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Cracking the GeneCode at RESI

30 Dec

By Gregory Mannix, Vice President International Business Development, General Manager Europe, LSN

The team at Life Science Nation is proud to announce another successful match made at a digital Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) conference. GeneCode Ltd. CEO Paavo Pilv shares the early days of GeneCode and the process that led up to their latest collaboration with Argobio Studio.

GeneCode Ltd. started as an Estonian market research company called Baltic Technology Development Ltd. in 1998. In 2006, everything from the idea behind the business, the direction, the name, and the shareholder structure changed. We even got new partners to join the science team and a new foreign seed investor.

Our first seed investment for $5M USD was from a private US investor with roots in Estonia. That first investment came from an emotional and strong belief in our scientific team and partners, such as Professor Mati Karelson and Professor Mart Saarma, long-time experts from Tartu and Helsinki Universities. After our first seed investment, we also received several grants and additional shareholder investments. We were patented in the United States in 2014.

After reaching proof-of-concept in 2017, we started to look for professional partners and investors. We began making contact with global pharma companies, but soon learned that we were still too early stage for pharma companies. The positive side of the process was that we saw strong interest and make valuable contacts for the future IND-ready stage. In 2019, we began contacting VC funds directly, as well as attending several fundraising events around Europe.

In 2020, we participated in our first RESI event. It was our first experience of the digital fundraising format at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. RESI has been a valuable tool, as you can find partners with the same interests as you. We had several meetings and also later follow-up meetings outside the event. We participated for the second time in September 2020. One such meeting was with Thierry Laugel from Kurma Partners. We kept in contact even after the event. Thierry also connected us with Argobio in Spring 2021. We signed an NDA, had several meetings, and started the due diligence process. December 16,  2021, we sent out a press release that Argobio and GeneCode would partner on Parkinson’s Disease in Argobio’s first announced research agreement. Read more!

Argobio and GeneCode are collaborating to develop small molecule Glial cell line – Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF) mimetics for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and other indications. Argobio sources innovative early-stage projects on therapeutics from renowned European academic research institutions with a focus on rare diseases, neurological disorders, oncology, and immunology. Argobio selects and incubates these projects with the goal to create biotech companies and develop (or lead) them up to a significant Series A financing.

It’s not too late to sign up for the next Digital RESI JPM, January 11-13! Sign up today to start connecting with investors who are a match for your product and stage of development.

Digital Partnering for Fundraising and Licensing Deals Isn’t Going Anywhere in 2022 – Hear Some Sage Advice from Life Science Nation’s CEO on Global Partnering Initiatives for Your Firm

16 Dec

By Rory McCann, Marketing Manager & Conference Producer, LSN

Virtual fundraising is not dead. It’s alive and well for 2022. In this conversation with LSN CEO, Dennis Ford discusses the virtual fundraising model and how Digital RESI JPM stands out as a vehicle for connecting ideas and capital in early-stage life science and healthcare.

Sign up by December 17 to save up to $200 on Digital RESI JPM!

Investors at Digital RESI JPM

16 Dec

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

claire

Partnering launches for Digital RESI JPM next week and we are expecting 400-500 investors, including family offices/private wealth, corporate venture capital, large pharma and strategic groups, and more. A diverse assembly of investors participate at every RESI event with a main objective of sourcing early-stage innovations for potential investment, in-licensing, and other partnering strategies. Check out the investors who are currently confirmed to attend:

Confirmed Digital RESI JPM Investors*

*December 16, 2021

CI12162021Don’t miss the last opportunity to save on registration! Early bird rates end tomorrow, so sign up now to save $200! if you are actively fundraising and seeking to engage with investors that could potentially be interested in your technology, do not miss out on this opportunity and secure the best registration price available!

Free Fundraising Bootcamps for Partnering Success at JPM

16 Dec

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

Through the years, we at Life Science Nation (LSN) have spoken to startups, investors, service providers and many of the other players in the early-stage life science ecosystem. We have seen what works and what does not, and have put together a series of workshops and bootcamps to pass along this knowledge to emerging startups, to help smooth their journeys and, hopefully, prevent them from making a few common mistakes along the way.

