Archive | July, 2019

Tech Hubs in the Spotlight at RESI Boston 2019

25 Jul

By Bryanna Allison, Business Development Manager, LSN

We are in the age of the incubator. Sprouting up in biotech hubs such as Boston, around universities and research hospitals at a rapid rate — these facilities are intended to help entrepreneurs take those difficult first steps. With new technologies developing at an accelerated rate, it just makes sense. Starting your own company is risky, bootstrapping is even riskier. An incubator serves to soften this risk and give budding entrepreneurs some of the support and advice they need to make their company a success.

With investors and strategic partners looking earlier, either for partnerships or to keep an eye on potential future investments, it only made sense to incorporate these tech hubs into our ecosystem, creating a special segment for them at our RESI Conference in Boston last fall.

In September of 2018 LSN launched our first ever “First Coast Innovators’ Gathering” at RESI. We invited incubators, accelerators, tech transfer or regional organizations based on the East Coast from DC to Boston to not only exhibit their programs but to bring their constituents to meet with the early stage investors at RESI. These tech hubs could benefit from the exposure they receive, form relationships with investors who may be interested in their portfolio companies, while the constituents could meet potential investors or even form relationships for the future and get investor feedback on what they need to become more relevant.

To great success, LSN has incorporated a tech hub component into every conference since. RESI will be back in Boston on Sept. 11th, and joining us will be the second First Coast Innovators’ Gathering will be the following tech hubs:

 

Investors Descend on Boston for RESI

25 Jul

By Karen Deyo, Investor Research Analyst, LSN

We have been amazed by the enthusiastic response from investors about RESI Boston. With over 200 investors and strategic partners already registered, RESI Boston will be a great opportunity for companies, investors and service providers to network, connect and form relationships. Join us at RESI at the Westin Copley Place on Sept 11th to be a part of this global network of players in the early stage life science ecosystem!

Confirmed RESI Boston Investors

As of July 25th, 2019

And More…

 

Understanding Impact Investors at RESI Boston

25 Jul

By Lucy Parkinson, VP of Investor Research, LSN

LSN’s aim is to connect early stage life science companies with the full variety of investors who are putting money into the sector – and while most of those investors are laser focused on financial returns, some are investing with a social impact goal as well.  In the life science space, there are funds focused on curing a specific disease, or improving care for a specific group of patients (such as pediatric patients).

At RESI Boston, a panel of five experienced investors from this field will explain how impact investment works, and how their decision-making process differs from purely financial-driven funds.

The participants are:

Michael Cole (Founder & General Partner, Global Neurohealth Ventures)

Dr. Cole is a Managing Partner at Global Neurohealth Ventures and an Assistant Clinical Professor at UC Berkeley. He provides strategic and scientific consultation for healthcare companies as well as investment diligence consultation for VC firms and family offices. Dr. Cole published 20+ peer-reviewed journal articles and continues to also provide direct patient care. Previous positions include Associate Clinical Professor at UC Davis, Director of Medical Affairs at Pacira Pharmaceuticals, and Head of Strategy and Business Development at OccamzRazor. He received his PhD in neuropsychology from the University of Florida, completed his internship and residency in clinical neuropsychology at the UCLA School of Medicine, and obtained an MBA from UC Berkeley.

David Heenan (Director of Operations, BrightEdge Ventures)

David began his career working on trade, security, and nonproliferation policy issues for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, China and then at Argonne National Laboratory in Chicago, IL. He then transitioned over to the political side, working on economic development for the Governor of Georgia, before joining a congressional office and running digital media for a US Senate campaign. After the campaign ended he joined the Editorial Staff of the Journal on Preventing Chronic Disease published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, GA. It was there that he came face to face with the inefficiencies in medical research and lack of accessibility to cutting-edge care. In 2015, he left the CDC and founded Aces Health in order to address these challenges by leveraging mobile technology and artificial intelligence. Aces Health, now Dedo.ai, was acquired by a San Francisco based Venture Studio in 2018.

Following the death of his grandfather due to colon cancer, he shifted his focus to fighting cancer and ending the pain and suffering of patients and families affected by the disease.

David graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in International Affairs as a Richard B. Russel Security Leadership Fellow.

Isabella Zhang (Investment Professional, JDRF T1D Fund)

Isabella Zhang, Ph.D., M.B.A., has more than 10 years of scientific research, business and investment experience. She is working at the JDRF T1D Fund evaluating, investing and supporting companies with potential to cure, treat, and prevent type 1 diabetes (T1D). Isabella has previously worked at Lightstone Ventures in Boston, Delos Capital in Hong Kong, and Primavera Capital in Beijing on healthcare PE/VC investments. Her transactions span a broad spectrum of deal structures and therapeutic areas. Prior to that, she was a Scientist in the biopharmaceutical industry at Covance and Genentech on both early and late stage drug development. Isabella has an M.B.A. from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, and a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Purdue University.

Christopher de Souza (Director, Broadview Ventures)

Chris de Souza, PhD, MBA, is a Director at Broadview Ventures. He started his career at Novartis as a scientist in the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases group and then as Director of Strategic Alliances. After Novartis, Christopher was Vice President of Business Development at SkyePharma US Inc. He then founded a business development consulting practice with clients including JSB-Partners, Diagnostics For All and Metaome.

