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Europe Doesn’t Have a Capital Problem. It Has a Translation Problem 

10 Feb

By Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation (LSN)

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Across Europe, early-stage life science innovation isn’t held back by a lack of capital. It’s held back by a lack of translation. Brilliant ideas emerge every day from universities, startups, and labs, but too few of them cross the chasm into fundable, scalable ventures. Not because investors are uninterested, but because the signal is still forming. 

That is the gap RESI Europe is built to fill.

RESI Europe is intentionally focused on companies in the earliest stages of formation: seed, Series A, and Series B. In practical terms, that means seed financings up to $2M, Series A rounds up to $10M, and Series B rounds up to $50M. RESI is also cross-domain by design, connecting drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital health under one roof so that cross-silo innovation can actually be seen and underwritten. These companies are not yet de-risked. They are still shaping their data, refining their narrative, and clarifying what kind of asset they are becoming. 

Unlike broad partnering events that are optimized for finished stories, RESI Europe’s product is filtration, not exposure. The investors and partners who participate specialize in early risk and engage before all the questions are answered, because that is when the partnership has the greatest leverage. And RESI does this at a registration cost typically around half of what many large European partnering conferences charge, making serious early-stage partnering accessible rather than exclusive. 

Partnering at this stage is not about acceleration.

It is about preparation. 

Europe does not need more capital flowing into the same mature assets. It needs a mechanism to translate potential into signal and the clarity to underwrite early-stage opportunities. Without that translation, meetings happen but decisions do not. Not because the science is weak, but because the story is still illegible.​ 

RESI Europe exists to make early innovation readable and to bring investors, strategics, and entrepreneurs together around the translational work that must happen before Phase II-level legibility is possible. 

Capital follows clarity.

Clarity requires translation.

That is what RESI Europe is built to deliver. 

Register for RESI Europe

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New EU Webinar Series – From Discovery to Decision: Making Early-Stage Life Science Legible to Capital

10 Feb

By Max Braht, Director of Business Development, LSN

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Across Europe, early-stage life science innovation is not constrained by a lack of capital—it is constrained by a lack of translation. Breakthrough science continues to emerge from universities, hospitals, and startups across the continent, yet too few assets successfully transition from discovery into opportunities the global market can underwrite.

To address this gap, Life Science Nation is launching a new three-part seminar series tailored specifically for the European life science ecosystem. The program focuses on the critical space between discovery and investment decision-making—where promising science often stalls before capital ever has the chance to engage.

Designed for founders, investors, accelerators, universities, public agencies, and ecosystem leaders, the series centers on companies at the seed, Series A, and Series B stages—where signal is still forming and legibility matters more than exposure.

What the series will explore

Session I — Tuesday, February 17 | 10:00 AM ET / 4:00 PM CET  – Sign Up

Why Solid Science Fails to Translate Before Capital Even Considers It
An exploration of how early-stage assets stall long before diligence begins—and why the issue is typically a failure to tell an investable story, not a lack of compelling science.

Session II — Tuesday, February 24 | 10:00 AM ET / 4:00 PM CET – Sign Up

Legibility, Signal, and the Real Work Between Seed and Series B
What European and global investors actually require to underwrite early-stage risk, and how signal is formed across scientific, regulatory, and commercial dimensions.

Session III — Wednesday, March 4 | 10:00 AM ET / 4:00 PM CET – Sign Up

Partnering Is Not Exposure. It Is Filtration
How different partnering environments serve different stages of development, and how European companies can avoid wasting time and momentum by engaging the wrong forum too early.

This is not a fundraising seminar and not a pitch workshop. It is a practical framework for understanding how early-stage European innovation becomes readable—to capital, to strategic partners, and to the global market.

Register for RESI Europe

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Why Early-Stage Companies Need the Right Partnering Room 

3 Feb

By Tony Jones, CEO, One Nucleus (Special Guest Contributor)

Every January, JPM Week serves as a useful reference point for the global life sciences industry. It brings together capital, companies, and partners at an unmatched scale with so many co-located events. Processing how to spend their time at JPM Week is a great exercise for companies to evaluate their wider investment and dealmaking plans given not all partnering and investment environments are the same.

