Once a year, the initiative organizes the business plan competition Science4Life for the life sciences, chemicals, and energy sectors. The competition is an initiative of the Hessian state government and the healthcare company Sanofi and aims to support founders in the life sciences, chemicals, and energy sectors.
Both the Venture Cup and the Energy Cup are divided into three phases: The initial ideation phase focuses on the business idea and its market potential, allowing teams to identify opportunities early and adapt their strategy in a timely manner. In the subsequent concept phase, the business model is fine-tuned in collaboration with industry experts. The business plan phase is the third and final phase of the competition: In this phase, startups describe their business project in detail and develop concrete implementation plans.
The Science4Life Academy offers continuing education and coaching to all registered participants throughout the competition. The winning teams from each phase qualify for selected workshops during the Academy Days. This is the case with the Munich-based startup Epicure, which was among the top five startups in the ideation phase of the Science4Life Venture Cup 2025.
Practical & full of pioneering spirit
Jens Atzrodt, Head of R&D Operations Germany at Sanofi in Germany, says:
"Our society is currently facing far-reaching upheavals that bring with them entirely new challenges. The participants' business ideas are practical and full of pioneering spirit, addressing precisely these needs: a future-proof healthcare system as well as sustainable concepts in energy, environmental technology, and materials science."
And Rainer Waldschmidt, Managing Director of the Hessian economic development agency Hessen Trade & Invest, adds:
"Startups are an important factor in Germany's economic landscape, as they open up new, innovative technologies, business models, and growth markets. Their agility and willingness to take risks, in particular, ensure that they identify opportunities early and boldly pursue them. This enables them to create economic momentum that has a lasting impact on regions and industries for years to come."
Epicure among the 5 best teams in the idea phase
At the digital Science4Life Academy Day, the top ten teams from the Science4Life Venture Cup and the top five teams from the Science4Life Energy Cup had the opportunity to expand their knowledge through practical coaching sessions with experienced experts. In individual workshops on financing, marketing, legal issues, and patents, they were able to further develop their ideas and prepare them for the market.
A Munich-based startup is among the top five teams in the Ideas Phase of the Science4Life Venture Cup 2025: Epicure is developing a novel drug for cancer therapy based on epigenetic processes. These processes influence which genes are active in cells without altering the DNA itself. These mechanisms are of great importance in cancer research, as they contribute to better understanding, diagnosing, and treating cancer. Epicure's initial focus is on the treatment of leukemia.
The second phase of the business plan competition starts now: Until January 20, 2025, founders from the life sciences, chemistry and energy sectors can submit their Submit your read deck online and apply for the concept phase.
