Are you developing a deep tech project in brain or mental health and looking for support to rapidly turn your scientific results into concrete solutions for patients? Apply now to the 3rd Call for Projects from Paris Brain Institute’s Start-up Studio, funded by the philanthropic NeurAL fund. Applications are open until June 26, 2025.
A Unique Springboard for Deep Tech Projects in Neuroscience
In 2024, Paris Brain Institute launched its start-up studio within its iPEPS innovation accelerator.
Backed by the NeurAL philanthropic fund , the studio’s mission is to foster the emergence of innovative solutions—from diagnosis to therapy—by financing the R&D steps needed to transform lab projects into viable, high-impact start-ups. Its goal is to bring scientific research closer to the entrepreneurial world, building a strong bridge between translational research and clinical application.
Through tailored support and targeted R&D funding, the start-up studio helps researchers move through key phases of validation, structuring, and value creation for their technologies.
The iPEPS start-up studio was designed to bridge the gap between research and entrepreneurship. Offering a unique environment to support neuroscience projects at an early stage, the studio start-up responds to the lack of technical and industrial expertise needed to support neuroscience projects until start-up.
Click hereWhy Apply to the Start-up Studio’s Call for Projects?
Projects emerging from research labs—particularly in the deep tech health field—face a critical funding gap during the transition from academic research to business creation. This phase, situated between initial technological maturation and the ability to attract traditional seed funding, is a high-risk period where many promising innovations struggle to move forward.
Three main challenges are commonly faced:
- Funding: A critical period when projects need capital to move beyond early research grants, yet are not “mature” enough to attract traditional investors.
- De-risking: The need to gather strong preclinical evidence to validate the concept and reduce perceived risk for future investors.
- Structuring: Essential strategic and operational support to transform a scientific idea into a structured and viable business venture.
These challenges are especially acute in deep tech health projects, where development is inherently longer, more costly, riskier, and subject to strict regulatory constraints.
This is precisely where the start-up studio comes in—offering both financial support and expert guidance to help overcome these hurdles.
Paris Brain Institute’s Start-up Studio provides:
- Dedicated funding for the initial critical phases of your project: proof of concept, preclinical development, prototyping, etc.
- Strategic guidance from a team of experts in scientific entrepreneurship.
- Access to a network of experts and industrial partners.
- Enhanced visibility within the health innovation ecosystem.
This call for projects is open to researchers, engineers, and deep tech project leaders in the neuroscience field (biotech, medtech, digital health), from academic labs, research institutes, or universities—based in France or across Europe.
A proven model
Since its inception, NeurAL has supported the selection, funding, and development of high-impact projects—thanks in part to the commitment of patrons and dedicated donors from the Cercle des Amis:
- 42 projects assessed, 13 pitched, 4 selected—including one start-up created in 2025.
- Three innovations currently in development, with major advances in areas such as Parkinson’s disease and cognitive disorders.
- A growing European momentum, with applications from Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
How to Apply
The 3rd Call for Projects from the Start-up Studio is now open!
With the longstanding support of the Anne and Claude Berda Foundation and Indosuez Wealth Management, along with committed patrons and donors from the Brain Institute’s Circle of Friends, this initiative embodies a strong ambition: to nurture the next generation of European Brain Tech pioneers.
Application deadline: June 26, 2025
- Scientific evaluation and final pitch: July 2025
- Program launch: Fall 2025
Apply now and transform your idea into an innovation that serves patients.
Are you developing a deep tech project in brain or mental health and looking for support to rapidly turn your scientific results into concrete solutions for patients? Apply now to the 3rd Call for Projects from Paris Brain Institute’s Start-up Studio.
Click here
