House of Lab Science launches food and biotech hub in the Valley

House of Lab Science launches food and biotech hub in the Valley

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup

House of Lab Science has launched its newest location at The Valley in Kemptthal, strengthening its mission to deliver flexible, affordable and fully serviced lab spaces to Switzerland’s thriving biotech, foodtech and life sciences communities.

Dynamic and promising Hub for an unparalleled ecosystem

Following the successful creation of a vibrant lab science and life science cluster in Hombrechtikon — home to pioneering members such as Tecan, Haelixa, PreComb, Dr. W. Huber AG and Paladis — House of Lab Science now brings its Lab-as-a-Service concept into The Valley, one of Switzerland’s most dynamic and promising innovation hubs.

Located between Zurich and Winterthur, just minutes away from Zurich Airport, The Valley offers an unparalleled ecosystem for startups and scaleups alike. Historic industrial spaces are now home to cutting-edge companies like Givaudan, Planted and The Cultured Hub, creating a vibrant and collaborative environment that fosters creativity, cross-sector innovation and rapid growth. The strategic location and ecosystem density make The Valley one of Europe’s most exciting life sciences, biotech and foodtech clusters.

“I couldn’t be more excited about our newest home at The Valley in Kemptthal. This location is becoming a true hotspot for biotech and foodtech innovation. With our Lab-as-a-Service model joining forces alongside The Cultured Hub’s Scale-up-as-a-Service, we’re creating the perfect ecosystem for startups to grow fast and smart. Time to market is critical — and startups, scaleups and corporates alike simply can’t afford to wait for labs to be built. They need high-quality, flexible R&D space ready to go — yesterday. That’s exactly what House of Lab Science offers, and we’re proud to do it at the most competitive rates in Switzerland.” – Oana Vrabie, co-founder
House of Lab Science.

“The strength of an ecosystem lies in its ability to build complementary offers that accelerate high-quality innovation — from idea to impact,” said Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO of Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley. “With its Lab-as-a-Service and Scale-up-as-a-Service offers, the launch of House of Lab Science adds some of the missing wheels in the clockwork of the Swiss ecosystem, making it even more complete and powerful.”

“With its new location at The Valley in Kemptthal, House of Lab Science delivers the much-anticipated lab infrastructure that foodtech innovators need to start, develop and scale,” added Alexandre Bastos, Head of Front End Innovation at Givaudan. “This vibrant ecosystem is primed to drive the next wave of food innovation.”

Bold ideas

The launch event on April 10th featured a lively panel discussion with innovation leaders including Christina Senn-Jakobsen, Pascal Bieri (Co-Founder of Planted) and Alexandre Bastos. The key takeaway?

From bold ideas to global relevance, it is clear that community, creativity and courage are the critical ingredients to build the next generation of Swiss-made biotech and foodtech champions.

The Valley is not just a location — it is a movement: a place where startups, corporates and investors meet to shape the future of science and industry together.

Startups that sign a contract by June 1st will receive 1 month free at House of Lab Science’s newest location. Move-in is scheduled to begin from June 2025.

What House of Lab Science offers:

  • Fully equipped, BSL-1 and BSL-2 labs ready to move in — private labs or
    benches with equipment and office space included
  • Flexible rental terms that allow startups to scale up or adapt without the
    burden of upfront capital expenditure (CAPEX); just plug-and-play lab space
    with flexible OPEX
  • A vibrant community platform and marketplace, offering access to
    exclusive lab services, shared resources, equipment deals, and cross-location
    networking opportunities across Switzerland.
  • Lab and facility management services handled by the House of Lab
    Science team — so startups can focus fully on their science and business
    growth.

