IMPELINNO GmbH: Empowering Chinese MedTech Companies to Enter the Swiss and European Markets

In people's reverie of Switzerland, snow-capped mountains, lakes, and meadows represent one facet of the country, while its development and affluence constitute the other.

Lifting the mist shrouding the Alps, innovation forms the core of Switzerland’s wealth, sprouting new growth in industries such as mechanical engineering, luxury watchmaking, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.

Switzerland, brimming with wealth and innovative power, has attracted a large number of overseas companies. In 2022, with the successful listings of Lepu Medical and Joincare on the SIX Swiss Exchange, China sounded the starting bell for the “Swiss-bound boom,” as a wave of Chinese healthcare companies prepared to expand globally.

On the other side, Impelinno Life Sciences Technology Co., Ltd. (IMPELINNO GmbH, hereinafter referred to as Impelinno), based in Bern, the capital of Switzerland, is watching with keen interest.As its English name IMPELINNO suggests—“impel” meaning to drive forward, and “inno” derived from innovation—this is a consulting firm that started in Switzerland, aiming to foster innovation through collaboration and assist Chinese healthcare companies in expanding into the European market.

Amid the current wave of Chinese healthcare companies expanding into Switzerland, IMPELINNO is committed to providing “inbound and outbound” two-way services for Chinese medical enterprises, crafting a market entry guide rooted in local European expertise.

Liu He, founder of IMPELINNO, spent 20 years “entering” Switzerland.

After earning a master’s degree in biology from the University of Freiburg in Germany, she went on to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedicine at the University of Bern in Switzerland and remained in the country to work at research institutions. Liu He’s research focuses on oncology, metabolism, and human adult stem cells. She has published 18 scientific papers in internationally renowned journals, including Science Translational Medicine. Her doctoral dissertation was awarded the “Best Doctoral Thesis Award” by the University of Bern, making her the first—and possibly still the only—Chinese recipient of this honor.

Founder Liu He

Image source: IMPELINNO

During his time in Switzerland, Liu He observed that beyond its labels of wealth and beauty, the country boasts a vast array of cutting-edge technologies and advanced pharmaceutical products. It is also the birthplace of global pharmaceutical giants such as Roche, Novartis, and Lonza. Correspondingly, Switzerland has a highly vibrant atmosphere for innovation and entrepreneurship in healthcare. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Global Innovation Index, Switzerland was ranked the world’s most innovative country for 12 consecutive years as of 2022.

As one of Switzerland’s pillar industries, the healthcare sector in the country continues to foster a vibrant culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader international climate to both domestic and global healthcare industries in recent years, Switzerland’s medical technology sector has continued to grow, according to Swiss Medtech. In the past two years alone, the medtech sector has created 4,500 new jobs in Switzerland, with industry revenues reaching CHF 20.8 billion in 2021.Over the past two years, the Swiss medical technology industry recorded a turnover growth rate of 7.6%, surpassing the average level of the previous decade.

This sustained growth is partly attributable to the robustness and flexibility of Switzerland’s healthcare innovation network. Switzerland has long served as a primary hub for incubating startups, with its government, academic institutions, and private sector typically providing funding, resources, and expertise to support emerging companies.

Amid Switzerland’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, Liu He also immersed himself in studies focused on healthcare entrepreneurship, earning a Master’s degree in Translational Medicine and Healthcare Entrepreneurship from the Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine.During this period, she acquired knowledge spanning the entire spectrum from research and development to commercialization, including brand building, intellectual property, and regulatory affairs. Meanwhile, Liu He also served as the Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at the startup Saverna Therapeutics AG. Saverna Therapeutics AG (hereinafter referred to as “Saverna”) is a biotechnology company based in Basel, Switzerland, specializing in the research, development, and innovation of RNA-targeted therapeutics.

On one hand, the experience accumulated in research institutions and startups has made Liu He realize that entrepreneurship is not limited to R&D. “It is also a good idea to build partnerships for enterprises by rapidly establishing services that create synergy greater than the sum of their parts (1+1>2).”

