Why Early-Stage Companies Need the Right Partnering Room 

3 Feb

By Tony Jones, CEO, One Nucleus (Special Guest Contributor)

Every January, JPM Week serves as a useful reference point for the global life sciences industry. It brings together capital, companies, and partners at an unmatched scale with so many co-located events. Processing how to spend their time at JPM Week is a great exercise for companies to evaluate their wider investment and dealmaking plans given not all partnering and investment environments are the same.

How to choose the best event for their company is a frequent question we receive at One Nucleus from our network and having spent time with a range of UK and European companies trying to focus their cash and time resources to optimise chances of success. JPM Week is an obvious hub to target in the US, of course, provided the homework and planning is done to try and be in the right place at the right time. Having spent time with UK and European executives at JPM, it is clear that for early-stage teams in particular, the experience they describe reinforces an important lesson. Access to an event or partnering platform alone is insufficient and depends on whether it is designed to support where a company actually is on its journey and what it needs next.

In the absence of a JPM Week, although the nascent London Life Sciences Week is trying to evolve in that direction, early-stage European companies seeking investment have a far less obvious starting point. The larger, bio-partnering events play an important role and are extremely efficient for biopharma companies of all stages in that capacity. Equally, the larger investment events play a somewhat effective role but are perhaps more suited to later-stage companies with established programs, clear clinical development strategies and well-defined buyers. This is not a reflection of scale, attendee mix or necessarily cost which is a relative term, it is a question of fit and whether that is the right place to be at the right time to justify the budget spend.

What early-stage companies can need is a different kind of forum that prioritises readiness, qualification, and stage-appropriate engagement over shots on goal. Taking a hands-on approach to curating the attending companies and investors, can create a better fit and hence increase the chances of success for all concerned. The early-stage dominance of the European sector means Europe needs this part of the conference jigsaw, providing quality connection to both local investors and channels to global investors active in their space and stage. Translating strong science into something global investors and licensing partners requires preparation, clarity around risk, and disciplined positioning, issues many young companies need guidance to work through.

That is why platforms such as RESI Europe matter in the European context. As an ecosystem organisation, One Nucleus sees the additional, not just competing value the LSN platform brings to our members, providing options over how and when to leverage different forums.

Register for RESI Europe

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Hear From a RESI JPM 2026 Title Sponsor BioMetas

3 Feb

By Simon Hua, Chairman, BioMetas (Special Guest Contributor)

One of the most valuable perspectives we can share with the RESI community comes directly from the organizations that choose to invest in early stage innovation. At RESI JPM 2026, Title Sponsor BioMetas took part across partnering, project discussions, and collaboration with emerging biotech companies and investors, offering a clear view into how sponsors engage within the RESI ecosystem.

As Life Science Nation looks ahead to upcoming RESI conferences in 2026, sponsorship continues to be an opportunity for organizations to connect early with innovative companies, participate in targeted partnering, and build relationships that extend well beyond the conference itself. To learn more about RESI sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at resi@lifesciencenation.com

Below is BioMetas’ reflection on their experience at RESI JPM 2026, originally published on LinkedIn.

BioMetas Attends RESI JPM 2026, Focusing on Early Innovation and Industry Collaboration

RESI JPM 2026 was held in San Francisco on January 12–13, with additional online one-to-one partnering sessions on January 14 and January 19–20. As a key investment and business-matching platform during J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) week, the conference focuses on early- and growth-stage life science projects, bringing together biotech companies, investors, and industry partners from around the world. As a Title Sponsor, BioMetas participated deeply in the overall conference ecosystem. Leveraging its one-stop CRO platform and innovative incubation and investment model, BioMetas engaged in targeted discussions with international biotech companies and investment institutions around the core needs of early-stage innovation projects, including R&D efficiency, capital structure optimization, and industry resource alignment, exploring diversified pathways for R&D collaboration and industry co-development.

The conference centered on highly targeted one-to-one partnering meetings, complemented by investor roundtables, innovation project pitch and selection sessions, and multiple themed workshops. Topics spanned drug development, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health, forming a multidimensional engagement framework of “project showcase – capital connection – industry collaboration,” enabling innovative projects to build high-quality connections with potential investors and partners within a short timeframe.

During the conference, BioMetas focused on the practical needs of early-stage projects across critical preclinical stages, including protein and antibody production, in vitro and in vivo efficacy studies, tumor and immunology-related disease model development, and DMPK. BioMetas discussed project advancement strategies in depth with multiple innovative companies. With an integrated technical system covering target validation, molecular and cellular functional studies, animal efficacy testing, and PK/safety evaluation, BioMetas provides scalable, IND-enabling, end-to-end R&D support for innovative projects across different technological approaches.

