Why RESI Europe in Barcelona Is the Bridge the Life Science Industry Needs

200 Global Investors. One Shared Vision. April 1, 2025.

By Dennis Ford, Founder and CEO of Life Science Nation; Creator of RESI Conference Series

The life science industry is more connected—and more global—than ever before. But despite the scientific alignment and shared mission to improve human health, Europe and North America have long operated as two parallel innovation universes. Each has built world-class research hubs, produced extraordinary technologies, and cultivated deep pools of investment capital. And yet, a true transatlantic bridge—where early-stage innovators, investors, and partners can meet and collaborate—has remained elusive.

That’s where RESI Europe comes in.
On April 1st in Barcelona, Life Science Nation (LSN) will host its second RESI Europe event, bringing together 200 global investors and hundreds of startups across therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and R&D platforms. Designed for companies from seed to Series B, the event creates a uniquely curated environment for early-stage partnering, investor engagement, and cross-border dealmaking. But RESI Europe is more than a conference — it’s a strategic moment.

A Meeting Point for Two Innovation Powerhouses
North America, led by the U.S., has long dominated the life science fundraising landscape. Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, and San Diego are hubs of venture activity, fed by deep capital pools and a fast-moving startup culture. Europe, by contrast, has a more diversified network of innovation clusters — from Cambridge and Paris to Berlin, Copenhagen, and Basel — often fueled by public grants, academic research, and strong national health systems.

Each region has strengths. Europe excels in translational science, capital efficiency, and public-private partnerships. North America leads in commercialization, late-stage capital access, and scaling ventures globally.

RESI Europe isn’t about one replacing the other — it’s about building the connective tissue between them.

Why Barcelona, Why Now?
Barcelona has quietly become one of Europe’s most vibrant life science cities. With world-class hospitals, academic institutions, and research parks, it serves as a hub for Southern Europe and an accessible gateway for global investors. Organizations like Biocat, which drives the Catalan life sciences and health ecosystem, have played a pivotal role in fostering this innovation community and elevating Barcelona as a global destination for biotech and medtech.

The April 1 event is perfectly timed. As European startups look beyond their borders for Series A/B capital, and as North American investors seek capital-efficient innovation and undervalued assets in Europe, the need for intentional, well-curated partnering events is more important than ever.

RESI’s Unique Role in the Ecosystem
Unlike traditional investor conferences, RESI (Redefining Early Stage Investments) is built specifically for early-stage companies. There’s no bias toward any one sector, region, or funding stage — instead, RESI focuses on curated matches between startups and investors whose mandates align with their products and development stage.

This is made possible through LSN’s proprietary matching platform and deep investor database, built over a decade of supporting global partnering campaigns. RESI Europe features:

• 1 on 1 Partnering Meetings: Dozens of scheduled investor meetings, tailored to each startup’s fit and development stage.
• The Innovator’s Pitch Challenge: A live, interactive pitch competition judged by a panel of seasoned investors.
• Global Investor Panels: Conversations with institutional VCs, corporate investors, family offices, and licensing scouts offering insight into cross-border deal structures and what they’re looking for in 2025.

And crucially, the 200+ investors attending RESI Europe are not just there to speak — they’re there to partner.

Catalyzing Global Fundraising Campaigns
For European startups, RESI Europe is a launchpad — a place to meet global investors, build their GTL (global target list), and begin their international fundraising journey. For North American startups, it’s an entry point into the European market, where regulatory landscapes, payer structures, and collaborative R&D cultures offer compelling expansion opportunities.

A Transatlantic Future, Starting Now
The next wave of life science breakthroughs won’t be defined by geography — they’ll be defined by connectivity. RESI Europe is where that connectivity begins. Whether you’re a biotech founder in Cambridge UK, an investor in Montreal, or a licensing scout from New Jersey, the opportunity to forge meaningful, global relationships is real — and it’s happening in Barcelona.

April 1st isn’t just a date on the calendar. It’s a chance to be part of a movement — one that brings together two of the world’s most powerful innovation ecosystems and builds the partnerships that will define the future of healthcare.