On the other hand, having lived and worked in Europe for 20 years, Liu He has accumulated extensive high-quality professional networks within academic institutions, industry organizations, and innovation centers.Particularly in Switzerland and Germany, Liu He has established a robust network of European experts in the life and health sectors, including professors from renowned research institutions, clinical specialists, startup mentors, executives of multinational corporations, experts in medical product regulatory affairs, as well as intellectual property and M&A lawyers. Furthermore, IMPELINNO has assembled a team with expertise in artificial intelligence, big data analytics, business intelligence, and the commercialization of scientific research achievements.

Driven by the Swiss healthcare industry’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, IMPELINNO operates differently from similar consulting firms in China. IMPELINNO chooses to collaborate with local renowned experts and third-party service providers, fostering knowledge sharing, technological exchange, and market expansion among enterprises.To this end, IMPELINNO aims to establish a resource-sharing service platform that provides robust resources to Chinese medical device companies across every stage of their global expansion efforts.

Currently, IMPELINNO has served multiple Swiss life and health enterprises and has established collaborations with Inselspital (Bern University Hospital), the largest hospital in Switzerland.

Driven by factors such as population aging, chronic diseases, the COVID-19 pandemic, and healthcare cost containment, the demand for innovative medical devices in the European market is growing year by year. According to data from Market Data Forecast, the European medical device market was valued at $140.07 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $171.19 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.09%.

Since the implementation of the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR) and In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation (IVDR), additional administrative requirements and substantial costs have made it more difficult and time-consuming to obtain medical device certifications in the EU, thereby hindering access to the resources necessary for innovation in Europe, including in Switzerland.

A survey on the MDR released by MedTech Europe in July 2022 showed that the MDR was not well received. Among them, 50% of Swiss manufacturers stated that they would reduce their product portfolios due to the MDR. Three-quarters of Swiss companies called for opening the Swiss market to products with non-European certificates. Currently, the demand for medical devices in the Swiss market is more urgent.

Therefore, in facing the Chinese market, IMPELINNO, which is just getting its business off the ground, has focused on helping Chinese medical device companies expand into Europe and assisting them in establishing overseas investments and business partnerships.In his interactions with domestic clients, Liu He also observed their blind spots in going global.

To expand into the Swiss market, it is essential to first gain a deep understanding of the local landscape.She found that Chinese enterprises typically lack market research on their target markets, such as insufficient understanding of market size, product payment mechanisms, reimbursement policies, and health insurance coverage. Furthermore, from applying for product certification to seeking overseas partners, Chinese companies often face challenges in accurately interpreting foreign regulatory requirements, in addition to ensuring product quality and competitive pricing. Meanwhile, due to a lack of understanding of European culture, customs, and business practices, Chinese enterprises frequently fail to maintain the initiative in negotiations.

With its grasp of local market trends and expertise in managing the full product lifecycle, IMPELINNO will assist client companies in controlling every stage of their operations.In terms of market research, IMPELINNO provides enterprises with services such as market analysis, competitive product analysis, and sales channel development. On the regulatory front, IMPELINNO leverages professionals with dual expertise in regulatory affairs and law to help companies interpret legal frameworks such as the MDR, thereby accelerating their global expansion and reducing associated costs.Furthermore, with its roots in Switzerland and a deep understanding of local cultural norms, IMPELINNO also verifies numerous details in collaborations between enterprises and third parties.

Liu He believes that IMPELINNO serves as the equivalent of a company’s local “marketing, sales, regulatory affairs, public relations, and legal departments” in Europe.

IMPELINNO’s Service Offerings

Image source: IMPELINNO

In the Swiss medical device market, Liu He also observed that many Chinese companies encounter two common challenges after expanding overseas: first, they fail to achieve profitable sales even after obtaining CE certification; second, although their products are sold through distributors, they struggle to enhance brand awareness.

Given the wide variety of medical devices and the differing resources and objectives of each company, IMPELINNO customizes global market entry strategies for each enterprise, and even for different products within the same enterprise. MeanwhileTo address the aforementioned pain points, IMPELINNO will build a local European resource bridge for Chinese enterprises during the service process, providing consulting services aimed at facilitating product sales rather than merely obtaining CE certification. Furthermore, IMPELINNO will help companies enhance their brand awareness, enabling them to enter the Swiss and European markets by leveraging product value rather than relying on price advantages.

