Once a year, the initiative organizes the business plan competition Science4Life for the life sciences, chemistry, and energy sectors. The competition is an initiative of the Hessian State Government and healthcare company Sanofi, and aims to support founders in the fields of life sciences, chemistry, and energy.
The Venture Cup as well as the Energy Cup are divided into three phases: The idea phase at the beginning focuses on the business idea and its market potential, so that teams can identify opportunities early and adjust their strategy in time. In the subsequent concept phase, the business model is fine-tuned together with industry experts. The business plan phase is the third and final phase of the competition: in it, startups describe their business venture in detail and develop concrete implementation plans.
Throughout the competition, the Science4Life Academy offers further education and coaching to all registered participants. The winning teams of the individual phases qualify for selected workshops as part of the Academy Days. Just like Munich startup Epicure, which made it into the top five startups of the idea phase of the Science4Life Venture Cup 2025.
Practical and full of pioneering spirit
Jens Atzrodt, Head of R&D Operations Germany at Sanofi in Germany, says:
“Our society is facing far-reaching upheavals today, which bring entirely new challenges. The business ideas of the participants address these requirements in a practical way and with pioneering spirit: a future-proof healthcare system as well as sustainable concepts from energy, environmental technology, or materials science.”
And Rainer Waldschmidt, Managing Director of the Hessian economic development company Hessen Trade & Invest, adds:
“Startups are an important factor for Germany’s economic landscape, as they unlock new innovative technologies, business models, and growth markets. Their agility and willingness to take risks in particular ensure that they recognize opportunities early and tackle them boldly. In this way, they can create economic impulses that have a lasting impact on regions and industries over many years.”
Epicure among the 5 best teams of the idea phase
At the digital Science4Life Academy Day, the ten best teams of the Science4Life Venture Cup and the five best teams of the Science4Life Energy Cup first had the opportunity to expand their knowledge in practice-oriented coaching with experienced experts. In individual workshops on topics such as financing, marketing, law, and patents, they were able to further develop their ideas and prepare them for the market.
Among the five best teams of the idea phase of the Science4Life Venture Cup 2025 is also a Munich startup: Epicure is developing a novel cancer therapy drug based on epigenetic processes. These processes influence which genes are active in cells without altering the DNA itself. In cancer research, these mechanisms are of great importance as they help to better understand, diagnose, and treat cancer. Initially, Epicure’s focus is on treating leukemias.
The second phase of the business plan competition starts now: until January 20, 2025, founders in life sciences, chemistry, and energy can submit their pitch deck online and apply for the concept phase.