How to choose the best event for their company is a frequent question we receive at One Nucleus from our network and having spent time with a range of UK and European companies trying to focus their cash and time resources to optimise chances of success. JPM Week is an obvious hub to target in the US, of course, provided the homework and planning is done to try and be in the right place at the right time. Having spent time with UK and European executives at JPM, it is clear that for early-stage teams in particular, the experience they describe reinforces an important lesson. Access to an event or partnering platform alone is insufficient and depends on whether it is designed to support where a company actually is on its journey and what it needs next.

In the absence of a JPM Week, although the nascent London Life Sciences Week is trying to evolve in that direction, early-stage European companies seeking investment have a far less obvious starting point. The larger, bio-partnering events play an important role and are extremely efficient for biopharma companies of all stages in that capacity. Equally, the larger investment events play a somewhat effective role but are perhaps more suited to later-stage companies with established programs, clear clinical development strategies and well-defined buyers. This is not a reflection of scale, attendee mix or necessarily cost which is a relative term, it is a question of fit and whether that is the right place to be at the right time to justify the budget spend.

What early-stage companies can need is a different kind of forum that prioritises readiness, qualification, and stage-appropriate engagement over shots on goal. Taking a hands-on approach to curating the attending companies and investors, can create a better fit and hence increase the chances of success for all concerned. The early-stage dominance of the European sector means Europe needs this part of the conference jigsaw, providing quality connection to both local investors and channels to global investors active in their space and stage. Translating strong science into something global investors and licensing partners requires preparation, clarity around risk, and disciplined positioning, issues many young companies need guidance to work through.

That is why platforms such as RESI Europe matter in the European context. As an ecosystem organisation, One Nucleus sees the additional, not just competing value the LSN platform brings to our members, providing options over how and when to leverage different forums.

Register for RESI Europe

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Hear From a RESI JPM 2026 Title Sponsor BioMetas

3 Feb

By Simon Hua, Chairman, BioMetas (Special Guest Contributor)

One of the most valuable perspectives we can share with the RESI community comes directly from the organizations that choose to invest in early stage innovation. At RESI JPM 2026, Title Sponsor BioMetas took part across partnering, project discussions, and collaboration with emerging biotech companies and investors, offering a clear view into how sponsors engage within the RESI ecosystem.

As Life Science Nation looks ahead to upcoming RESI conferences in 2026, sponsorship continues to be an opportunity for organizations to connect early with innovative companies, participate in targeted partnering, and build relationships that extend well beyond the conference itself. To learn more about RESI sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at resi@lifesciencenation.com

Below is BioMetas’ reflection on their experience at RESI JPM 2026, originally published on LinkedIn.

BioMetas Attends RESI JPM 2026, Focusing on Early Innovation and Industry Collaboration

RESI JPM 2026 was held in San Francisco on January 12–13, with additional online one-to-one partnering sessions on January 14 and January 19–20. As a key investment and business-matching platform during J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM) week, the conference focuses on early- and growth-stage life science projects, bringing together biotech companies, investors, and industry partners from around the world. As a Title Sponsor, BioMetas participated deeply in the overall conference ecosystem. Leveraging its one-stop CRO platform and innovative incubation and investment model, BioMetas engaged in targeted discussions with international biotech companies and investment institutions around the core needs of early-stage innovation projects, including R&D efficiency, capital structure optimization, and industry resource alignment, exploring diversified pathways for R&D collaboration and industry co-development.

The conference centered on highly targeted one-to-one partnering meetings, complemented by investor roundtables, innovation project pitch and selection sessions, and multiple themed workshops. Topics spanned drug development, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health, forming a multidimensional engagement framework of “project showcase – capital connection – industry collaboration,” enabling innovative projects to build high-quality connections with potential investors and partners within a short timeframe.