About House of Lab Science
House of Lab Science continues to roll out its pioneering model across Switzerland, providing science-preneurs, startups, scaleups, and established companies in biotech, foodtech and medtech with the flexible infrastructure, fully equipped lab space and tailored support they need to innovate quickly, affordably and successfully – all within a connected, collaborative ecosystem. www.houseoflabscience.world

 

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Impact Digest | Nutrition & Longevity: Striving for longer, healthier lives

Impact Digest | Nutrition & Longevity: Striving for longer, healthier lives

Impact Digest | Cultured foods: How can we drive impact at scale?

As the global population ages, the role of nutrition in elongating our healthy years has never been more vital.

And it’s not just about living for longer: increasingly, scientific advancements, sustainable food solutions, and personalised nutrition strategies are helping to extend human healthspan alongside lifespan.

At our Impact Forum: Nutrition & Longevity on 15 April 2025, we invited three expert speakers to discuss the field as it stands with Valley CEO Christina Senn-Jakobsen. Here’s what we learned…

Key Takeaways 

  • A focus on evidence-based longevity: The discussion emphasized scientific and practical advancements in nutrition that support healthspan — the period of life spent in good health — not just lifespan. It’s not just about living longer, but about living better too. 
  • Science-based innovation: Our speakers stressed the importance of developing supplements using validated mechanisms (e.g. targeting cellular aging pathways) that rely on the latest science. Plenty of companies out there are ‘health washing’ without going through the necessary clinical trials and testing. 
  • Interdisciplinary insights: The session drew connections between nutrition science, food innovation, public health, and sustainable systems thinking. Looking at longevity holistically is the way forward. 
  • The lines between healthcare and wellness are blurred: From telemedicine to supplements aimed at the health-conscious consumer, the field is expanding to encompass younger people with a focus on preventive measures, rather than just ‘patients’ and the elderly. Expect more personalized, tech-enabled care aimed at the public as a whole, rather than niche sub-demographics.
  • Challenges remain: While the public is increasingly curious and proactive about their food choices, most ‘average’ consumers are put off by niche supplements and ‘cult-like’ brands. Another challenge is accessibility: even the best science doesn’t matter if people can’t afford or access the solutions.

Longevity as a cultural movement
Insights from Marco Borgato, Founder at Chōka, the first café concept that promotes longevity

As a result of his work, Marco deeply believes longevity is not just about living longer but performing optimally for longer, through deep self-understanding and a sustainable lifestyle. He began building a longevity protocol optimized for his unique genetics and environment, before turning this into his own business. Marco emphasized that the future of longevity lies not just in data and supplements, but in making health social, enjoyable, and integrated into everyday life. His vision moves the field from biohacking to a lifestyle revolution—longevity as culture.

Marcus shared the current industry gaps, explaining that the current longevity and biohacking community is often viewed as too niche, alienating the general public. Most people are unfamiliar with or skeptical about testing, supplements, or longevity concepts. 

To bridge the gap between early adopters and mainstream culture, Marco is working to transform longevity from a solo, supplement-focused routine into a social, accessible, and cultural movement. His longevity cafe chain will offer supplement-packed drinks made from carob, on-site non-invasive testing and personalised nutrition – all in a welcoming space.

Supplements supported by science
Insights from Sophie Chabloz, Co-Founder & Chief Science Officer, Avea

Sophie offered her insights into longevity supplements thanks to her work at Swiss supplement startup Avea: chiefly, some effective compounds (nicotinamide adenine, spermidine) do naturally decline with age and can’t be replenished through diet alone. Sophie emphasised that when it comes to nutrition and longevity, there’s growing evidence for very specific longevity molecules that can slow down ageing. 

She emphasized the importance of evidence-backed supplements – some studies show strong effects for certain molecules, while others make almost no difference. Evidence-based formulations with proper dosages are crucial. Avea, which formulated its supplements in Switzerland with science-based high quality ingredients, has conducted clinical trials and partnered with ETH Zurich on patented compounds.

