Next Phase Newsletter

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Specialist, LSN

The Redefining Early Stage Investment (RESI) conference series returns in-person to the Westin Copley Place in Boston, MA  September 21-22, with September 23 dedicated to virtual partnering available to in-person and virtual attendees. While the platform for hosting will change, the panels will continue to feature investors, industry experts, and seasoned entrepreneurs providing valuable insight to our conference attendees.

RESI Boston will feature fourteen live panels over two days onsite. The agenda features investor panels (Angels, Family Offices, Corporate Venture Capital) with focus on relevant topics in the life science industry with panels like Oncology Innovation, Medical Devices, Big Pharma, and Digital Health. Life Science Nation’s Tales from the Road panels will also highlight startup founders and entrepreneurs sharing their stories of success along the fundraising journey. This conference will also host panels dedicated to the AI and Longevity sectors, sharing these areas of life science with increasing traction.

As we are transitioning into a hybrid format, these panels will be live and available to view on our live agenda for two weeks after the conference. Register by July 1 to save $500 on super early bird rates.

By Rory McCann, Director of Marketing, Conference Producer, LSN

Last week, Life Science Nation (LSN) wrapped up Digital RESI June, its most recent virtual partnering event. As we look ahead to our first in-person partnering conference in over two years, we want to first discuss how to evaluate the success of previous meetings. You’ve done your research, messaged investors, and booked meetings, but after the curtain falls, how do you measure the success of your partnering?

1. Fit
   1. Was the meeting well-matched between a company and an investor who were matched in product and stage of development?
   2. Did they make any references to existing interest or past investments?
   3. Did they connect you with other peers or colleagues?
2. Feel
   1. Was the atmosphere pleasant and enjoyable?
   2. Were you confident answering questions and did the potential partner seem equally satisfied?
   3. Is this someone you would enjoy working with more closely?
3. Follow-Up
   1. Do they want to have a follow-up meeting?
   2. Did they express interest in signing an NDA?
   3. Did they engage you during networking activities and receptions?
4. Feedback
   1. Did you receive insights on your pitch, technology, or market?
   2. Was the feedback knowledgeable and relevant?
   3. Will it contribute to your future fundraising efforts?

While the success of a meeting isn’t based on an affirmative answer to each question, your honest response to each can help gauge the temperature of your meetings. A negative answer isn’t the definition of failure, either. It’s all data. Coming away from a well-fitting meeting without the feeling that the person or firm is one you’d like to work and spend more time with is valuable and worth further consideration. This is truly what makes successful meetings – not only the quality of the meeting itself but also the valuable information you need to make informed decisions moving forward.

Keep the conversations going and sign up for RESI Boston! Learn more about travel and accommodations and save on super early bird rates!

NIH’s Small Business Program, also known as America’s Seed Fund, provides over $1.2 billion dollars annually to small businesses to validate the healthcare potential of scientific discoveries and test the feasibility of novel products and services. Many companies leverage NIH funding to attract the partners and investors needed to take an innovation to market. This panel will highlight resources and opportunities available to small business innovators looking to support early product development and the ways strategic partners and investors and can partner with NIH to access novel technologies.

Stephanie Fertig, MBA, HHS Small Business Program Lead, Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Fertig is the HHS Small Business Program Lead in SEED (Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development) at the NIH. She currently oversees the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, which are congressionally mandated set-aside programs that provide over $1.2 billion dollars per year to small business concerns. Prior to joining SEED, she managed the SBIR and STTR Programs at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). During her tenure at NIH she has led the development and implementation of multiple programs focused on small businesses and translational research.  Ms. Fertig has a BS in Chemistry from UVA and an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Loleta Robinson, MD, MBA, Entrepreneur in Residence, Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development (SEED), National Institutes of Health (NIH); Founder & Principal, Fortis Industries LLC

Dr. Loleta Robinson is a seasoned physician entrepreneur, startup advisor, venture partner with extensive healthcare technology and services expertise. She is the Founder and Principal of Fortis Industries, LLC, a firm specializing in blending data analytics, due diligence, and a strong industry network to identify and evaluate prospective healthcare investment, in-licensing, and partnership opportunities for various clients. Dr. Robinson calls on her extensive industry experience and relationships to help bring together venture capital and corporate innovation firms with healthcare startups and early-stage companies with the potential to significantly improve the quality of care. She also facilitates their collaboration via incubators, accelerators, and other entrepreneurial support organizations and researches the healthcare market landscape to provide competitive analyses and offer industry insights.