In parallel, based on its EFS (Equity for Service) collaboration model, BioMetas explored more forward-looking partnership mechanisms with selected projects from seed stage to rapid growth stage. By exchanging part of the services for a small equity stake, combined with necessary cash investment, BioMetas helps early teams initiate R&D quickly while keeping financial pressure manageable, and achieve key milestones that build a stronger technical foundation for subsequent financing, licensing, or M&A. In today’s more rational capital environment, where efficiency and data quality are increasingly emphasized, a collaborative model integrating “services + capital + industry resources” is becoming an important accelerator for early-stage projects.

RESI JPM 2026 was not only a stage for showcasing innovation, but also an efficient collaboration platform connecting technology, capital, and industry resources. Through its precise one-to-one partnering mechanism, the conference significantly improved communication efficiency, enabling companies at different stages to access more targeted collaboration opportunities within limited time.

Through this participation, BioMetas further strengthened its dual role in the global innovation ecosystem: on one hand, providing reliable and scalable R&D support to global clients; on the other hand, actively engaging in early value co-creation and pursuing earlier-stage, deeper collaborations with high-quality projects.

Looking ahead, BioMetas will continue to expand collaboration with global biotech companies, investors, and industry partners through international conferences and industry networks, accelerating the translation and industrialization of innovative research outcomes and therapeutic programs, and contributing stronger technical and collaborative support to the global biopharmaceutical innovation ecosystem.

About RESI
Through its RESI partnering events and global collaboration programs, Life Science Nation connects entrepreneurs with global investors and strategic partners, accelerating financing for early-stage life science companies.

About BioMetas
BioMetas is a globally leading one-stop CRO platform for innovative drug R&D, bringing together top domestic CRO resources and an international, highly experienced technical team. With efficient and innovative expertise, rigorous scientific standards, and a comprehensive quality management system, BioMetas provides compliant, high-quality, and customized end-to-end preclinical R&D solutions. Its services cover the full process from drug discovery to IND for both small-molecule drugs and biologics.

Register for RESI Europe

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Advancing Women’s Health Diagnostics Through Glycoproteomics: Proseek Bio at the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge 

3 Feb

Interview with Paula Cerqueira, VP of Scientific Strategy

Proseek Bio is advancing a new approach to women’s health diagnostics by translating cutting-edge glycoproteomics into clinically deployable tools. In this interview, Michelle Hill, CEO of Proseek Bio, discusses the company’s focus on ovarian cancer pre-surgical triage, the unmet clinical needs driving its platform, and how participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM shaped investor conversations as the company prepares for global expansion.

Michelle Hill
 CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): For those unfamiliar with Proseek Bio, how do you describe the company and its core technology or therapeutic focus? 

Michelle Hill (MH): Proseek Bio is an Australian diagnostics company focused on women’s health, developing blood-based tests designed to improve how complex conditions are assessed and managed in clinical practice. Ovarian cancer is our first indication, with an initial focus on pre-surgical triage.

Our platform is built on advanced glycoproteomics, integrating multiple protein biomarkers into a single algorithmic score to support clinical decision-making. Rather than relying on any one marker, this multi-analyte approach reflects the biological complexity of disease and enables more informative risk assessment at critical clinical decision points.

What differentiates Proseek Bio is our strong translational focus. The underlying science has been validated through years of academic and clinical research, and we are now converting that work into regulated, scalable diagnostic products for real-world healthcare systems. By targeting earlier decision points such as triage, we aim to support more appropriate referral and intervention, with a longer-term goal of expanding our platform across additional women’s health indications.

CD: What unmet need are you addressing, and why is now the right time for your approach? 

MH: A key unmet need in women’s health diagnostics is the lack of objective tools that reflect real-time disease biology at early clinical decision points. In ovarian cancer pre-surgical triage, clinicians must assess risk using tests with limited biological resolution, which can lead to unnecessary intervention or delayed specialist referral.

Proseek Bio addresses this gap through glycoproteomics, focusing on the glycans attached to proteins that regulate how those proteins function. While genes indicate what could happen and proteins act as messengers, glycan patterns reveal what disease is actively doing in the body. These modifications change early in cancer and cannot be resolved by genomics or standard immunoassays. By integrating glycan and protein signals into a multi-biomarker signature, our tests aim to deliver more informative risk stratification.