Sophie shared that contamination of supplements is one challenge facing the sector. She urged consumers to look for brands that test for contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, bacteria) – Avea, for example, recently rejected a batch of berberine supplements due to mercury contamination – this delayed production but ensured their safety. Sophie concluded by reminding the audience that supplements should support, not replace, a healthy lifestyle – there’s little point in investing in more specific, tailored supplements if you’re deficient in core vitamins or following an unhealthy diet.

Bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and practical application
Insights from Philipp Gut, Adult Health Lead at Nestlé Research & Development 

Nestlé focuses on evidence-based innovation, using validated mechanisms (e.g., targeting cellular aging pathways) to develop supplements and fortified products. Philipp cited breakthroughs in cellular aging (e.g. senescence, mitochondrial health) as driving new supplement innovation, particularly on bioactives. Scientific backing is key, and Nestlé invests heavily in clinical trials and regulatory compliance.

Personalisation is also a major focus – and it’s going nowhere soon. Thanks to wearable tech, at-home diagnostics and AI, it is becoming ever easier to tailor interventions to individual needs. Nestlé is exploring how to integrate personal data into product recommendations and services to maximise longevity impact for its customers. However, when implementing this science into global markets, one major challenge is accessibility: even the best science doesn’t matter if people can’t afford or access the solutions. Nestlé aims to democratize health through scalable products tailored to diverse markets. 

Lastly, Philipp explained that the lines between healthcare and wellness are increasingly blurred. Consumer health and clinical care are merging: GLP-1 drugs being used for both obesity treatment and lifestyle weight management, for example, while telemedicine platforms are providing healthy people with medical-grade services. Similarly, digital tools now embed interventions (e.g. supplements, diet plans) into daily routines. Philipp sees the future of longevity as a blended, lifestyle-driven journey combining nutrition, digital health and medical insights.

Hungry for more?
Join us for our next Impact Forum on Sustainable Packaging on 8 May.

Latest News

Valley partner CleanGreens Solutions and GreenLife partner on building world’s largest aeroponic greenhouse

Valley partner CleanGreens Solutions and GreenLife partner on building world’s largest aeroponic greenhouse

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup

Valley partner CleanGreens Solutions and the GreenLife Company, a leading agricultural innovator in the Middle East, have signed an agreement to expand their collaboration and build the world’s largest Aeroponics Greenhouse farm in Abdali, Kuwait.

Setting a new standard in sustainable farming

Following the success of its 7,500m² Aeroponics facility, GreenLife is scaling up its operations adding 16,500m² more of aeroponics system provider CleanGreens’ technology to reach an unprecedented scale. This project will seek to boost food security in the region and drastically reduce water and land consumption compared to traditional farming. Additionally, this demonstrates the CleanGreens system’s successful adaptation to harsh climates in the Middle East, allowing year-round production without interruption and delivering high-quality greens. 

We’ve been using CleanGreens technology for nearly three years, two years in operations. We have got very positive, even impressive experience. We’ve learned and developed a lot, confirmed the business model and we have decided to expand our project to supply exceptional quality greens to our customers across the region. This technology is the future! I’m looking forward doing more together with CleanGreens,said Adel Al Shamali, Chairman of GreenLife. 

The companies report that the project has validated the potential profitability of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and related emerging technologies.

Swiss technology for the future of food 

CleanGreens’ patented technology allows for higher efficiency with fewer resources, reducing water use by up to 96% and eliminating pesticides, allowing ideal growing conditions for plants and predictable, high-value local product all year round at competitive price. This expansion further solidifies CleanGreens’ position as a global leader in precision agriculture. 

We are proud to collaborate with GreenLife on this historic expansion. GreenLife is an amazing partner. They have done a tremendous job analyzing the market’s needs, operating the farm, validating the business model in the region. The upcoming 24,000aeroponics greenhouse will be our largest installation globally. It will reaffirm the expertise and commitment of CleanGreens’ team in transforming agriculture on a large scale. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with GreenLife with the goal of addressing the needs of the entire Gulf region,” highlighted Bruno Cheval, CEO of CleanGreens Solutions. 