For more information, please visit resiconference.com

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

More than two years following the last in-person RESI event, Life Science Nation is pleased to announce that RESI returns to an in-person format September 21-22 at the Westin Copley in Boston, MA. September 23 is a day dedicated to digital partnering for virtual and in-person attendees to take advantage of. Since the virtual shift, RESI has navigated the digital world and grown but remains dedicated to its mission: to connect early-stage startups in life science and healthcare with investors and licensing partners who are a fit for their product and stage of development.

The team behind RESI has learned much about what the community looks for in reliable, high-quality partnering, and looks forward to providing invaluable content with convenient and dynamic partnering options, which include both in-person (September 21-22) and virtual (September 23) options. In-person attendees can expect two days of active partnering, interactive panels, educational workshops, and live pitch sessions. Virtual attendees can still benefit from access to content recordings, as well as a single day dedicated exclusively to digital partnering.

We hope you’ll join us and continue to add value to the vibrant RESI community. Registration for RESI Boston is now open! Super early bird rates apply until July 1. Sign up today and save $500!

By Karen Deyo, Director of Investor Research, Israel BD, LSN

As we reach the end of Digital RESI June, we look forward to RESI Boston and Life Science Nation (LSN)’s first in-person event since January 2020, we are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish in making our virtual events a success. Like all our virtual events, this RESI’s attendees represented LSN’s global ecosystem, with startups and investors from 30 countries and 5 continents. LSN’s offerings have continued to evolve to meet the needs of the early-stage life science ecosystem with the introduction of the Audience Access pass, allowing the earliest stage startups to benefit from the experience and expertise of our investor panels and expert workshops before jumping into their own fundraising campaigns.

While we are all excited to be going back to in person events, the last two years have taught us that virtual partnering is here to stay, and that there will be a new normal for events moving forward. Startups and investors will have the flexibility to decide when they want to make the effort to attend events in person but will still be able to partner multiple times a year even if their schedule will not allow them to travel to every RESI.

We look forward to our next evolution of RESI, and hope that you will join us in person (September 21-22) or virtually (September 23) for RESI Boston!

By Erika Wu, Business Development Manager, Global Tech Hubs, LSN

Life Science Nation (LSN) is proud to be long-term tech hub partners with the Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2). Get involved with M2D2’s upcoming free events geared at setting startups up for success through their IMPACT Accelerator Program. M2D2’s IMPACT Accelerator program is a 12-week accelerator that helps startups bring their technology closer to market.

Learn how to initiate strategic partnerships, valuable networking and more at next Thursday’s M2D2’s CAPCaT Big Company/Little Company Showcase! For the third year in a row, the UMass CAPCaT program will present a high-energy, high-value event highlighting six breakthrough PoCT startups who have utilized CAPCaT funding to advance their solution.

Ten startups have been working with M2D2 and their Cycle 3 Sponsor Hologic to advance the commercialization of their innovation through the IMPACT Accelerator Program. Join M2D2’s early-stage women’s health medical device startups at the onsite M2D2 IMPACT Accelerator Pitch-Off on July 20. While applications are closed, M2D2 invites all medtech and femtech startups to attend to learn more about the latest innovations in these areas. The Pitch-Off takes place at M2D2 headquarters in Lowell, MA. Meet the finalists and learn more here.

LSN Vice President of Business Development, Candice He will be presenting an award on behalf of the community of early-stage investors, entrepreneurs, and service providers that regularly pitch and participate at RESI partnering events. LSN is pleased to award a premier registration and pitch slot at the upcoming RESI Boston, September 21-22 at Westin Copley, with a third day of dedicated digital partnering on September 23. Originally valued at $2,995, the award includes a 3-day registration with the premier partnering upgrade and a guaranteed spot to pitch at the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge. Sign up for RESI Boston at super early bird rates and get involved with the RESI network today!