Innovator’s Pitch Challenge: Where Deals Start

19 May

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

Max-Braht-Headshot

At most conferences, startup pitch competitions are treated as side programming. Founders present a deck, judges select winners, applause follows, and the event moves on.

At RESI San Diego, the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) is designed differently.

The IPC is not simply about winning a competition. It is designed to help early-stage life science companies generate investor attention, create business development momentum, and accelerate conversations that continue long after the presentation ends.

For many companies, that interaction becomes the most valuable part of the experience.

“The discussions also felt far more relationship-driven than transactional,” said Sian Farrell, CEO of StimOxyGen. “Conversations extended beyond the pitch itself and focused on clinical strategy, regulatory pathways, commercialization, and long-term value creation.”

Unlike standalone pitch competitions, the IPC is integrated directly into the larger RESI partnering ecosystem. Participating companies also receive partnering access, poster presentation visibility, and exposure throughout the conference environment, creating multiple opportunities for follow-up interaction.

“The combination of the presentation and the partnering platform made a significant difference,” said Bram de Moor, CEO of You2Yourself. “RESI brought us into direct contact with European and transatlantic life science investors who specifically seek early-stage diagnostic and biomarker companies — an audience difficult to reach through cold outreach.”

The IPC also introduces an interactive audience component through “RESI cash,” distributed to attendees during registration. Participants allocate their RESI cash to the companies they believe demonstrate the strongest potential, creating additional visibility and engagement throughout the event.

For founders navigating today’s capital environment, opportunities that combine exposure with concentrated investor access are increasingly valuable.

As fundraising conditions continue to demand stronger differentiation and clearer commercialization pathways, platforms that help companies sharpen messaging and generate high-quality investor interaction have become increasingly important.

At RESI, the IPC is intended to serve exactly that purpose.

Selected companies receive:

  • Two 5-day RESI registrations
  • A six-minute company presentation followed by seven minutes of investor Q&A
  • Poster presentation space
  • Full partnering access
  • Exposure to investors, strategic partners, and pharma business development teams throughout Convention Week

For many founders, the IPC becomes more than a presentation opportunity. It becomes the place where investor conversations begin, strategic relationships form, and fundraising momentum accelerates.

Applications for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI San Diego are currently open, with limited presentation slots remaining.

Apply to Pitch at RESI San Diego

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Hot Investor Mandate: Healthcare Impact-Driven VC Funds Pre-Series A and Series B Technologies Improving Healthcare Access and Outcomes

19 May

A global healthcare-focused impact venture capital fund affiliated with a broader healthcare innovation platform is headquartered in Asia. The firm invests equity capital into technology-enabled healthcare companies, typically deploying investments ranging from approximately $500K to $2M. The firm targets opportunities from Pre-Series A through Series B stages and seeks companies capable of delivering both measurable healthcare impact and strong financial returns. The firm invests globally, with particular interest in solutions that can scale across domestic markets as well as other emerging healthcare markets.  

The firm focuses on technologies that improve healthcare access, outcomes, and quality of care. Core investment themes include preventive healthcare and self-care solutions, healthy aging and longevity, holistic wellness, and AI-enabled hospital technologies. The firm prioritizes scalable digital health platforms, data-driven healthcare technologies, and tech-enabled services addressing systemic healthcare challenges across provider systems, hospital infrastructure, and consumer health channels.  

From a company and management team perspective, the firm seeks teams with strong operational execution, clearly defined impact objectives, and the ability to scale across diverse healthcare environments. The firm prioritizes companies with validated technologies, credible commercial models, and realistic market adoption strategies. Beyond capital, the firm provides portfolio companies with access to strategic partnerships, healthcare providers, hospital systems, and regional expansion support across Southeast Asia and other high-growth markets. The firm is open to acting as either a lead investor or co-investor. 

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: Venture Arm of International Healthcare Company Invests in Life Science Technologies Addressing Respiratory Disease, CNS, Women’s Health 

19 May

A venture investment arm of an international healthcare and pharmaceutical organization is focused on advancing innovative patient-centered solutions. The firm invests in early-stage life sciences companies developing breakthrough therapeutics, medical devices, digital health technologies, nutraceuticals, and medical foods. The firm prioritizes opportunities aligned with key strategic healthcare areas and supports portfolio companies through industry expertise and international commercial networks.  