About CleanGreens

CleanGreens Solutions is a Swiss B Corp, incorporated in 2013. The CleanGreens developed GREENOVA, a unique aeroponics farming system for greenhouses, featuring a patented irrigation method where a rolling robot sprays water and nutrients directly to the roots suspended in air. By reducing phytosanitary risks, increasing oxygenation, using zero pesticides, 96% less water than traditional farming, and notably less than hydroponics, this one-of-a-kind system uses mobile modules that allow for multi-harvesting of herbs, achieving higher yields with fewer resources. 

About GreenLife

GREEN LIFE Company is the first Aeroponic Farming solution in GCC founded by visionary investors in year 2021, to bolster food security by producing healthy, high-quality agricultural products. Green Life Company has achieved global (G.A.P) Fruit & Vegetables certification for Lettuce from SGS. This milestone marks Green Life Company as the first Farm in Kuwait to obtain this prestigious certification, setting a new benchmark for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the region.

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Igeho Rising Star 2025: Public voting opens 

Igeho Rising Star 2025: Public voting opens 

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup

Fifteen startups have been invited to present their innovations at Igeho 2025 in November in Basel. A public vote will now determine which five advance to the final, where they will face questions from the panel and audience, competing for the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award.

The application phase for the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award closed on 31 January, attracting numerous submissions from food tech startups. Each entry was carefully reviewed by the Igeho team based on innovation and use of technology, sustainability and environmental impact, as well as business model and scalability.

Fifteen Swiss startups have been selected to showcase their companies at Igeho 2025, where they will present their innovations to the audience in Basel this November. Benjamin Eulau, Igeho’s Brand Director, shared his excitement: ‘We saw some truly impressive innovations among the applications. Many of these startups have the potential to address long-term challenges in the food service industry.’

Christina Senn-Jakobsen, CEO of Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, was also impressed by the applications submitted: “We were thrilled to hear that so many start-ups have applied to be part of the Igeho Rising Star Award 2025. From sustainable alternatives that offer consumers more diverse choices to tech-driven solutions that share the impact of what we put on our plates – so many Swiss ecosystem players are working tirelessly to create solutions that will make our food service sector more future-proof. I’m excited to watch them grow and scale through their participation in this competition.”

Public voting now open

The public vote to determine which five startups will compete for the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award in the grand finale of Igeho 2025 opens today. Until 30 May, professionals from the hotel, restaurant, catering, and care industries can cast their votes for the startups they want to see in the final.

The selected startups are:

Driving innovation through an award

As Switzerland’s leading international hospitality industry platform, Igeho is committed to fostering innovation. With the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award, it provides emerging companies in the hospitality sector with a valuable opportunity to showcase their businesses, raise awareness of their innovations, and connect with industry professionals.

In collaboration with Swiss Food & Nutrition Valley, Igeho aims to use this award to drive innovation by offering startups a platform and facilitating networking opportunities. ‘We see it as our duty to give startups the chance to present themselves and step into the spotlight,’ says Benjamin Eulau, Igeho’s Brand Director. ‘The hospitality industry and our food system depend on long-term innovation, and we’re proud to support that.’

The grand finale of the 2025 Igeho Rising Star Award will take place at Igeho 2025 in Basel, where the five finalists will compete for the title, along with cash and non-cash prizes. All holders of valid day tickets are welcome to attend and be part of the live audience.