The Service Value of IMPELINNO

Image source: IMPELINNO

Unlike conventional consulting firms, IMPELINNO is qualified to import and sell medical products (pharmaceuticals and medical devices).After providing consulting services to enterprises and determining the feasibility of representation, IMPELINNO conducts market research on the corresponding medical device products and formulates sales plans. For certain products, IMPELINNO can serve as the importer or distributor for Chinese companies.

Meanwhile, throughout the service process, IMPELINNO not only provides clients with overseas expansion strategy consulting but also delivers flexible and meticulous execution strategies.For example, taking into account client costs and benefits, IMPELINNO collaborates with clients to determine whether IMPELINNO or another distributor should represent the relevant products, based on preliminary research, regulatory consulting, and engagement with clinical experts, thereby ensuring maximization of corporate interests.

IMPELINNO's Service Model

Image source: IMPELINNO

R&D and innovation are key factors in ensuring Switzerland’s continued competitiveness and prosperity in the life sciences market.

For a long time, Swiss startups have tended to adopt a holistic approach to innovation, integrating product development, market research, and regulatory compliance into their overall strategy. This is facilitated by Switzerland’s tradition of fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, which provides founders with training courses and advisory services.

This aligns perfectly with IMPELINNO’s philosophy, which holds that competition among industries and nations is, at its core, a competition for talent.

Therefore, by establishing the IMPELINNO Education Department, IMPELINNO offers training courses on hot topics in medical device and life science innovation and related industries through online open courses and workshops, thereby bringing Swiss innovation experience to Chinese enterprises and providing solutions for the development of advanced talent in China’s healthcare industry.

On the other hand, to facilitate the entire process for Chinese companies expanding overseas, IMPELINNO also provides services in overseas investment, licensing (in-licensing), and mergers and acquisitions.From IMPELINNO’s perspective, investment and financing serve as powerful tools for global expansion. Enterprises can expand their product pipelines and indirectly penetrate local markets through investment, financing, mergers, and acquisitions. This approach offers a dual benefit for companies. Furthermore, leveraging its insights into the forefront of European scientific and technological innovation, IMPELINNO assists Chinese investors in identifying and evaluating promising investment opportunities.

It is worth noting that, despite the disruption to international exchanges caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, IMPELINNO has continued to provide services to stakeholders in the Swiss healthcare innovation ecosystem. Its service offerings include data analysis of biological test samples for hospitals and research institutions, as well as R&D technology and collaboration consulting for startups.

In the course of serving Swiss enterprises, IMPELINNO has also accumulated a portfolio of international clients. With client consent, IMPELINNO shared with VCBeat two Swiss clients currently seeking Chinese partners:

One is a Swiss startup dedicated to the rapid and precise diagnosis of APS (antiphospholipid syndrome). Commissioned by this company, IMPELINNO is seeking investors and product licensing partners for the Greater China region. The other is Saverna, where Liu He serves as Head of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships. The company currently aims to open its RNA-targeting drug development platform, applicable to any foldable structure, to the Chinese market. Prior to entering China, Saverna had already served multiple multinational pharmaceutical companies, including Merck and Takeda, as well as renowned European research institutions.

To build a bridge between the Chinese and Swiss markets, IMPELINNO, based in Switzerland, also seeks Chinese partners with complementary strengths to jointly facilitate the global expansion of Chinese medical device companies and create a sustainable environment for their international growth.

IMPELINNO Artery Select Open Course

On Wednesday, May 31, from 19:00 to 21:30, IMPELINNO will join forces with VCBeat Select to co-host an online open class themed “Medical Device Global Expansion and Innovation: Insights from European Experts and Successful International Companies.” This session invites numerous overseas experts to discuss topics such as innovation trends in medical devices and pathways for Chinese medical device companies going global. Scan the QR code on the poster to register. Stay tuned!