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Check Out Our Digital RESI September Panel Line Up!

13 Aug

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

claire

With one month left until the next Digital Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) September Conference (September 14-16), we are very excited to highlight some of the key speakers who will be contributing to our virtual panels.

These speakers are all investors and strategic partners who actively invest in and work with early-stage life science and healthcare companies, with diverse interests within therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health.

Digital RESI September registrants get to hear from the leading industry experts about their investment strategies and differentiated approaches, recent investments and areas of interest, and more.

Here are some of the panelists joining us:


Jun Deng
Investment Partner
Joyance Partners
Prathna Ramesh
Executive Director
Maple Leaf Angels (MLA)
Nancy Torres Kaufman
CEO
Beacon Capital
Steve Yoder
Vice President, Business Development
Taiho Oncology Inc

Duncan Young
Director, Search and Evaluation Oncology, BD&L
AstraZeneca
Barbara Lavery
Chief Program Officer
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
Mark Krul
Partner
Aglaia Oncology Funds
Weiyong Sun
Senior Director, Specialty Medicine Search & Evaluation
Daiichi Sankyo

Fiona Mack
Head of JLABS TMCx
Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Chris Haskell
VP, Head of West Coast Innovation Center
Bayer
Yao Li Ho
Senior Director of Business Development
LYFE Capital
Haolin Sung
Managing Partner
Chaperone Investment

Christina Salys
Sr. Mgr. New Business Development
Intuitive Surgical
Rupert Winckler
Head of EMEA New Business Development
Olympus Corporation
William Dai
Founding Partner
ShangBay Capital
Benedikt Luhmann
Principal – Healthcare
VI Partners

Norm Gitis
Founder, Managing Partner
Lymo Ventures
Paul Larkin
Manager, Research Innovation
Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
Michael Cole
Founder and General Partner
Global Neurohealth Ventures
Lore Gruenbaum
Vice President, Therapy Acceleration Program
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)

Kuldip Dave
Vice President of Research
ALS Association
Chris Penland
VP BioPharma Programs
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Mayank Taneja
Director of Venture Investments
OSF Healthcare Ventures
Cyril Philip
Principal
Providence Ventures

Rajesh Aggarwal
Executive Vice President
Jefferson Strategic Ventures
Linda Maxwell
Director
Biomedical Zone
Ron Paliwoda
Founder and President
Paliwoda Group
Marcia Dawood
Managing Partner
Individual Angel

Merom Klein
Entrepreneur Mentor
Keiretsu Forum
Laura Davis
Managing Director
Golden Seeds
Rob Manning
Chairman
Cherrystone Angel Group
Sascha Berger
Partner
TVM Capital Life Science

Haruhiko Sugino
Director, Global Business Development
Otsuka Pharmaceuticals
Bibhash Mukhopadhyay
Principal
New Enterprise Associates
Jayson Punwani
Senior Partner
Takeda Ventures
Scott Weiner
Partner
Amzak Health

Roy Wiesner
Managing Director
aMoon Fund
Robert Garber
Partner
7wire Ventures
Evan Cohen
Associate Principal, Strategic Investing
Healthbox
Ben Evans
Investment Director
InHealth Ventures

Netalie Nadivi
Partner
TriVentures
Rick Jones
Partner
BioAdvance
Katherine Hill Ritchie
Director
Nottingham Spirk Family Office
Mark Ralph
Executive Director
Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund

Please contact RESI@lifesciencenation.com if you are interested in any speaking opportunities!

Building a Brand: From Blah to Boom

6 Aug

By Karen Deyo, Senior Investor Research Analyst, LSN

“You don’t need marketing materials because your technology speaks for itself,” said no investor ever, besides the ones living in the minds of hopeful, yet branding-challenged, CEOs. What many often neglect until the last minute is that a company’s marketing collateral is one of its most important assets when reaching out to investors, often the first glimpse an investor has of the company. The goal is to keep a clear, consistent message across all channels of communication. No matter who interacts with your company in any context, they should all have the same understanding of who you are and what you do.

Of these channels, the pitch deck can often be a challenge to master, balancing the visual format while allowing investors to understand the whole with no explanation. Furthermore, a pitch deck needs to provide a good snapshot of the company in 10-12 slides – as an investor once said during a RESI panel, a pitch deck should be like a movie trailer.

