Kari Haab Head of Operations Light Line Medical

Kevin Shifrin Vice President of Marketing Light Line Medical

Caitlin Dolegowski Marketing Manager Life Science Nation

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): Please introduce us to Light Line Medical and the company’s technology.

Kari Haab (KH): Light Line Medical (LLM) was started by a team of University of Utah undergraduate students who participated in a bench-to-bedside competition to solve an unmet medical need. These students recognized that catheter-associated infections (CAIs) are a huge global health problem and are increasingly difficult to treat because of the growing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens (i.e., MRSA, ERSA, and CRE). To solve the problem, they investigated ultraviolet light as a possible solution but found it degrades catheter material and is unsafe for human tissue. In that research, they also found visible light has very similar pathogen-killing capabilities but was much safer. To deliver the lifesaving visible light within a catheter, the team developed an innovative fiber optic to deliver high-intensity light, successfully killing pathogens and preventing infections while doing no harm to the patient’s tissue and preserving the catheter’s structural integrity.  To protect the value of their ideas, the students also initiated a patent process that provided the initial basis for an IP portfolio that includes 30 issued patents with additional applications pending.

CD: Tell us about Light Line Medical’s team.

KH: Light Line Medical’s team has significant experience in catheter-related technology within the medical device industry. Each of the following leaders has successfully brought new products to market. Vicki is an IP attorney and the former founder/CEO of Catheter Connections (an infection control company acquired by Merit Medical). Vicki has over 40 years of pharmaceutical, MedTech, IP, and commercialization experience. Robert Hitchcock, Ph.D., is the Chief Technical Officer with over 35 years of medical device expertise (co-founder of Catheter Connections) and a professor of Bioengineering at the University of Utah. I (Kari Haab) am the Head of Operations and have over 15 years of experience in medical device operations and quality in start-ups and Becton Dickenson. Lastly, Kevin Shifrin is the Vice President of Marketing with over 25 years as a medical device executive (Hospira and C.R. Bard).

CD: Light Line Medical has been to RESI conferences before. How did you initially learn about the conference and what works for you attending RESI?

Kevin Shifrin (KS): RESI provides a dynamic and focused environment for start-up leaders to engage with investors, service providers, and suppliers. We learned about RESI from our discussions with other start-ups and our networking efforts on the east coast. The primary reason we returned in 2023 is because we saw it as a good opportunity to engage with new potential investors.

CD: What stage of fundraising is Light Line Medical in and what are your goals in 2024?

KS: We are currently in Series A with a target of $7M with only about $875k available left for additional investors, which will be followed by a $30M Series B. Series B funds will be used to drive the commercialization effort of our first product targeted for Peritoneal Dialysis and fund the product Development and Clinical trials for our urological foley catheter product.

CD: Congratulations on your first-place win in RESI Boston September Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC)! What do you think was the key to your success at RESI September?

KH: Thanks for the opportunity to provide an overview of Light Line Medical (LLM).  I think that LLM’s mission of using visible light to solve the world’s greatest cause of morbidity and the largest source of avoidable medical costs today was a key factor in the win. The LLM technology addresses a substantial “unmet need”.  The positive feedback we received at RESI highlighted key points about the current reimbursement strategy, the extensive IP coverage, and our key partnerships with Mayo Clinic and Medline industries — all of these are additional positive elements of the Light Line story.

CD: What advice would you like to give to fellow entrepreneurs about RESI conferences?

KS: Our advice is to ensure you start scheduling your investor meetings early and sign up for the presentation. While the poster is a great way to provide key highlights, most of the visits to our poster were driven by the pitch I gave to the panel of judges.

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Manager, LSN

Life Science Nation (LSN) prepares early-stage entrepreneurs for their Global Roadshow Campaign. This begins with determining where you are in the preparation and execution process. LSN specializes in the process of launching your fundraising campaign.

Are you prepared to launch?

