Three UCreate Projects Awarded CHF 10,000 FIT Impact Grants

University of Lausanne has seen three projects from its Faculty of Biology and Medicine—SODA, TYTOdb, and FineTouch Academy—receive Fondation pour l’Innovation Technologique (FIT) Impact grants of CHF 10,000 each. This recognition highlights the quality and potential of projects supported by UCreate, UNIL’s entrepreneurship support program.

The FIT Impact grant is designed for projects with strong social or environmental impact that emerge from entrepreneurial support programs at higher education institutions in the canton of Vaud. It enables teams to test their ideas, validate their impact, and assess the viability of their business models.

Three Projects Driving Positive Impact

TYTOdb – Improving the Management of Naturalist Data
Every year, volunteer and professional naturalists collect valuable field data, but this information is often difficult to use because it is fragmented and lacks standardization. TYTOdb is developing a database solution that simplifies data entry, management, and long-term use—from field collection to practical application.

Photo credit: Anastasiia Nelen

FineTouch Academy – A New Approach to Learning Suturing Skills
FineTouch Academy addresses a practical need in medical education: learning technical procedures, particularly suturing. The project provides medical students with educational resources, adapted training materials, and structured guidance, allowing them to practice flexibly and effectively.

SODA – Bringing Science Closer to Society
SODA, which stands for Science Ouverte Démocratisée et Accessible (Open, Democratized, and Accessible Science), aims to make science more accessible to everyone. Through inclusive and interactive workshops on major scientific issues, the project encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and dialogue with diverse audiences.

Photo credit: Anne Gallienne

UCreate – An Entrepreneurial Launchpad at UNIL

These awards also highlight the role of UCreate, the entrepreneurship program of UNIL’s HUB Entrepreneuriat et Innovation. Open to the entire university community, the program supports the development of entrepreneurial projects in an interdisciplinary environment, with particular attention to initiatives generating social and environmental impact.

Photo credit: Félix Imhof

TYTOdb, FineTouch Academy, and SODA are three projects born within the UCreate ecosystem whose potential is now being recognized through respected external support. This milestone reflects both the commitment of the teams behind these initiatives and the strength of the projects developed within the program.