Igeho: International platform for the hotel, catering, take-away and care sectors

Igeho is the most important international industry platform for the hotel, catering, take-away and care sectors in Switzerland. As a live marketing platform it offers the hiospitality branch a comprehensive market overview, interesting networking opportunities and new impulses around the topic of hospitality. The wide range of products and services will be complemented by an exciting supporting programme on current trends and the most important topics in the hospitality industry. The next Igeho will take place at Messe Basel from November 15 to 19, 2025.
www.igeho.ch 

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences rebrands to Cosaic and introduces new ingredient

Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences rebrands to Cosaic and introduces new ingredient

The Future of Food: Givaudan, Nestlé R+D Accelerator Lausanne and FoodHack launch the 2025 FoodTech World Cup

Over the past three years, Valley partner Cultivated Biosciences has worked on using state-of-the-art biotechnology to solve the food industry’s pressing challenges. With recent breakthroughs in product development and industry collaborations, Cultivated Biosciences is rebranding to Cosaic and introducing Cosaic Neo, a unique yeast-derived natural emulsion.

From idea to product

Back in 2021, Tomas Turner, co-founder and CEO, had the idea to grow fats from yeast, to provide texture solutions for vegan cheeses. Appalled by factory farming, he wanted to make an impact by encouraging more people to enjoy creamy animal-free products.

The team he built with his co-founder Dimitri Zogg learnt from the industry about much bigger needs than pure fat alternatives and discovered that their ingredient was much more powerful than fat: a multifunctional natural emulsion from yeast.

This unique ingredient contains fats, but also proteins and fibres. It is the combination of those components that allows the natural combination of 8 key functionalities in 1 animal-free ingredient. It reconciles the needs of the industry for more resilience and performance with the consumer need for better and tastier products. 

Cleaning labels

Cosaic Neo is reported to “clean labels” by replacing unwanted additives, improves the mouthfeel and the taste, improves the physical stability and much more. 

Food product developers can now create both dairy and dairy-free products that meet emerging consumer trends and unlock new business opportunities. This achievement marked a turn in the company’s roadmap and strategy.

Cosaic Neo also delivers functionality and sensory appeal to create products in four key categories: ready-to-drink protein and nutrition shakes, dairy-free milks, barista and coffee creamers, mayo & sauces and creamy liqueurs.

Unlocking opportunity in plant-based protein shakes

Protein Shakes is the fastest growing beverage segment in the US, reflecting the consumers’ interest for on-the-go, healthy proteins. But most commercial plant-based protein shakes contain no more than 8% proteins (around 25g for a 330ml/12 oz bottle) and contain lots of additives. Increasing the protein content further can lead to gelling or strong off-notes.

Cosaic can replace all additives, mask plant-based off-notes and most importantly, improving protein solubilisation to enable loading more proteins – up to 13% or 43g per serving. Cosaic is working closely with industry leaders on trials to bring this concept to market in the US in 2026.

About Cosaic

Cosaic aims for a world in which good food choices benefit everyone: people, businesses, and the planet. They do this with ingredient solutions that offer greater industry resilience and greater consumer satisfaction. Founded in 2021 in Zurich, Switzerland, Cosaic’s 18-member team is transitioning from the research and development stage to the market entry phase. The company plans to introduce its cream to the US market in 2025 and to the European market in 2026, pending regulatory approval for consumption. www.cultivated.bio/

 

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel.

Latest News

Catering to innovation: Key learnings from the first edition of the ZFV Living Lab

Catering to innovation: Key learnings from the first edition of the ZFV Living Lab

 Linda Grieder Kern, CEO of Rethink Resource

Copyright: ZFV-Living Lab © ZFV-Unternehmungen

What happens when you facilitate an open innovation approach to build a more sustainable catering sector? The ZFV Living Lab (ZLL) set out to find out. 

The ZLL gives start-ups, companies and academic institutions access to food service testing environments to help them bring their products to life and trial sustainable ideas in real-life conditions. 

The first edition of the ZLL, supported by SFNV, launched in 2024, aiming to drive forward innovative, sustainable solutions in the food service sector. Now the ZLL is now welcoming applications for a second edition – this time with a focus on innovative solutions to reduce the food service sector’s CO2 emissions. 

We spoke with Christian Gerber, Head of Innovation at ZFV, and Olga Steiger, Head of Sustainability at ZFV, to find out more about what they’ve learnt so far and explore the benefits and challenges of open innovation.