Christopher has a Masters in zoology from the University of Bombay, PhD in physiology from Louisiana State University and MBA from Rutgers University along with post-doctoral training at The Upjohn Company and Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Medical School.

Christopher currently serves on multiple Broadview Ventures portfolio company boards, the board of MassBio and several grant review committees.

John Parker (Founder & Managing Director, Springhood Impact Ventures)

John established and manages CH Innovations, the program-related investment initiative of the Charles H. Hood Foundation, a Boston-based private foundation that supports pediatric research, where he is also a trustee. CHI invests on a mission-first basis in seed-stage companies developing important medical solutions for children. More recently, John founded Springhood Impact Ventures as a platform through which other impact-first investors can provide critical early support to companies with a significant pediatric focus. Previously, John spent 25 years in the alternative investment industry, including senior roles in venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds. Early in his career he also worked in operations consulting and international merchant banking. John is currently an observer on the boards of Aldatu Biosciences, Breegi Scientific, and Noninvasix.

Hot Investor Mandate: Asia VC Focuses on Healthcare Opportunities in the US and Europe

25 Jul

A venture capital firm based in Hong Kong manages a USD fund that focuses only on healthcare ex-China. The firm generally participates in Series A or B rounds but would also consider seed and growth-stage funding. Typical equity investment size ranges from $1-5M. The firm is open to both leading and co-investing. The firm is actively seeking new opportunities from across the world with a focus on companies in the U.S., Europe, and Israel. The firm helps portfolio companies get into massive and fast-growing markets of China and Asia, and assists Chinese companies to expand abroad.

The firm is opportunistic across all subsectors of healthcare. Within MedTech, the firm is most interested in medical devices, artificial intelligence, robotics, and mobile health. The firm is seeking post-prototype innovations that are FDA cleared or are close to receiving clearance. Within therapeutics, the firm is interested in therapeutics for large disease markets such as oncology, neurology, and metabolic diseases. The firm is open to all modalities with a special interest in immunotherapy and cell therapy.

The firm is in search of ambitious companies with strong, experienced management teams. The firm takes a hands-on approach to portfolio companies and can work with incomplete teams. VI can contribute expertise in essential services: branding, marketing, channel development, overseas expansion, human resources and finance. The firm may also request distribution or negotiation rights in China.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: New VC Focuses on Diagnostics and Research Tools

25 Jul

A new venture fund founded in 2018 focuses on early-stage diagnostics, life science research tools, and biotech-related companies. The firm’s initial investment size is $500K-$1M. The firm prefers to act as the co-investor with other types of investors such as strategic partners. The firm invests in companies that are based in the US. The firm is actively seeking new investment opportunities.

In the life sciences, the firm is currently seeking to invest in early-stage diagnostics, life science research tools, and biotech-related companies. The firm will invest in a limited number of therapeutic opportunities. The firm also has interests in other technology fields. The firm is opportunistic in terms of subsectors and indications. The firm will consider investing in companies that have strong intellectual property protection and provide barriers to competitive entry. The firm also seeks companies with potential large addressable markets, which typically have the potential to generate at least $100M of annual revenues.

The firm seeks a reliable and experienced management team that can bring the concept to market. The firm may take a board seat in applicable cases. The firm aims to back fundraising CEOs that are driven to deliver exceptional investment returns to both investors and management teams.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Europe Fund Invests Opportunistically in Life Science Deals

25 Jul

A venture capital firm with offices across Europe is investing from a EUR 120 million fund raised in 2019. The firm makes equity investments in early-to-late stage therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices companies. The firm can generally allocate between €2M to €10M. The firm only invests in companies that are based in Central and Western Europe. The firm is actively seeking new investment opportunities.

The firm is very opportunistic in the life sciences space. The firm focuses on therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices companies and is also interested in digital health. The firm targets therapeutic products in clinical trials or which are ready to enter Phase I, and medical devices which are CE Mark ready. The firm is very opportunistic in terms of subsectors and indications. However, the firm does not invest in cosmetics and dental devices. The firm strongly prefers companies developing products that address a highly unmet medical need. In digital health, the firm prefers to invest in products that have or are pursuing regulatory approval to monitor or treat a condition in which there is an unmet medical need. Generally these products will include both a hardware and a software component. The firm is not interested in consumer or lifestyle health products.

The firm plays the role of lead or co-lead investor in the large majority of its financing rounds. The firm requires a board seat in its portfolio companies. The firm seeks a company with a strong and qualified management team.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Health System Forms Venture Unit to Invest in Innovative Medtech

25 Jul

A large US health system established an investment unit designed to achieve venture class returns through direct investments in innovative healthcare companies. In 2019 the firm closed a second $150 million venture and growth equity fund.  Typical equity allocations range from $8-15 million over the life of a company. The firm is looking primarily for opportunities across the US, and the firm would consider international companies with strong US advocacy and technology that can be deployed to the US market.

The firm is looking for innovative medical technologies that are in line with the organization’s mission to improve quality and convenience, lower cost and improve health outcomes. Examples may include patient management systems for healthcare providers, home care systems, or monitoring devices for chronic disease management. The firm typically works with mature companies with revenue, consumer traction, or some validation on their technology.

The firm is looking for solid management teams that show track records of success. The firm provides healthcare system expertise to portfolio companies to refine existing solutions, while expanding their adoption within and beyond its healthcare system. The firm is open to investing as a lead or co-investing along a syndicate.

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

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