The key to a good pitch deck is to ensure that no one portion dominates. It should tell the story of your company, and we recommend that it include the following information:

  • Elevator Pitch & Tagline: Clear, informational, but concise and memorable.
  • Company: Who are you as a company? Who is your management team, and what stage of development is your company now?
  • Technology: What need is your tech filling in the market? Where is the opportunity, and how does your idea fill it? Describe your tech, and back up your claims with supportive data that is visually appealing and easy to digest. Remember, this isn’t a thesis defense.
  • Pipeline & Future Projections: You’ve got this great idea, but what’re the next steps? What’s your path to market and, eventually, exit? Do you have competition that you stand out from? Are there any risks you anticipate, and how do you plan to mitigate these? This would also be a good time to share milestones (both achieved and future), as well as a timeline for the use of funds you are raising. Again, keep it clear and visually palatable.

Companies, especially those guided by scientist-entrepreneurs, have a tendency of focusing on the science, leading to pitch decks that are heavily weighted on the technical aspects of the technology and are much too long. Remember, the purpose of your pitch deck is to hook the investor’s interest, and leave them wanting a meeting, where they can learn more.

You won’t get that second meeting unless you’re delivering a clear image of your company and its value to the market. Remember that this isn’t rocket science (you’ve probably already done that), just telling a compelling story to an audience that ultimately wants the same thing as you – a successful partnership.

A Week of Partnering: An Interview with Life Science Nation (LSN) Chief Conference Officer, Greg Mannix

6 Aug

Greg Mannix

 By Rory McCann, Marketing Manager & Conference Producer, LSN

Rory McCann

When it comes to the fundraising CEO on the lookout for strategic partners, it’s essential to be both visible and active in the partnering scene. Partnering is a relationship that requires frequent attention over time. One well-timed conversation rarely cuts a deal in healthcare, but it’s the CEOs who show up regularly and prepared that catch the eye of their ideal partners.

This is why Life Science Nation (LSN) is pairing their successful RESI conference series with their new partnering event, 4D Meets AI. Artificial intelligence (AI) has countless applications in healthcare, and this conference is highlighting the most advanced and powerful applications across drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital health (4Ds). The team that has connected hundreds of fundraising CEOs to investors in relationships resulting in millions of invested capital now brings AI to center-stage as a companion to the wildly successful RESI conference series. In this interview, LSN Chief Conference Officer, Greg Mannix pulls back the curtain on why the team has built a week of partnering, and what 4D Meets AI is bringing to these essential conversations.

Rory McCann (RM): Let’s start with RESI. What is the difference between the Digital RESI 2-day partnering event and Digital RESI September?

Greg Mannix (GM): First of all, Digital RESI September has 3 full days of partnering, so the potential for getting a lot of meetings is really amazing. I have seen some attendees get upwards of 40 meetings over the 3 days of our June conference. Another difference is that this is a full RESI conference, meaning that there will be new and insightful investor and workshop panels, the Innovation Challenge, the Featured Company Pitch Sessions and a virtual Exhibit Hall. All of this great content is aimed at adding value for fundraising CEOs.

RM: RESI is very popular with early-stage companies. How can a company stand out and get increased visibility at RESI?

GM: One of the ways companies can get more traction with investors and strategic partners is through the Innovation Challenge. It is free to apply and participate, and the selected finalists are tagged as such in their partnering profiles for investors to see, and they get their own dedicated landing page on the conference live agenda. CEOs can submit an Innovation Challenge Application until August 12.

Another great option is to pitch to a panel of investors. The Featured Company Pitch Sessions put a company’s 4-minute pitch in front of a panel of 5 focused investors. There is a live Q&A session, and afterwards the pitching companies can follow up with the investor panelists. Participating companies also get their own dedicated landing page. It’s really a unique opportunity available to CEOs for a small fee for the benefit of pitching in front of lead investors that are a fit for their company and product. CEOs can submit a Pitch Sessions Applications on a rolling deadline.

RM: What’s new about RESI September?

GM: This upcoming Digital RESI will have more live-streaming content than ever before. We have found that real-time panels and pitch sessions, with the possibility of live Q&A, are very popular. We are expecting more investors than ever to participate in this global event—more than 450 expected—and companies can choose to have 1 day or 3 days of partnering. Additionally, the 4D Meets AI conference is the other huge novelty in September. This conference is a great addition to RESI, enabling attendees to access up to 5 days of partnering.