During the conference, BioMetas focused on the practical needs of early-stage projects across critical preclinical stages, including protein and antibody production, in vitro and in vivo efficacy studies, tumor and immunology-related disease model development, and DMPK. BioMetas discussed project advancement strategies in depth with multiple innovative companies. With an integrated technical system covering target validation, molecular and cellular functional studies, animal efficacy testing, and PK/safety evaluation, BioMetas provides scalable, IND-enabling, end-to-end R&D support for innovative projects across different technological approaches.

In parallel, based on its EFS (Equity for Service) collaboration model, BioMetas explored more forward-looking partnership mechanisms with selected projects from seed stage to rapid growth stage. By exchanging part of the services for a small equity stake, combined with necessary cash investment, BioMetas helps early teams initiate R&D quickly while keeping financial pressure manageable, and achieve key milestones that build a stronger technical foundation for subsequent financing, licensing, or M&A. In today’s more rational capital environment, where efficiency and data quality are increasingly emphasized, a collaborative model integrating “services + capital + industry resources” is becoming an important accelerator for early-stage projects.

RESI JPM 2026 was not only a stage for showcasing innovation, but also an efficient collaboration platform connecting technology, capital, and industry resources. Through its precise one-to-one partnering mechanism, the conference significantly improved communication efficiency, enabling companies at different stages to access more targeted collaboration opportunities within limited time.

Through this participation, BioMetas further strengthened its dual role in the global innovation ecosystem: on one hand, providing reliable and scalable R&D support to global clients; on the other hand, actively engaging in early value co-creation and pursuing earlier-stage, deeper collaborations with high-quality projects.

Looking ahead, BioMetas will continue to expand collaboration with global biotech companies, investors, and industry partners through international conferences and industry networks, accelerating the translation and industrialization of innovative research outcomes and therapeutic programs, and contributing stronger technical and collaborative support to the global biopharmaceutical innovation ecosystem.

About RESI
Through its RESI partnering events and global collaboration programs, Life Science Nation connects entrepreneurs with global investors and strategic partners, accelerating financing for early-stage life science companies.

About BioMetas
BioMetas is a globally leading one-stop CRO platform for innovative drug R&D, bringing together top domestic CRO resources and an international, highly experienced technical team. With efficient and innovative expertise, rigorous scientific standards, and a comprehensive quality management system, BioMetas provides compliant, high-quality, and customized end-to-end preclinical R&D solutions. Its services cover the full process from drug discovery to IND for both small-molecule drugs and biologics.

Register for RESI Europe

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Advancing Women’s Health Diagnostics Through Glycoproteomics: Proseek Bio at the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge 

3 Feb

Interview with Paula Cerqueira, VP of Scientific Strategy

Proseek Bio is advancing a new approach to women’s health diagnostics by translating cutting-edge glycoproteomics into clinically deployable tools. In this interview, Michelle Hill, CEO of Proseek Bio, discusses the company’s focus on ovarian cancer pre-surgical triage, the unmet clinical needs driving its platform, and how participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM shaped investor conversations as the company prepares for global expansion.

Michelle Hill
 CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): For those unfamiliar with Proseek Bio, how do you describe the company and its core technology or therapeutic focus? 

Michelle Hill (MH): Proseek Bio is an Australian diagnostics company focused on women’s health, developing blood-based tests designed to improve how complex conditions are assessed and managed in clinical practice. Ovarian cancer is our first indication, with an initial focus on pre-surgical triage.

Our platform is built on advanced glycoproteomics, integrating multiple protein biomarkers into a single algorithmic score to support clinical decision-making. Rather than relying on any one marker, this multi-analyte approach reflects the biological complexity of disease and enables more informative risk assessment at critical clinical decision points.

What differentiates Proseek Bio is our strong translational focus. The underlying science has been validated through years of academic and clinical research, and we are now converting that work into regulated, scalable diagnostic products for real-world healthcare systems. By targeting earlier decision points such as triage, we aim to support more appropriate referral and intervention, with a longer-term goal of expanding our platform across additional women’s health indications.