Over the course of the next few weeks, leading up to Digital RESI JPM, January 11-13, LSN staff will be holding a series of free bootcamps for startups. Fundraising executives are welcome to attend as many as they desire! We will cover topics such as (but not limited to): identifying investors who are a fit for you, building a comprehensive marketing collateral package that tells your story, how to optimize your partnering experience at a conference, and how to approach your investor meetings in a way that will increase your chances of a second meeting. Follow the links below to register!



Don’t forget to register for Digital RESI JPM – partnering launches next Monday, December 20, so make sure you are signed up to start booking meetings!

Pitching at Digital RESI JPM

9 Dec

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

claire

It has been more than a year since we’ve introduced the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC), Life Science Nation’s latest effort to boost exposure for early-stage companies attending the Redefining Early Stage Investment (RESI) conference virtually. Since its inception, the IPC has become one of the most anticipated components of the RESI program. To date, hundreds of early-stage life science and healthcare startups and hundreds of investor and industry expert judges have participated. We are excited to continue growing this dynamic platform of companies and investors, strategic partners, industry experts, and more to facilitate new conversations.

Hear from some of these previous participants about their experience and how the IPC helped them along their fundraising journey:

We are actively accepting applications for the Digital RESI JPM Innovator’s Pitch Challenge, where we will showcase innovative technologies across therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics/tools, and digital health.

Applications are due Friday, December 17 – it’s not too late to apply!

Apply for IPC with Icon

Showcase Your Brand to Life Science Startups at Digital RESI JPM

9 Dec

By Candice He, Vice President of Business Development, Global Investment Strategist, LSN

Life science startups face a myriad of unique challenges due to the complexity of the healthcare system, including potentially years-long paths to market, regulatory hurdles, and possible reimbursement issues. All of these areas, among others, present opportunities for service providers to lend their expertise, preventing startups from costly mistakes that could prevent their products from reaching the market due to reasons other than a failure in the technology.

While connecting startups with investors is a large part of our work, Life Science Nation has also emphasized the importance of the presence of service providers at our Redefining Early Stage Investment (RESI) conferences.  RESI’s unique partnering platform allows attendees to filter the companies by sector, indication, and stage of development, among other criteria, so your target leads will be just a few clicks away.

While RESI partnering provides a powerful avenue to identify new clients, service providers that attend RESI have the option of multiple levels of participation, improving their exposure beyond that generated by partnering outreach. This can include:

Hosting a 1-hour live workshop to introduce your service

  • Open to all registered RESI attendees
  • The recording will be posted on the sponsor dedicated webpage (a virtual exhibition table) at RESI live agenda for a month, during which you can expect some attendees to contact you in partnering (Check Out an Example Here: McDermott Will & Emery)
  • After the conference, a detailed report on the workshop audience will be provided

Get a spotlight on Life Science Nation’s Weekly Newsletter, with a readership of 50,000+

Interested in learning more about the opportunities available at RESI? Make sure to check out the full sponsorship brochure below!

The Omicron Effect: What May Change and What Won’t

9 Dec

By Rory McCann, Marketing Manager & Conference Producer, LSN

It seems like not much time has passed since events around the world opened back up for in-person attendance. However, with the emergence and spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, many who had enthusiastically jumped back into in-person networking are asking, “What now?”

Whether discussing COVID-19 or fundraising in general, there is no crystal ball, leaving many to wander around in the dark hoping to make the most of uncertain times. In the absence of future forecasting, what I can offer instead are principles of partnering that are consistent and productive, no matter the state of the world around you.

Partnering is a numbers game, but not one of luck. Success takes research, strategy, patience, follow-up, and the ability to take feedback constructively. To prove that these aren’t new principles, check out these past interviews and articles outlining what successful partnering looks like. The truth is that there is no perfect environment for fundraising. Whether the Omicron variant throwing a wrench into the best-laid plans of in-person meetings or another event that gets in the way, solid principles will carry into successful partnering and lead to powerful partnerships in the future.

Learn more about how Life Science Nation can help you with your fundraising efforts and check out the newest digital  Redefining Early Stage Investment (RESI) conference, January 11-13. Early bird rates apply until December 17!

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