The firm focuses on respiratory diseases, central nervous system and neurological disorders, and women’s health. Within women’s health, areas of particular interest include urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, and related unmet healthcare needs. The firm evaluates opportunities across therapeutics, diagnostics, digital health, medical devices, nutraceuticals, and medical foods that can improve patient access, disease management, and quality of care. The firm does not invest in oncology and generally avoids technologies designed exclusively for inpatient or hospital-only environments, preferring solutions accessible in broader patient-care settings.  

In addition to early-stage investments, the firm is open to strategic collaborations with companies that already have commercialized products and are seeking international expansion opportunities. The firm leverages the broader organization’s global infrastructure and commercial presence to support geographic growth and market access.  

From a company and management team perspective, the firm seeks teams with strong scientific or clinical expertise and a clear commitment to impactful innovation. While prior industry experience is viewed positively, the firm remains open to working with promising founders and syndicate partners aligned with its strategic focus areas. 

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: Europe-Based Life Sciences Focused VC Builds and Invests in Therapeutics Companies Across Oncology, Rare Diseases, and More

19 May

A life sciences-focused venture capital firm with offices in Europe focuses on disruptive early-stage life sciences companies and invests primarily in therapeutics. The firm is actively investing through its latest fund and has built a portfolio of multiple startups through both direct investments and company creation initiatives. The firm invests predominantly in Europe, with a strong emphasis on opportunities in Western Europe. 
 
The firm invests primarily in therapeutics and does not currently focus on medical devices, diagnostics, or digital health. The firm is modality-agnostic and evaluates a broad range of therapeutic approaches. Areas of strongest interest include oncology, immuno-oncology, rare and orphan diseases, infectious diseases, and immunology. The firm typically invests from preclinical through early clinical stages and focuses on opportunities with the potential to become first- or best-in-class therapies. 
 
From a company and management team perspective, the firm is open to working with both experienced operators and first-time entrepreneurs and has supported several companies led by first-time CEOs. The firm places strong emphasis on diversity in leadership and maintains a hands-on investment approach, actively mentoring and supporting portfolio companies. The firm is open to acting as either a lead investor or co-investor and works closely with scientific founders, academic institutions, and syndicate partners to help companies scale and mature. 

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 VC Firm With Ties to Global Financial Service Group Seeks Therapeutics and Medtech Addressing Unmet Medical Needs

19 May

A long-established venture capital firm based in Asia is affiliated with one of the world’s largest financial services groups. The firm invests across multiple sectors, including life sciences, and has the flexibility to deploy multi-million-dollar investments depending on the opportunity. The firm evaluates opportunities globally and is actively seeking new international investments. 

Within life sciences, the firm focuses on therapeutics and medical technologies that address significant unmet medical needs relevant to the firm’s domestic market. The firm is particularly interested in companies with clear partnership strategies involving pharmaceutical or healthcare organizations, including licensing, co-development, and strategic investment structures. The firm evaluates a range of therapeutic modalities including small molecules, biologics, biosimilars, and reformulated products. The firm primarily targets programs in Phase I clinical development but may also consider opportunities approaching clinical entry within approximately one year. Areas of interest include oncology, orphan diseases, and other high unmet need indications. 

From an investment structure perspective, the firm prefers to co-invest alongside established institutional investors in opportunities outside its domestic market. As a result, the firm strongly prefers companies with a credible lead investor or an existing institutional syndicate already in place. 

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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Mastering the Hybrid Hustle: Right Partnering Strategies at Convention Week

19 May

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Program Director, LSN

Partnering conferences are a vital catalyst in an early-stage company’s journey toward securing capital and achieving milestone fundraising goals.

To help you get the absolute most bang for your buck during San Diego Convention Week, here are the top 8 strategies to maximize your ROI on the partnering meetings.

  1. Book Your Registration and Travel Early

Beyond the financial perks, registering early ensures that you are among the very first attendees to gain access to the Partnering system when it opens. In the world of fundraising, the early bird gets the open calendar slot before an investor’s schedule is completely booked.

  1. Perfect Your Partnering Profile Before Sending a Single Message

Once your partnering login hits your inbox, don’t rush straight to messaging. First, meticulously fill out your company profile, detail your tech, and upload your marketing materials (pitch deck and executive summary).

Investors will vet your profile page before hitting “Accept” on a meeting request; an incomplete profile is an automatic decline.

