Terms & Conditions

The VIA is an event designed to discover, evaluate, and mentor Startups in the area of publishing in Health Sciences worldwide. Three of them will be granted a financial reward.
The time frame for submission as well as the evaluation and selection process will take place from May 2023 till November 2023.
During this period, 5 selected Startups will be mentored by experts.
At the VIA final event, these 5 Startups will get the opportunity to present their startup company and/or project and their ideas how this company/project can contribute to STM publishing area to a broad audience. The invited Startups will be given a platform for networking with various attendees.

Startups (hereinafter “Startup”) may apply for participation in the VIA by registering and submitting a project (hereinafter “Project”) using the application form on karger.com/VIA.
For a successful application, the Startup shall meet the following criteria:

• Early stage phase
• Willingness to participate in the mentoring and on site during the final event
• The Project shall lay its focus on publishing and on the Cycle of Knowledge in Health Sciences. Areas of interest cover the knowledge transfer to clinical environments and patient information, as well as the entire of research and publishing processes.
• Submit a pdf pitch containing the following information:
  
  • Definition of the problem targeted
  • Solution
  • Business model and financial plan
  • How the solution works (underlying technology)
  • Marketing and sales plan
  • Competitors (if applicable) and why the proposed solution is better
  • Team
  • Future steps/milestones/timetable
  • Current status and summary
• Complete the application form, including the answer of the following five free text questions with up to 600 characters each:
  
  • Short description of your business model
  • Describe the skills of your team members
  • Why do you fit in our award focus
  • What problem does your startup address and how do you suggest solving it
  • What impact will you make on Health Sciences Publishing

Applications can be submitted until August 31, 2023.

The jury means the body which selects the 3 winning Startups. It may include the Karger representatives and external experts.
A mentor is a person, who supports the startups during the mentoring phase. A mentor may be a Karger representatives or an external expert.

Karger will pre-select up to 10 Startups based on the criteria described in paragraph 2. Further selection down to 5 Startups will be conducted by the Award Jury Members. Karger will contact the 5 selected Startups. These Startups will need to confirm their participation within two weeks of notification. In case one of the Startups is not willing or able to comply, Karger reserves the right to select another Startup for participation.
The 3 winning Startups are selected by the jury at the VIA final event. The award is not transferrable to any another company or person.

All intellectual property rights and associated rights of use to designs, concepts, products and other items submitted with the application and created by the Startups within the framework of the VIA (hereinafter "Submits") remain with the respective Startups. Karger assures Startups that it will not use any Submits they share within the VIA for any purpose other than that necessary to conduct the VIA. Responsibility for protecting, registering, monitoring, defending, etc. their intellectual property rights, if any, lies solely with the participating Startups.

The VIA, including but not limited to its title, logo, graphic designs or adverts in connection with the VIA are the intellectual property of S. Karger AG. All rights are reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, no part of the content on this website may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, without Karger’s permission in writing.

Startups are invited to communicate about their participation in the VIA and on their will and possibilities. They are welcome to request the logos by email if needed.

The Startups shall comply with applicable laws and warrant that they will not violate any relevant rules, laws or regulations in the course of their participation in the VIA. Each participant will be requested to confirm that it has the authority for application as well as the full rights to use and upload any data in connection with the application. The participant guarantees not to infringe the rights of third parties, in particular intellectual property rights and personal rights, in the context of its application for the VIA.

Each Participant shall defend Karger, members of the Award Jury or mentors against any claim that the application of the Participant infringes any third party right, such as copyright, trade mark, database right or right of confidentiality, and shall indemnify Karger, members of the Award Jury, mentors for any amounts awarded against Karger, members of the Award Jury, mentors in judgment or settlement of such claims

Karger expressly agrees not to use any Confidential Information received from the participating Startup for any other purpose than carrying out the VIA, except explicitly agreed between Karger and the participant. Karger reserves the right to use provided metadata for statistical purposes.

The provisions of this Clause shall not prevent S. Karger AG from disclosing any information that was properly in the possession of S. Karger AG (with full right to disclose) prior to receiving it from the participant; or is in, or subsequently comes into, the public domain other than by breach of this Agreement; or was independently developed by Karger; or was received from a third party which had properly obtained the Confidential Information and was free to divulge it.

Each Participant is liable for illegal acts and violations of third-party rights committed by the participant in the context of the VIA. Karger excludes all liability to the maximum extent permitted by law.

The participation in the VIA is free of charge. Costs that the Startups might incur as a result of their participation - costs for work, license fees, materials etc. - must be borne in full by the Startups themselves. Travel costs to the final event may be covered partly or fully by Karger, dependent on prior agreement.
Karger or third parties commissioned by Karger within the framework of the VIA will not bear any further costs other than agreed on priority and will not be liable for allegedly or actual unrealized or lost business opportunities or income.

By participating in the VIA, the Startups do not enter into any kind of relationship under corporate law whatsoever with Karger or third parties commissioned by Karger in the context of the VIA.

The submission or use of materials whose content infringes the rights of third parties or is otherwise illegal or ethically reprehensible or does not comply with these conditions of participation can lead to the exclusion from the VIA at any time, as well as to criminal prosecution of the Startup concerned. Karger reserves the right to declare incomplete, incorrect or non-compliant applications invalid. Karger reserves the right to void any application that is false, misleading or fraudulent and to take legal action against the offending entrant.

Karger reserves the right to alter any clause of these Terms & Conditions at any time.

Furthermore, Karger may cancel or postpone the performance of the VIA for any reason as well as change the date and place when and where the final event of the VIA will take place. Karger will inform the applicants of any changes in the Terms & Conditions or in connection with the performance of the final event appropriately.

These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed according to the laws of Switzerland. The VIA takes place under Swiss law. The place of jurisdiction is Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.

Status as of March 25, 2021, any changes after that date will be published on the Award’s website.