CD: What unmet need are you addressing, and why is now the right time for your approach? 

MH: A key unmet need in women’s health diagnostics is the lack of objective tools that reflect real-time disease biology at early clinical decision points. In ovarian cancer pre-surgical triage, clinicians must assess risk using tests with limited biological resolution, which can lead to unnecessary intervention or delayed specialist referral.

Proseek Bio addresses this gap through glycoproteomics, focusing on the glycans attached to proteins that regulate how those proteins function. While genes indicate what could happen and proteins act as messengers, glycan patterns reveal what disease is actively doing in the body. These modifications change early in cancer and cannot be resolved by genomics or standard immunoassays. By integrating glycan and protein signals into a multi-biomarker signature, our tests aim to deliver more informative risk stratification.

The timing is right because advances in clinical mass spectrometry and data analytics have made this biology clinically scalable, enabling integration into existing laboratory workflows and routine care.

CD: What was your experience participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM? 

MH: Our first time participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI JPM was an energising experience. Pitching to a room filled with sophisticated investors and peers reinforced the importance of clear, disciplined storytelling when presenting complex diagnostic technologies.

As part of the Brisbane Economic Development Agency cohort, we were proud to represent Brisbane’s growing life sciences ecosystem. Beyond the pitch, the table showcase led to thoughtful conversations with investors and fellow founders who were genuinely engaged with both the clinical problem and our translational approach.

Overall, the experience was validating and motivating. It confirmed that our focus on clinically deployable diagnostics in women’s health resonates with a global audience, and it was rewarding to see that reflected in the recognition we received.

CD: Out of 94 Innovator’s Pitch Challenge companies, what do you think helped Proseek Bio stand out to judges and attendees? 

MH: Women’s health remains significantly underrepresented in diagnostic innovation, and that focus clearly resonated with judges and attendees. Ovarian cancer, in particular, represents a high-impact unmet need, especially at early clinical decision points such as pre-surgical triage.

Proseek Bio was the only diagnostics company on the podium, reflecting the distinctiveness of our approach. By applying glycoproteomics to analyse glycan and protein signatures together, we deliver a more biologically informative assessment of disease activity while remaining compatible with existing clinical laboratory workflows.

Importantly, we were able to clearly articulate not just the science, but the pathway to a regulated, scalable diagnostic product. That combination of unmet clinical need, novel biology, and disciplined execution helped differentiate Proseek Bio in a very strong field.

CD: How did RESI JPM impact discussions with investors, partners, or potential collaborators? 

MH: Being recognised on the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge podium gave investors immediate confidence in both the opportunity and the discipline behind the company, and it strengthened engagement with potential partners. Overall, RESI JPM acted as a signal amplifier, reinforcing Proseek Bio’s readiness for global investment and collaboration while accelerating meaningful follow-on conversations.

CD: Where does Proseek Bio currently stand in terms of fundraising, partnerships, or development milestones? 

MH: Proseek Bio is currently completing its Seed round to support development of our first product, OC-Triage. This funding is enabling a clinical study, implementation of a quality management system, and ISO accreditation to support pilot manufacturing, alongside evaluation of OC-Triage with Australian clinical laboratory partners.

In parallel, we are preparing for a Series A focused on U.S. market entry. RESI JPM provided an important opportunity to initiate discussions with U.S.-based clinical and laboratory partners, laying the groundwork for future validation and commercial pathways.

Together, these milestones reflect a transition from technology validation to execution as Proseek Bio advances toward regulated, clinically deployable diagnostics in women’s health.

CD: What upcoming achievements or milestones are you most excited to share with the life sciences community? 

MH: Over the coming year, we are focused on completing the OC-Triage product and establishing pilot manufacturing under an ISO-accredited quality system. These milestones represent an important transition from development to regulated production readiness.