RM: Sounds like there’s a lot going on at RESI. Tell me about the new 4D Meets AI conference.

GM: 4D Meets AI is LSN’s newest conference focused on how AI is accelerating development in the 4 Ds: Drugs, Devices, Diagnostics and Digital Health. It is an incredibly dynamic field that is growing tremendously. I believe we are in a golden age of technology in the life sciences, and therefore RESI and 4D Meets AI are a showcase of some amazing people and products that will change the world and help many.

The conference will have a full track of panels focusing on the hottest new applications of AI in life science, and another track of panels with investors interested in AI-enabled technologies. To sign up for 4D Meets AI, register HERE.

RM: Lastly, fundraising CEOs are often strapped for cash. Is there a special discount to attend both conferences?

GM: Yes! Companies can save on each conference with the super early bird registration rate until August 7. If they choose to bundle for a 5-day partnering experience, they can save $200 with the combo registration which is $1,200.

Sign up for RESI, 4D Meets AI, or register for the combo deal for 5 days of continuous partnering. You won’t regret it!

Putting the AI in Taiwan: A Peek inside the Use of Intelligent Technology in Taiwan’s Life Science Ecosystem

30 Jul

Cheng-Yu Chen

 An interview with Cheng-Yu Chen, VP of Taipei Medical University
By Jessica Yang, Investor Research Analyst, LSN

Jessica Yang

In recent years, Taiwan has rapidly been catching up to the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) wave, as the government, leading industries, and academic institutions have proactively worked together to make Taiwan an AI talent hub in Asia. The well-known information and communications technology (ICT) and semiconductor industry in Taiwan have established a great foundation for intelligent technology development.

I had the opportunity to speak with Cheng-Yu Chen, VP of Taipei Medical University (TMU). Dr. Chen is also the Director of the Research Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine at TMU. Taipei Medical University has worked with Life Science Nation (LSN) and brought its spin-off companies to attend the Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) conferences for multiple years. TMU is also one of the most active academic institutions in Taiwan and has built its own AI in Medicine ecosystem. This includes the Technology Commercialization Center (TMU-TCC), the Smart Hospital Simulation Lab (SHSL), an incubator/accelerator, and hospitals, which not only support AI professionals, but also help with early-stage AI companies’ fundraising and business development.

Dr. Chen shared a comprehensive perspective of Taiwan’s AI in life science developments, and how Taipei Medical University has become an AI innovation hub in Taiwan.

Jessica Yang (JY): How do you see AI in life science developments and opportunities in Taiwan?

Cheng-Yu Chen (CC): Taiwan has been seeking to develop world-leading AI infrastructure and to become an important player in the global AI value chain. Especially within the life sciences area, I think Taiwan can leverage the following advantages that make it an essential hub to develop and promote AI technology:

(1) An industry leadership position in the manufacturing of ICT & semiconductor hardware

(2) The Taiwan government’s strong support and commitment to improving the AI R&D environment

(3) A no.1 ranking in the Global Open Data Index and a high level of transparency of data-sharing

When all these data combine with our ICT industries, it provides a friendly environment for testing the application of AI. In addition, the Taiwan government’s ongoing AI action plan, which includes the intent to introduce new laws and regulations to promote AI development, also helps professionals gain access to over 20 years of data from the National Health Insurance Administration while maintaining patients’ privacy. Overall, I see lots of promising opportunities in Taiwan to incorporate AI in life sciences.

JY: What are Taipei Medical University’s current efforts and accomplishments in AI in life science development?

CC: Here at Taipei Medical University (TMU), we understand that “No data, no AI,” thus TMU established the first Graduate Institute of Biomedical Informatics in Taiwan in 1998, which cultivated a sufficient talent pool to catch up the current global AI trend. Then we followed the government’s AI action plan to build more professional programs in AI in Medicine in recent years. These programs are aimed to increase the number of medical doctors, medical technologists, and clinic professionals with a working knowledge and skills in AI.

Furthermore, we also have the Research Center for AI in Medicine, the Smart Hospital Simulation Lab (SHSL), the Technology Commercialization Center (TMU-TCC), incubators, and hospitals, all designed to advance AI technologies. A professor who has a great idea can start a company through the commercialization center, the incubator programs can help find resources, and our research centers and labs can provide systems to complete proof-of-concept. As an example, we have already curated three AI-related companies in the past two years:

(1) DermAI: AI solutions to detect Malignant Melanoma (MM) and the risk of acnes

(2) AESOP Technology: AI-based prescription error prevention solution to maximize patient safety

(3) Redica Health: Ted-ICU AI solution to help with smart hospital construction

We plan to start two more companies next year.