The timing is right because advances in clinical mass spectrometry and data analytics have made this biology clinically scalable, enabling integration into existing laboratory workflows and routine care.

CD: What was your experience participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM? 

MH: Our first time participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM was an energising experience. Pitching to a room filled with sophisticated investors and peers reinforced the importance of clear, disciplined storytelling when presenting complex diagnostic technologies.

As part of the Brisbane Economic Development Agency cohort, we were proud to represent Brisbane’s growing life sciences ecosystem. Beyond the pitch, the table showcase led to thoughtful conversations with investors and fellow founders who were genuinely engaged with both the clinical problem and our translational approach.

Overall, the experience was validating and motivating. It confirmed that our focus on clinically deployable diagnostics in women’s health resonates with a global audience, and it was rewarding to see that reflected in the recognition we received.

CD: Out of 94 Innovator’s Pitch Challenge companies, what do you think helped Proseek Bio stand out to judges and attendees? 

MH: Women’s health remains significantly underrepresented in diagnostic innovation, and that focus clearly resonated with judges and attendees. Ovarian cancer, in particular, represents a high-impact unmet need, especially at early clinical decision points such as pre-surgical triage.

Proseek Bio was the only diagnostics company on the podium, reflecting the distinctiveness of our approach. By applying glycoproteomics to analyse glycan and protein signatures together, we deliver a more biologically informative assessment of disease activity while remaining compatible with existing clinical laboratory workflows.

Importantly, we were able to clearly articulate not just the science, but the pathway to a regulated, scalable diagnostic product. That combination of unmet clinical need, novel biology, and disciplined execution helped differentiate Proseek Bio in a very strong field.

CD: How did RESI JPM impact discussions with investors, partners, or potential collaborators? 

MH: Being recognised on the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge podium gave investors immediate confidence in both the opportunity and the discipline behind the company, and it strengthened engagement with potential partners. Overall, RESI JPM acted as a signal amplifier, reinforcing Proseek Bio’s readiness for global investment and collaboration while accelerating meaningful follow-on conversations.

CD: Where does Proseek Bio currently stand in terms of fundraising, partnerships, or development milestones? 

MH: Proseek Bio is currently completing its Seed round to support development of our first product, OC-Triage. This funding is enabling a clinical study, implementation of a quality management system, and ISO accreditation to support pilot manufacturing, alongside evaluation of OC-Triage with Australian clinical laboratory partners.

In parallel, we are preparing for a Series A focused on U.S. market entry. RESI JPM provided an important opportunity to initiate discussions with U.S.-based clinical and laboratory partners, laying the groundwork for future validation and commercial pathways.

Together, these milestones reflect a transition from technology validation to execution as Proseek Bio advances toward regulated, clinically deployable diagnostics in women’s health.

CD: What upcoming achievements or milestones are you most excited to share with the life sciences community? 

MH: Over the coming year, we are focused on completing the OC-Triage product and establishing pilot manufacturing under an ISO-accredited quality system. These milestones represent an important transition from development to regulated production readiness.

In parallel, we are advancing clinical evaluation with laboratory partners, which will be critical in demonstrating real-world performance and scalability. Together, these steps mark a shift from innovation to execution.

What excites us most is seeing years of science translate into something tangible: a product that can be manufactured, validated, and ultimately used to support better clinical decisions for women.

Interested in pitching your company to a highly engaged investor audience focused on early-stage life science innovation? Applications are now open for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Europe. Selected companies receive direct feedback from a dedicated group of investors, access to 1:1 partnering, and visibility with global industry leaders.

Apply to pitch and position your company for meaningful investor conversations.

Apply to Pitch at RESI Europe 2026

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Hot Investor Mandate: USA-Based VC Firm Actively Invests in Seed to Series A AI and Computational-Driven Techbio Companies

3 Feb

The firm is a U.S.-based venture capital platform providing smart capital to early-stage companies in medicine, biotech, and bioengineering. The firm focuses on opportunities at the intersection of biotechnology and computation or AI. The firm’s investment sweet spot is between Seed and Series A, with initial check sizes typically ranging from $250K–$300K and up to $500K, with the potential for follow-on investments. The firm is open to both leading and co-investing and does not have specific requirements regarding board or observer seats. The firm primarily focuses on companies based in the United States.  