  1. Treat Your Meeting Requests Like a High-Value Pitch

When you begin reaching out to the hundreds of investors, your message needs to be crisp and compelling. Investors want to see specific data points right away. Ensure your meeting requests concisely address:

  • The Hook: Introduce yourself and your company.
  • The Tech: Clearly explain the product/platform.
  • The Market: What critical unmet medical need does it address?
  • The Edge: What does the competition look like, and why are you better?
  • The Traction: Major landmarks, IP status, or clinical achievements to date.
  • The Ask: Current financing needs and exactly how the capital will be used.
  1. Aggressively Fill Your Calendar

Fundraising is a numbers game. Use the partnering system’s advanced filter functions to map out investors who strictly match your company’s sector, indication, and fundraising size. Remember: Most investors will not contact you proactively. You must drive the outreach.

  1. Skip the Morning Rush: Grab Your Badge Early

Most conferences allow you to pick your event badge early. Keep an eye out for the early registration announcements. Picking up your badge a day early allows you to beat the morning lines, scope out the venue, and map your routes between partnering tables and panels so you don’t waste a single minute.

  1. There Are No Breaks in Fundraising

The in-person day in San Diego is an immersive networking marathon. Socializing over breakfast, lunch, and during the evening cocktail reception is just as critical as your scheduled partnering slots. Keep your elevator pitch polished, have your digital business cards or QR codes ready, and be prepared to network with everyone around you. You never know who you might sit next to at lunch.

  1. Be Flexible and Consider All Meeting Types

If an investor turns down a formal meeting request due to a scheduling conflict, do not give up. Use the flexibility of the multiple partnering days to find a slot. Even if a mutual window can’t be found within the conference dates, use the platform to pivot and pitch an ad-hoc meeting via Zoom or a coffee chat outside the formal boundaries.

  1. Network Peer-to-Peer

While investors are the primary target, remember the immense value of talking to fellow founders, CEOs, and service providers. Building a network of peers allows you to share fundraising intelligence, compare notes on active investors, and discover trusted vendors.

Think Big: Build a Full-Year Partnering Runway

Because fundraising is a continuous effort, looking at a single event in isolation can leave gaps in your capital pipeline. LSN hosts five RESI conferences a year globally, feeding into an internal database tracking over 10,000 early-stage life science investors across Venture Capital, Family Offices, Angels, and Corporate Venture arms.

To maintain unstoppable momentum from summer into fall, look into options like the RESI San Diego & RESI Boston Bundle, which locks in your 5-Day Hybrid passes for both the June San Diego and September Boston events. Plan your milestones around the RESI calendar, start your outreach early, and put your best foot forward this June!

Register for RESI San Diego

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Merck, Servier & Meiji Pharma Leaders Share Pharma BD Insights Ahead of RESI San Diego & Convention Week

19 May

By Sougato Das, President and COO, LSN

Sougato-DasAs partnering activity ramps up ahead of convention week in San Diego, early-stage life science companies are preparing for a critical week of fundraising, licensing, and strategic business development. To help companies better understand how large pharmaceutical companies evaluate new opportunities, Life Science Nation is hosting a webinar featuring leaders from Merck, Servier, and Meiji Pharma USA.

The webinar, Large Pharma BD & Investment: Merck, Servier & Meiji Pharma Prep You for RESI & Convention, will take place on June 2, 2026 at 1:00 PM ET and will be moderated by Sougato Das.

Carla-Bauer
Carla BauerDirector, Search and Evaluation, BD & Licensing
Merck		 Irene Blat
Irene Blat, PhDHead of External Innovation, NA
Servier		 Sho-Takahata
Sho TakahataSenior Director, Venture Investment
Meiji Pharma USA

The discussion will explore how pharma companies source and evaluate external innovation, what teams look for during initial meetings, how internal screening processes work, and what makes a company stand out for continued engagement. Topics will also include licensing, R&D partnerships, strategic investment, platform collaborations, and practical tips for improving partnering conversations during convention week.

For companies preparing for RESI San Diego and broader convention week activity, the webinar offers an opportunity to hear directly from pharma business development and investment leaders before arriving in San Diego.

RESI San Diego begins June 22 with an in-person conference day followed by four days of virtual partnering on June 23–24 and June 29–30, connecting early-stage companies with active investors, pharma scouts, strategic partners, and global healthcare stakeholders.

Sign Up for the Webinar

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