JY: Both DermAI and AESOP have attended RESI before! Speaking of this, does TMU have any international collaborations in AI in life science development?

CC: Yes. There are many aspects on which we work with international corporations and institutes. For example, we partnered with AstraZeneca on incubator programs and clinical trial collaboration. We have also cooperated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to organize Hackathons on Health IoT programs. We also worked with Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California, and sent our talents to learn AI imaging and surgical planning, etc. at these institutions. For the spin-off companies I just mentioned, AESOP Technology partnered with Harvard Innovation Labs and Brigham and Women’s Hospital to complete prescription screening tests. We expect to have more collaborations worldwide in the next few years.

JY: As we know, Taiwan did a great job in in preventing COVID-19 spread – do you think AI helps with this successful response?

CC: Yes. Our government, hospitals, and research institutes all took rapid actions that made Taiwan able to develop a nationwide mask sitemap using AI in real-time, as well as an AI-applied alert system incorporated in hospitals to decrease the risk of COVID-19 spread and local transmission.

In addition, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) is gathering principal investigators’ ideas to further develop preventive strategies for such a pandemic, and many are AI-related. I think that as long as Taiwan keeps an innovative mindset and grasps the advantages of AI development, we will be able to build a successful and leading ecosystem in AI in the life science arena.

As AI is playing a significant role in the healthcare arena worldwide, LSN plans to launch the inaugural 4D Meets AI partnering conference September 17 – 18, 2020. This new 4D Meets AI conference is set to provide a new platform for all companies developing Drugs, Devices, Diagnostics, and Digital Health (the 4 Ds), with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) vertical, to meet and connect with investors and strategic partners. Visit http://4dmeetsai.com/ to learn more and register.

The Innovation Challenge for Digital RESI September is Accepting Applications!

30 Jul

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

claire

One of the biggest challenges facing fundraising CEOs working to bridge the gap between potential and partnership is the ability to stand out among a sea of promising tech and connect with the right investors for their work. Life Science Nation (LSN) wants to make the choices clearer for investors, which is why we’ve developed the Innovation Challenge for early-stage companies.  The Innovation Challenge is designed to highlight the best of the best so deserving companies can showcase their work to strategic partners.

The Innovation Challenge for the 3-Day Digital Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Conference in September is now accepting applications for two weeks only, due August 12!

For fundraising life science companies, participating in the Innovation Challenge is a great way to increase visibility. All participating companies will have a dedicated landing page featuring materials (example screenshot below) that the companies can use to promote and direct traffic, just like they would do at an in-person RESI.

In addition, they will be featured on the Next Phase blog and newsletter, as well as LSN’s social networking platforms. Finalists also are indicated with a special badge within our partnering system indicating their Innovation Challenge Finalist status.

Attendees are also encouraged to vote for their favorite, most innovative companies and the Top 3 Winners who receive the most votes can receive free tickets for up to 3 future RESI Conferences of their choice.

The Innovation Challenge review team has compiled a list of guidelines to help companies with their application process:

What makes a high-score company?

The evaluation process is based not only on scientific merit, but also on how ready the company is to present to an investor (“investor-readiness”). A perfectly scored company would have a transformational technology that can achievably address a high unmet need using a differentiable novel approach or target. Alongside high innovation, differentiation, unmet need, and market fit, a high-scoring company would have a broad IP position, an experienced management team and CEO with top-tier advisors, and strategic alliances with manufacturing and clinical partners. The company will also receive high marks for having what we call “investor-ready” marketing material (executive summary, pitch deck, website).

Clearly describe your technology.

Like any marketing material, you need to be clear. Be sure you understand and answer the questions fully. The team has seen unclear responses as to what a company’s technology is and its significance in improvement.

Be honest with your answers.

The team frequently reviews applications that state they have no competitors in the space, when most likely, they do. Novel products do have competitors before them, for established technology does exist in the indication your product targets. Be honest with whom your competitors are, and then address what the key differentiators are to your product. Even if your product is an incremental improvement, be honest and highlight this and it can still be attractive!

For example, competitors for your disease-modifying therapeutic may be symptom-treating therapeutics in the same indication that are either commercialized or being developed. You should identify these symptom-treating therapeutics and highlight your novel target approach that makes your product disease-modifying.

