Lab-as-a-service for biotech startups opens in Basel, Switzerland

It is notoriously difficult for startups in life sciences and biotechnology to get investments for lab facilities and equipment to be able spin out from universities. 

To that effect, Superlab Suisse operates facilities where biotech startups, scaleups, and their staff can access state-of-the-art equipment according to a “lab as a service” business model. The company today announced the opening of its second space in biotech hub Basel, Switzerland. 

The 4,770 square metre space will offer ready-to-use laboratory spaces, along with essential operational support services. 

“We are thrilled to bring Superlab Suisse’s innovative platform to Basel, the city of Pharma,” said Zhang Xi, CEO and founder of Superlab Suisse. “Our holistic solution frees scientists from operations headaches, so they can save time and focus on science. We service, you discover, is our mantra.”

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Basel is home to several life science giants such as Novartis and Moderna, and another approximately 700 startups, scaleups, and corporates in the space. Among Superlab Suisse’s nearest neighbours at its new facility at the Stücki Park campus are Tech Park Basel, Lonza, Medartis, NBE, and Boehringer Ingelheim. 

The lab-as-a-service company says its facilities are intended for startups and scaleups, as well as larger companies in need of extra space and equipment.

One of the first tenants of Superlab Suisse’s Basel facilities is Skyhawk Therapeutics. The drug discovery specialist recently announced a partnership in RNA research targeting rare neurological diseases with global biopharmaceutical company Ipsen.

The Basel space is Superlab Suisse’s second offering. The first is in Lausanne, and a third will open in Zurich in early 2025. Tenants at one facility will also have access to the others. The company also has plans for further expansion in Europe, as well as the US and Asia. 

Zhang Xi, a graduate of ETH Zürich, founded Superlab Suisse in 2019 after having completed various large scale laboratories projects for pharmaceutical companies in Europe and China.