Venture Challenge 2026: bridge to commercial success
NWO and Health~Holland open registration for the Venture Challenge 2026.
Published on January 6, 2026
Team IO+ selects and features the most important news stories on innovation and technology, carefully curated by our editors.
The Netherlands excels in scientific research, but the path from the laboratory to the patient is often long and treacherous. Many promising innovations get stuck in the so-called ‘Valley of Death’ due to a lack of business acumen. To turn this tide, NWO and Health~Holland have opened registration for the Venture Challenge 2026. This program is specifically designed to transform scientists into start-up entrepreneurs.
Bridging the gap between lab and market
Scientists in the Life Sciences & Health sector are making groundbreaking discoveries. Yet these findings often fail to reach the market. The cause rarely lies with the technology itself. The stumbling block is usually the research teams' lack of commercial experience. Investors do not get involved because the proposition is too risky or because the business model is flawed.
The Venture Challenge acts as a catalyst to bridge this gap. The goal is not only education, but validation. Teams are forced to temporarily let go of their scientific focus and think in terms of market needs and customer value. The program helps them build an investor-ready business case. This significantly lowers the threshold for private financiers. By testing commercial feasibility at an early stage, the time-to-market is shortened.
A streamlined structure for 2026
For the 2026 edition, the organizers have made the program structure more efficient. The most striking change is the introduction of a single ‘Call for Proposals’ 🔗. Whereas previously separate calls were made for each round, this single call now covers both the spring and fall rounds. This offers applicants greater clarity and planning certainty early in the year.
In addition, the thematic classification has been simplified. In previous years, such as in 2025, there was still a strict separation or separate tracks for specific subdomains such as MedTech 🔗. For 2026, medical devices, diagnostics, and medicines have been fully integrated into the broad ‘Life Sciences & Health’ scope 🔗. This reflects the increasing convergence in the sector, where the boundaries between technology and therapy are blurring. The program is open to teams of three to four people. This team must consist of the scientific discoverer and the intended founders. The presence of complementary skills within the team is an important selection criterion 🔗. With this, NWO and Health~Holland are focusing on robust teams that can bear the heavy burden of a startup together.
Intensive pressure cooker for entrepreneurs
Participation in the Venture Challenge is not a non-committal course. It is an intensive program of approximately ten to twelve weeks that demands a lot from the participants 🔗. The core of the program consists of two multi-day boot camps and regular coaching sessions. During these sessions, the teams work under the guidance of experienced business coaches and industry veterans 🔗. They critically analyze their own innovation. Who is the customer? What is the revenue model? What does the regulatory landscape look like?
The process forces scientists to leave their safe academic environment. They have to step outside and validate their assumptions in the real world. The end product is a solid venture plan and a pitch that is convincing to investors 🔗. The stakes are high: the winning team receives €25,000 in prize money, made available by the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health 🔗. This amount is often just the push needed for the company's first official steps. But the real value lies in the network. Participants are immediately introduced to relevant investors and experts, which dramatically increases their chances of follow-up financing 🔗.
European recognition and strategic autonomy
The impact of the Venture Challenge extends beyond the individual startups. The program is internationally recognized as a best practice for valorization. This is evident, among other things, from winning the European Enterprise Promotion Award in 2022 🔗. The Financial Times also recognized the program in 2024 as one of Europe's leading Start-Up Hubs 🔗. This recognition underscores the quality of the Dutch approach.
At a time when Europe is striving for strategic autonomy – less dependence on other continents for medicines and technology – this program is of great importance. By successfully bringing home-grown innovations to market, the Netherlands is strengthening its competitive position 🔗.
Deadlines and practical requirements
For the spring round, applications must be submitted by February 3, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. 🔗. The deadline for the fall round is July 2, 2026, also at 2:00 p.m. 🔗.
Participation also requires a financial commitment from the teams themselves. The personal contribution is set at €2,000 for a team of three people and €2,500 for a team of four 🔗. This amount is relatively modest given the value of the coaching and the network, but it does ensure the necessary commitment. The selection procedure is rigorous. A jury assesses the applications on their innovative character, commercial perspective, and the quality of the team 🔗. Only the most promising propositions are admitted to the boot camps.