Explain your current standings in detail.

Outline everything you have in terms of your current standing, while also providing your outlook of where you hope to go. Avoid ambiguous statements such as, “CEO is an experienced entrepreneur”. Instead, provide details that highlight the CEO’s experience – years as an entrepreneur, number and names of companies exited, background expertise, etc.

Provide short-range and long-term horizons.

If you do not have certain criteria, such as a strategic alliance or IP, that’s perfectly fine. State your current standing and provide what steps you are currently taking to reach that milestone. For Alliances and Collaborations, state your verbal relationships; for IP status, state how many you have filed or are planning to file. Providing your strategy is better than a simple yes or no.

Put in a balanced effort.

You should not spend 5 minutes on this application, and neither should you spend 5 hours. Your answers should be brief, as well as detailed – the team has received hasty, effortless applications that are quickly discarded with a low score. On the other hand, you also shouldn’t spend an excessive amount of time on the application, as these are all straight-forward questions that you should be comfortable answering. Remember, as your executive summary should answer all these questions alone, this application is the backbone of the evaluation process and essentially your executive summary.

Send us your marketing material.

If you have marketing material, send it. This includes your slide deck, executive summary, website, videos – any supplemental material that can boost understanding of your technology and whether your company is investor-ready. The application provides limited space – while this forces you to get straight to the point, supplemental material explains what an application cannot (i.e. figures, graphs, pipeline, non-confidential data, etc.)

Companies can submit their applications for the Digital RESI September Innovation Challenge by August 12 at here. Learn more about Digital RESI September at resiconference.com.

Before Buying a Ticket to a Digital Partnering Event — Know You Have a Shot

23 Jul

By Rory McCann, Marketing Manager & Conference Producer, LSN

Before buying a ticket to a digital partnering event, make sure your goals are realistic and achievable, and those will differ depending on where you are at in the funding universe. (Click here for a free copy of Life Science Nation (LSN)’s Fundraising Manifesto.) The good news is that LSN is hearing from investors that, after a brief slow-down in the early months of 2020, they are closing deals and allocating funds. The big question many are asking is, “Really? Even without face-to-face meetings?” Investors give a resounding, YES!

LSN is tracking 400+ early-stage companies in drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital health in a diverse range of indications who have raised between $150K – $33M in various funding stages as a direct result of connections made through the Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) partnering conferences. While old-school partnering says in-person yearly meetings are the ticket, RESI disagrees, and the numbers don’t lie.

Partnering is an ongoing conversation from pitch to capital allocation, which can often take between 9-18 months. These deals are made through first establishing the fit and then creating an ongoing dialogue that turns into a relationship. This means that it is essential to communicate and meet often via whichever platform is available, which in 2020, is online. Before committing to buying a ticket to a partnering event, it’s important to understand your chances of success, as well as what success looks like for your company, and which investors are truly qualified.

LSN gives early-stage companies a helping hand by having one-on-one interviews regularly with its global investor network to ensure every investor is vetted, as well as runs conferences and an accelerator program, manages databases, and offers a trove of free resources (Next Phase Newsletter, Bootcamps, etc.). LSN has everything an early-stage company needs to get in the game and play to win. Next week’s Digital RESI July dedicated partnering event is one of those resources we hope fundraising CEOs will take advantage of and will join our growing list of innovative companies funded through RESI. Find out more and register for next week’s 2-day dedicated partnering event at https://resiconference.com/digital-resi-two-day-dedicated-partnering-event/.

RESI Featured Companies

23 Jul

By Gregory Mannix, Chief Conference Officer, Vice President International Business Development, LSN

Life Science Nation (LSN)’s newest 2-day dedicated partnering event begins next week, July 27-28. The Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) conference series has been a leader in global partnering events for years, and since digital events have become the only way to connect buyers and sellers, RESI has grown in popularity for its partnering platform, particularly with early-stage companies in the drugs, diagnostics, devices, and digital health (4Ds).

Check out the featured companies at RESI July. Click the logo to learn more about these companies innovating healthcare and life science across the 4Ds. RESI enables early-stage companies to reach a global audience of investors and strategic partners right from their home office, and at an attainable price point for fundraising CEOs. Check out our list of featured companies and remember that there’s still time to register for next week’s event if you want your logo and company story available to eligible investors and strategic partners!

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