In parallel, we are advancing clinical evaluation with laboratory partners, which will be critical in demonstrating real-world performance and scalability. Together, these steps mark a shift from innovation to execution.

What excites us most is seeing years of science translate into something tangible: a product that can be manufactured, validated, and ultimately used to support better clinical decisions for women.

Interested in pitching your company to a highly engaged investor audience focused on early-stage life science innovation? Applications are now open for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Europe. Selected companies receive direct feedback from a dedicated group of investors, access to 1:1 partnering, and visibility with global industry leaders.

Apply to pitch and position your company for meaningful investor conversations.

Apply to Pitch at RESI Europe 2026

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The Reality of European Global Partnering

27 Jan

By Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation (LSN)

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Every March, early-stage life science teams spend thousands of euros to attend one of Europe’s biggest partnering weeks. They show up expecting investors, deal momentum, and progress. Most leave with something else: lots of vendor and service provider meeting requests, and a shorter cash runway.

For seed, Series A, and early Series B companies, Lisbon is not a winter party celebration. It is a stress test. And the platforms you choose will either compound your progress or quietly drain your capital.

The Cost Reality No One Likes to Say Out Loud

Standard passes and bundled “week in Lisbon” packages routinely run from 3,000 to 5,000 euros per person, before flights and hotels. For late-stage companies, that may be acceptable. For early-stage teams living on grants, founder savings, or a small seed round, it is a major bet.

By contrast, RESI Europe is typically priced in the 1,500-2,500 euro range because it is built specifically for founders, innovators, and regional cohorts raising seed, Series A, and early Series B funding. The goal is not to sell access at any cost. It is to make high-quality global partnering economically accessible at a stage when every euro still must justify itself.

Here is the problem. Many founders pay the higher prices and then discover that a large share of their so-called “investor” meetings are with service providers selling you something. The badge may say partner or advisor, but the economics are reversed. The startup becomes the customer, not the one being backed.

That outcome is not accidental. It is how large conference ecosystems monetize scale.

Lisbon Does Not Create Strategy. It Exposes It.

Big conference weeks amplify whatever strategy you bring. If you arrive without preparation and focus, you get more noise, more meetings you did not need, and a bigger bill. If you arrive with discipline, targeted investors, and a follow-up system, Lisbon can work.

The problem is that most mega-events are optimized for volume, not readiness. More people. More meetings. More urgency. That model works for late-stage transactions. It fails early-stage teams.

Early-stage companies need fewer things done well:

  • Investors and licensing partners who write first checks
  • Fewer vendor-driven meetings
  • A way to turn first conversations into real follow-up and progress

Proof That a Different Model Works

At JPM Week in January, RESI was designed explicitly around early-stage investing. Roughly 800 companies actively seeking capital and licensing deals participated alongside more than 800 qualified investors and licensing partners from around the world.

Participation was not open-ended. Investor categories were defined. Registrations per firm were capped to protect the signal in the room. The result was not fewer meetings. It was better, more compelling meetings.

That same discipline is what matters in Lisbon.

Why the LSN Partnering Backbone Beats Scale

LSN, owner of the RESI conference series, also owns a premier database of capital investors and licensing partners in the life sciences and offers programs for de-risking early-stage assets and for preparing and executing global roadshows, as well as services like BD Assist, which actually sets up the meetings for you. RESI has five global partnering events annually.

A partnering backbone asks different questions. Are you spending time with partners who fit your stage and product? Have you reduced scientific, regulatory, and execution risk before asking for capital? Do you have a system to re-engage after the week ends? When the answer is yes, Lisbon stops being a gamble.

The Real Fight

The real battle for Lisbon is not about who has the biggest crowd or the loudest brand. It is about who is actually built for early-stage innovation and who is pricing and designing their platform around scale.

For founders, investors, and regions focused on seed, Series A, and early Series B, the smart move is to start the week with early-stage as the priority, not the afterthought, and with “investor” meaning capital and licensing partner, not a sales pitch. Plug Lisbon into a backbone that keeps working after the noise fades. That is how early-stage teams win Lisbon. And that is where the fight really is.