The ZLL is an important part of ZFV’s sustainability strategy. What have you learned so far?

Christian Gerber: Our ambitious sustainability goals require bold, visionary and highly innovative solutions that can only be achieved by pooling our knowledge with other parties. An open innovation approach is fundamental to driving this sustainable transformation forward. Success stories such as FOOD2050 and FARM TO TABLE prove that we’re on the right track. 

Olga Steiger: A clear focus on sustainability challenges is key to finding targeted solutions. That’s why we always focus the Innovation Calls on a specific problem. We kept this more open in the first Innovation Call – one of our most important learnings was that having a common goal facilitates targeted innovation growth.

When the Innovation Call closes, you’ll select up to five ideas to be tested directly on the market. How will you be assessing the applications?

Olga Steiger: Above all, we check that the ideas have realistic potential to have a positive impact on the specified sustainability goals. A solution can be promising – but if it doesn’t have a sufficient impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it won’t reach the testing phase.

Christian Gerber: We realised how challenging it is to objectively categorise and compare solutions. The ideas submitted to us are usually at completely different stages of development – from just an initial idea right up to proof of market potential. The partnership also needs to offer clear added value for both sides. For us, it is particularly important that it is a level playing field and that all participants can contribute their strengths and learn from each other.

Which element of your support offer is particularly valued by ZLL participants?

Olga Steiger: Our very clear focus on sustainability can act as additional motivation for start-ups to review their ideas in relation to the topic. They also receive our expert assessment of the product’s sustainability potential.  

Christian Gerber: During the last Innovation Call, lots of the feedback we received was that start-ups want access to expertise and know-how. The main demand isn’t so much about resources but more about targeted support based on our expertise. This is really the core of the ZLL offer. In addition to access to our 200 venues, participants can benefit from more than 130 years of experience.

The ZLL testing and learning environment changes depending on the idea. How flexible does a platform that relies on open innovation need to be?

Christian Gerber: Incredibly flexible. Our multifaceted operations provide the perfect basis for this, allowing us to create the ideal testing and learning environment for any and every idea. Innovation means learning at every step and adapting to new findings and needs. Open innovation and ecosystem thinking also require courage and practice. At the same time, we do also need to address internal obstacles – we’re constantly putting our own organisation to the test.

What challenges does the consistent focus on sustainability goals pose?

Olga Steiger: One of the biggest challenges is clearly defining what we are looking for and how we assess the sustainability impact of an idea that is at an early stage.

Christian Gerber: Sustainability and economic impact don’t always match up. Combining both of these aspects in a targeted way can be a complex challenge.

How do you move forward testing on the market and what lessons have you learnt from the test phases so far?

Christian Gerber: We’ve learnt a lot from the testing phases so far. Small tests in particular are essential decision-making aids.They provide valuable insights that serve as a basis for possible pilot projects.

What are your hopes for the current Innovation Call?

Olga Steiger: I’m looking forward to closer links to our supply chain as part of this year’s Innovation Call and the potential for innovative solutions developed together with our existing partners as well. After all, we can only transform our food systems in partnership. 

Christian Gerber: I am inspired by the variety of food solutions that already exist today. We are already working with many of them – including Valley partners Luya, Yumame and EggField. However, we would also like to see more innovations that go beyond the plate – especially along the entire value chain – because we recognise that innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. That’s why we are always expanding our innovation ecosystem. Developing and expanding this network is essential for us. This is one of the key things we’re tackling in the ZLL Innovation Call 2025. 

The ZLL Innovation Call 2025 is open for applications until 31 March 2025. Start-ups with innovative ideas can apply here: https://forms.office.com/e/hde3aWc0UF

Never miss a Swiss food innovation morsel

Latest News

Sign In

Register

Reset Password

Please enter your username or email address, you will receive a link to create a new password via email.