The DCB Open Innovation Challenge

The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is an opportunity for anyone with an innovative solution to change diabetes management. It only takes an idea to participate for anyone – whether a healthcare professional, a start-up, a person living with diabetes or others. Those who share their ideas receive sparring and feedback from experts. It all culminates in the DCB Start-Up night, where we award the winners for both categories. The DCB Open Innovation Challenge award is one of the world’s most generous and renowned diabetes-related awards.

This year, incredible 100 ideas were submitted to the challenge from all over the world, and we rang in a new collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society from the US. Because of this, we had 2 finalists from the US and 4 finalists from the rest of the world. They pitched their projects live on stage in Bern in front of 300 guests and an international jury, who then chose the winner of each category.

But how exactly did we get there and what did the DCB Open Innovation Challenge look like?

Read all about the entire journey below!

Our Top 20

Before we were able to select our top six finalists to travel to our bootcamp and the much-anticipated DCB Start-Up Night, we selected our Top 20.

The Top 20 of received mentoring from chosen experts of our network on various topics, ranging from co-creation experts to regulatory specialists. Additionally, we hosted a Pitch Training session before their big Pitch Day, where they could network and learn from our experts as well as their peers about how to improve their pitch and convince our jury.

The Innovation Bootcamp – 4 intense days of learning and networking in the Swiss Alps

To get ready for the DCB Start-Up Night with pitches and winners’ celebrations, we took all six finalists to a bootcamp in the Swiss Alps. Over the course of four days, we spent our time with a stunning view and mentoring, pitch training, 1:1 coaching, and of course, with many fruitful discussions and lots of networking.

But see for yourself! Our team on-site documented their journey and experience in a short video.

The Winners of 2024

On October 3, this year’s DCB Start-Up Night and Award Ceremony of the Open Innovation Challenge 2023 took place. After an exciting evening of pitching, an international jury chose the winners of the fourth edition of the Open Innovation Challenge. The first place and with it 100k CHF in funding and in-kind support went to Muhammad Mujeeb-U-Rahman and his company IMS, for their product CGM+!

IMS (Integrated Medical Sensors) impressed the expert jury with a revolutionary, particularly small, and minimally invasive device for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The world’s first fully integrated single-chip device monitors blood glucose using multiple sensors simultaneously and can also record other physiological parameters such as tissue temperature. It is also able to measure various physiological parameters such as glucose and ketones – all with just one device.

“The DCB team did an outstanding job. This achievement will provide us with the resources and network needed to gain traction towards our goals, making a significant impact on our company’s journey”,

shares Muhammad Mujeeb-U-Rahman, CEO of Integrated Medical Sensors.

The start-up Beep Insights was honoured with the Public Choice Award by the audience thanks to its Beep app, which estimates insulin resistance using lactate measurement and other data such as activity and nutrition.

We thank all finalists for bringing their innovative ideas to our big stage – AMIC Health, Innodose, Genomelink and Neuria also did an amazing job and we are excitied to continue working with all of them. Diabetes technology thrives on innovation, and we are very grateful to be working alongside brilliant innovators to make life better for people with diabetes.

“We are very proud of the number of start-ups this year and of our collaboration with the Diabetes Technology Society from the US. We are particularly pleased to have received a total of 100 new and innovative ideas from start-ups. Together with the top six start-ups, we look forward to working on our shared mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes,”

says Ema Grabenweger, Innovation Manager DCB and responsible for the Open Innovation Challenge 2024.

Sad you missed out and couldn’t be in Bern for the big night? No need to worry! Watch our highlight video now to get a glimpse behind the scenes:

“The DCB Open Innovation Challenge is our annual highlight where we promote the best start-ups in diabetes technology. With a wide range of services from DCB and sustainable networks, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with all finalists and achieving great things together.”

concludes Hanne Ballhausen, Project Manager Innovation and organiser of the DCB Bootcamp.

It’s been a wonderful few months with the cohort of this year’s DCB Open Innovation Challenge and we are already eagerly awaiting next year’s! 

Now it’s your turn – it’s never too early to start brainstorming ideas for the next challenge. We’re excited to see what you come up with fort he Innovation Challenge 2025!

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!