If You’re Coming to Lisbon

RESI Europe will take place in Lisbon with an in-person conference followed by virtual partnering, giving early-stage teams both face-to-face and online access to global investors and licensing partners at founder-level pricing. If you want your Lisbon week to start in a room built for early-stage innovation, not a room selling to you, RESI is where that week should begin.

Register for RESI Europe

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Investor Panels at RESI Europe 2026 

27 Jan

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

Life Science Nation (LSN) is pleased to introduce the investor panel lineup for RESI Europe, bringing together venture capital firms, family offices, corporate investors, and strategic partners actively funding and partnering across the global life science ecosystem. Designed to reflect how capital is being deployed today, these panels examine what investors are prioritizing, how partnership decisions are made, and what founders need to demonstrate to stand out in an increasingly selective market.

From pharma partnering and preclinical investing to digital health, medtech, and cross-border capital flows, the RESI Europe investor program offers a practical look at how decisions are being made across stages and sectors. Each session pairs candid investor perspectives with real-world expectations founders must meet to advance conversations beyond the first meeting.

Monday, March 23 – Investor Panels

9:00 – 9:50 AM | Pharma Partnering: Getting on Pharma’s Radar
As large pharmaceutical companies increasingly rely on external innovation, early-stage partnerships are becoming a core driver of pipeline growth. This session explores how pharma evaluates emerging science, which data packages resonate with business development teams, and how founders can structure partnership discussions that align with long-term strategic priorities.

10:00 – 10:50 AM | Funding New Science: How VCs Evaluate Preclinical Programs
With capital efficiency under intense scrutiny, therapeutic investors are rethinking how they assess risk and differentiation at the preclinical stage. Panelists will share how they evaluate programs ahead of clinical data, the milestones that matter most, and what founders must show to compete in today’s Series A environment.

11:00 – 11:50 AM | Family Offices: The Rise of the Venture Builder
Family offices have evolved into active healthcare investors, launching dedicated funds and building internal operating expertise. This discussion examines how these groups source deals, lead early-stage rounds, and make investment decisions differently from traditional institutional venture firms.

1:00 – 1:50 PM | Building Investable Medtech: Devices, Diagnostics, and De-risking
Investors in medtech are focused on solutions that combine technical innovation with clear clinical and regulatory pathways. This panel breaks down current investor interest across devices and diagnostics, highlighting the milestones that signal scalability and commercial readiness.

2:00 – 2:50 PM | Digital Health: Moving from Hype to Sustainable Value
As the digital health sector matures, investors are prioritizing solutions with measurable clinical and economic outcomes. Panelists will discuss where capital is being deployed, including AI-driven diagnostics and data platforms, and how companies can demonstrate long-term viability in real-world settings.

3:00 – 3:50 PM | Capital Without Borders: The European Life Science Landscape
Europe’s research ecosystem continues to produce world-class innovation, while investment dynamics increasingly span borders. This session explores how European life science companies can attract international capital, navigate regional differences, and compete on a global stage.

4:00 – 4:50 PM | Backing the First Believers: Deciding to Write the First Check
Pre-seed and formation-stage investors often commit capital before significant data exists, backing teams, vision, and early signals of execution. This panel examines how first-check investors assess founders, build conviction, and help shape companies into institutional-grade opportunities.

These investor panels are designed to foster meaningful dialogue between capital providers and innovators, creating informed conversations that continue beyond the stage and into partnering meetings.

Join the RESI Speaker Lineup
Are you an investor or strategic partner with valuable insights to share with early-stage life science companies? We are looking for dynamic speakers to join our RESI panels. 
Click here to submit your Speaker Interest Form today!

Registration for RESI Europe is now open.
Register with Super Early Bird rates and save €300. Super Early Bird pricing expires Friday, January 30.

Register for RESI Europe

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