The firm invests in techbio opportunities that combine biotechnology with computational or AI-driven approaches. The firm is less interested in digital health companies that do not have a biotech or wet-lab component and prioritizes highly innovative technologies with novel mechanisms rather than incremental improvements. Modalities of interest include gene therapy, cell therapy, mRNA-based therapies, and platform technologies. The firm is indication-agnostic. From a development-stage perspective, the firm is most interested in assets at the preclinical stage or entering early clinical development, supported by in vitro and/or animal model data.  

The firm does not have specific requirements regarding the composition of a company’s management team. 

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email salescore@lifesciencenation.com. 

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Hot Investor Mandate: Newly Established Corporate Venture Initiative Strategically Invests in Life Sciences and AI-Powered Healthcare Technologies

3 Feb

The firm is a newly established corporate venture capital operating platform launched as part of a large global conglomerate’s corporate strategy focused on value creation and long-term growth. The firm represents the parent organization’s first company-wide corporate venture capital initiative and is designed to make flexible investments across a broad range of sectors, particularly those with large future markets and high growth potential where the parent organization can contribute differentiated value through global networks, industry and customer access, and technology and academic partnerships.  

Through the firm, the parent organization aims to accelerate collaboration with startups, identify business opportunities beyond existing core businesses, commercialize emerging technologies, support industrial application, and enable international expansion.  

The firm primarily focuses on early-stage companies, starting at Seed stage, but is able to invest across Seed through later-stage opportunities. The firm invests across a broad set of innovation-driven sectors, including AI, software, bio and healthcare, robotics, aerospace, next-generation computing, and other advanced technology domains. The investment strategy emphasizes areas where the firm can actively support commercialization, industrial deployment, and global scaling by leveraging the parent organization’s extensive industrial ecosystem.  

From a company and management team perspective, the firm partners with startups that are aligned with a broader transformation agenda and are capable of leveraging a global industrial platform to achieve scalable growth and international reach. The firm favors founding teams with deep technical expertise, strong commercialization potential, and the ability to engage effectively with industry, academic, and corporate networks. Investments are typically structured as equity participation, with active strategic support through customer access, supply-chain capabilities, and global operational resources to accelerate growth and value creation. 

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email salescore@lifesciencenation.com. 

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Hot Investor Mandate: VC Firm Invests in Seed-Stage Life Science Companies in North America and Europe Addressing Age-Related Diseases

3 Feb

A venture capital platform with a dedicated life sciences fund is focused on Seed-stage investments. The fund typically invests around $1M per company and does not have a strict preference between leading rounds or co-investing. The firm is open to opportunities across North America and Europe.  

Within life sciences, the fund focuses on therapeutics, medtech, digital health, and broader biotech ecosystem companies addressing age-related diseases. Areas of interest include cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory illnesses, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.  

Within therapeutics, the fund emphasizes “repair and replace” approaches, including regenerative medicine, gene therapy, and immunotherapy. In medtech, the fund is interested in wearables, biosensors, and remote patient monitoring technologies. In digital health, areas of focus include AI-driven drug discovery and solutions that optimize clinical trial execution. Within the biotech ecosystem, the fund is drawn to bioprinting, biomaterials, and drug delivery platforms.  

From a company and management team perspective, the firm seeks businesses with a strong scientific foundation, compelling and differentiated innovation, and the ability to scale. Management teams are expected to demonstrate a balanced mix of scientific expertise, business development capabilities, administrative leadership, and marketing experience. 
 

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email salescore@lifesciencenation.com. 

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Hot Investor Mandate: Multi-Stage Investment Firm Seeks Early and Growth-Stage Companies Across All Life Science and Healthcare Sectors

3 Feb

A multi-stage healthcare and life sciences investment platform is focused on addressing areas of significant unmet medical need by backing companies across all stages of development. The firm applies a data science–driven investment approach, prioritizing businesses that leverage biology and large-scale data to transform healthcare delivery and outcomes.  

The firm is broadly interested across the healthcare landscape, including medical technology, therapeutics, diagnostics, laboratory equipment, healthcare IT, and R&D services. Within medical technology, the firm seeks companies with at least an alpha-stage prototype supported by initial efficacy data. Within therapeutics, the firm primarily targets assets in Phase II clinical development and will consider Phase I programs only when supported by clear efficacy data.  

From a company and management team perspective, the firm looks for a strong and capable management team to be in place. The firm is open to investing in both privately held and publicly traded companies. For private investments, the firm generally seeks to take a board seat. 

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email salescore@lifesciencenation.com. 

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