Innovator’s Pitch Challenge Winning Companies at RESI London

By Claire Jeong, Chief Conference Officer, Vice President of Investor Research, Asia BD, LSN

Life Science Nation proudly announces the top three winners of RESI London 2024’s Innovator’s Pitch Challenge! Twenty innovative companies pitched at RESI London, providing a unique platform for early-stage life science and healthcare companies to present their technologies and connect with potential investors.

1st Place: Vzarii Therapeutics

Vzarii Therapeutics is a preclinical stage Biotech company, developing gene therapy technologies directly targeting mitochondrial dysfunction for prevalent neurodegenerative diseases with large unmet clinical need. Our Science is based on the knowledge that mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in the pathophysiology of many neurodegenerative diseases. Our focus is on our lead program, VZ-103, designed to prevent disease progression and preserve vision in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD). We have generated robust pre-clinical POC evidence across multiple in vitro and in vivo models highlighting the value of this first in class therapeutic approach for dry AMD. Our Technologies have applications for multiple neurodegenerative diseases including dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), glaucoma, Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease and Motor Neuron Disease. We are currently raising seed funding to progress the development of our lead program.

2nd Place: Rinri Therapeutics

Realising the potential of cell therapy to treat hearing loss Motivated by the desire to treat the >500m people globally whose lives are affected by hearing loss, Rinri Therapeutics is advancing the world’s first regenerative cell therapies for the condition. By replacing the inner ear’s dead or damaged sensory cells that cause sensorineural hearing loss, the company is developing a portfolio of life-changing new approaches. This could lead to the reversal of the condition for which no pharmaceutical therapies are available, only palliative medical devices. Encouraging data indicate that Rinri Therapeutics’ technology platform has the potential to transform hearing loss. Rincell-1, the company’s first product, is expected to enter clinical trials soon. We’re proud to work closely with patients, their families, and leading doctors to ensure we develop the safest and most effective treatments for severe hearing loss.

3rd Place: UPYTher

UPyTher is a biotechnology company developing innovative medicines using proprietary formulation technology. It focuses on treating diseases in hard-to-reach areas with unmet medical needs, particularly peritoneal cancers. These cancers are currently untreatable due to the lack of effective drug delivery. UPyTher’s approach involves administering new-generation medicinal products directly into the peritoneal cavity, offering local, prolonged tumor exposure with reduced toxicity. Its initial products are based on known chemotherapeutics that are currently used off-label in intraperitoneal therapy in an ineffective way, along with novel immune-modulatory compounds. The company has secured €2.8 million to demonstrate preclinical proof of concept for its lead products targeting colorectal and ovarian peritoneal cancers. UPyTher is seeking €12.5 million in Series A funding by Q3 2025 to complete CTA/IND-enabling studies and initiate patient trials by 2026. All products are backed by robust patent protection and additional regulatory market exclusivity upon approval from EMA and FDA.

The IPC finalists delivered 6-minute pitches and a 7-minute interactive Q&A session with a panel of investor judges. In addition, each participating company showcased its technology at its personalized table space in the RESI Exhibition Hall, creating further opportunities for engagement.

The Innovator’s Pitch Challenge features a distinctive voting system where registered RESI attendees—including startup executives, early-stage investors, and industry experts – ‘invest’ in their favorite IPC companies using RESI cash provided at check-in. Attendees based their decisions on the companies’ presentations and pitch performances.

For those interested in participating in the next Innovator’s Pitch Challenge, applications for RESI JPM 2025 are now being accepted for the waitlist only as all slots are completely full.