Do you have your unique and compelling story down? Successful entrepreneurs are always the best storytellers. LSN can help determine if you do, we can offer suggestions and education on developing a compelling narrative.	Watch LSN Webinar – It All Starts with The Story
Is your story supported by a strong elevator pitch, pitch deck and executive summary?  LSN provides templates and formats to prepare for potential investors. Click logos below to see examples.
What does your current partner and investor target list look like?  LSN can ignite and create a better global target list. The LSN Investor Database covers over 10 types of investors including: Angel Groups Corporate Venture Capital Endowments/Foundations Family Office/Private Wealth Funds Government Organizations Hedge Funds Institutional Alternative Investors Large Pharma/ Biotech Companies Private Equity Venture Capital Companies can cast a wide net, looking at all types of investors and assessing which would be the best partner moving forward. When evaluating investors, companies can download or export search results and set up email alerts, taking advantage of the constantly updated new profiles as LSN continues to curate the database…Learn More
Do you have a CRM to organize and manage the process? It is impossible to manage 600-800 accounts in a spreadsheet. The LSN investor database can be integrated into Salesforce…Learn More
Do you have the right staff person that is assigned to setting up meetings? This is where 99% of the startups fail. They have no designated part-time or full-time staff dedicated to setting up meetings for the CEO and then monitoring and documenting how the meeting went and what the deliverables and next steps are. This is a crucial but overlooked aspect of fundraising and why most attempts fail. RAISING MONEY IS A NUMBERS GAME. Having a dedicated staff person who can do the canvassing, tracking, and follow-up is how the game is played.
Do you have meaningful conferences scheduled and accounted for on your calendar? Remember the NUMBERS GAME? LSN hosts The Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) conference series that connects start-ups to early-stage investors and strategic channel partners. RESI maximizes fundraising companies’ efforts to find partners who are a fit for their technology and stage of development. RESI is uniquely cross-border and cross-domain, connecting start-ups with 10 categories of global investors across the silos of drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital health (4 Ds). RESI caters to both the earliest-stage start-ups, those seeking grants, seed, and angel capital, and the early-stage firms who seek series A and B funding. RESI is a unique and powerful tool for sourcing assets and advancing innovation across early-stage life science and healthcare…Learn More	Visit RESI Website: RESIConference.com

At Life Science Nation we have a dedicated research team that meets regularly with early-stage investors. The LSN team has a keen understanding of what investors and strategic partners are looking for and we specialize in working with startups and plugging them into the LSN platform and aiding in their global fundraising and partnering initiatives. Let us take you through this step-by-step process and see where you are and how we can prepare you for success.

Read This: 7 Startups, 7 Unicorns, and $7M of a $37M Round Raised at RESI – An interview with Thomas Farb-Horch, CEO, Thrive Bioscience

By Joey Wong, Investor Research Analyst, Hong Kong BD, LSN

The LSN team will be collaborating with Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (HKSTP) on October 19-20 and Life Science Incubator (Singapore) on October 29 to deliver the LSN Entrepreneurial Education boot camp to fundraising CEOs and scientist-entrepreneurs, aiming to help kick start their fundraising campaign and business developments on a truly global scale, and enhance LSN’s presence in the Asia Pacific region.

In recent years, the global healthcare and life science industries have undergone a remarkable transformation, characterized by increased capital inflow, soaring investment activities and groundbreaking innovations. Asia emerged as the epicenter of this moving landscape and Hong Kong and Singapore have solidified their positions as innovation hubs that offered unique advantages for fostering life science and healthcare innovation ecosystems. Their strategic locations, favorable government policies & promotions, and robust infrastructures make them the preferred destinations for early-stage life science and healthcare innovators who are looking to make an impact in one of the largest and most rapidly evolving life science markets, the Asia Pacific region, estimated to be USD 7.21 billion as of 2023.

Here are some recent highlights on Hong Kong and Singapore’s innovation ecosystems:

Geographic Advantage: Collaboration with China’s GBA

The strategic geographical location of both Hong Kong and Singapore are an invaluable asset for their life science and healthcare innovation ecosystem. Hong Kong, located on the southern coast of Mainland China, is a bridge to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area (GBA), which comprises several fastest-developed, major cities of Mainland China. Notably, there has been a surge in collaborations aimed at promoting tech and life science innovations between the governments, with a new science park established on the Hong Kong-ShenZhen border. In 2023, special measures were placed for medical devices and drugs that were approved in Hong Kong. This geographic position presents unparalleled opportunities for cross-border collations and access to the vast Chinese market.

R&D Powerhouse and Elite Research Facilities

Both Hong Kong and Singapore have made substantial efforts in fostering a conducive environment for research and development. With over 50 national and international research facilities, state-of-the-art laboratories and top-ranked universities, there is no lack of scientific talent and research capacities in HK and Singapore.

From 2021-2023, both Hong Kong and Singapore have set up partnerships with leading global pharmaceutical companies, such as Johnson & Johnson, Roche and AstraZeneca, to promote healthcare innovations and co-incubate early-stage projects.

Government Supports

In addition to research facilities, the government policies in both regions are designed to promote life science and healthcare innovations. These include grants, tax incentives and various financial support schemes. Prominent government initiatives such as Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) and Hong Kong’s Research Grants Council (RGC) actively support scientific research and innovation.

LSN believes a global ecosystem with strong interconnections and cross border collaborations will benefit both investors and entrepreneurs from around the globe, driving healthcare and life science forward with quality projects being properly funded despite their locations. Below are information and registration links for the two Boot Camps. I hope you can join us and we look forward to meeting healthcare & life science innovators in Hong Kong and Singapore.