore the transformative role of AI in healthcare. The event featured insightful discussions, startup pitches, and networking opportunities, showcasing the impact of AI-driven solutions in diagnostics and patient care.

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Robert Schnitzler, Digital Ecosystem Innovation Lead at Roche Information Solutions, kicked off the event by emphasizing the importance of open innovation and collaboration with startups. He highlighted Roche’s commitment to co-developing digital health solutions through collaborations, leveraging Startup Creasphere to explore new business models and address healthcare challenges such as interoperability, clinical validation, scalability, and more.

Keynote: Regulation of AI & Learnings from AIOps

Christine Jacob, Lecturer and Health Researcher at the FHNW and Founder & Managing Director of Digi-Bridges GmbH delivered an insightful talk on the regulatory landscape of AI in healthcare. She discussed Switzerland’s CHF 8.2 billion digital health opportunity and the importance of explainability, transparency, and clinical validation in AI adoption. Through the DigiSanté initiative, efforts are being made to accelerate Switzerland’s digital healthcare transformation.

Startup Pitches: AI Transforming Healthcare

Before handing the stage over to the startups, Julia Schmidt, Digital Health Innovation at Roche Information Solutions, provided an overview of Startup Creasphere, highlighting its mission, focus areas, and key achievements. She shared how the program, launched in 2018, has fostered innovation by connecting startups with Roche to co-develop, test, and validate digital health solutions.

Two promising startups presented their cutting-edge AI solutions and the results of their pilot projects in collaboration with Roche:

• Arabesque AI (US): Leveraging AI-powered Raman spectroscopy for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) detection, enabling rapid, scalable, and cost-effective diagnostics.
• Qure.ai (India): Utilizing AI to enhance the interpretation of radiology and ultrasound
  scans, providing automated and efficient imaging solutions for improved patient outcomes.

Success Story: Nosotech – Roche collaboration

Lea Knoepfel, Healthcare Solutions Lead Infectious Diseases, Roche Diagnostics Switzerland shared the journey of Nosotech, a Canadian company specialized in digital surveillance solutions for infection prevention and control. From its initial collaboration in the Startup Creasphere innovation program exploring solution synergies and commercial opportunities with a focus on Switzerland. Nosotech’s success exemplifies the potential of intelligent data solutions in scaling across markets and driving real-world impact.

Panel Discussion: AI in Action

Moderated by Robert Schnitzler, the panel featured experts including Lea Knoepfel, Fabien Gaire, Chapter Lead of the Analytics Product Domain, Roche Information Solutions, and Manuel Römer, Chief Strategy & Business Development at Exploris Health. Discussions revolved around:

• Challenges and opportunities in AI adoption within healthcare.
• The role of AI in improving diagnostics and workflow efficiency.
• Future directions for AI integration and commercialization.

Networking & Closing Remarks

The event concluded with a networking apéro, providing attendees the opportunity to connect and explore potential collaborations. The Startup Creasphere Expo Day once again demonstrated the power of open innovation in shaping the future of healthcare through AI-driven solutions.
Stay tuned for more updates on our ongoing collaborations and upcoming Startup Creasphere initiatives!