A family office based in the US looks to invest in medical devices and diagnostics, but will also consider therapeutics and digital health. The firm generally co-invests in a syndicate, and will invest between $100-500K, depending on the stage of development of the company. The firm is currently interested in investing in companies located in North America.
The firm is focused primarily on medical devices and diagnostics, but will consider therapeutics, if they are first in class, and digital health, with a focus on AI-related technologies. The firm has focused on technologies related to oncology, diabetes and kidney diseases, but will consider other indications as well.

The firm is interested in companies with strong management teams. As the firm will generally co-invest, board representation is not usually required after investing.
If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

An investment arm of a leading conglomerate in Asia invests across public, private, and mezzanine asset classes across various industries, including life sciences and healthcare. The firm is stage agnostic, but has invested in pre-Series A and Series A rounds and has an increased interest in early-stage technologies. Investments can be made out of the firms’ proprietary capital or through special purpose vehicles (SPVs). The firm is interested in global opportunities. 
 
The firm is interested in all healthcare verticals: therapeutics, life science tools and diagnostics, medical devices, and digital health.  Within therapeutics, the firm is open to all types of modalities, indications, and therapeutic classes. The firm is stage agnostic and has invested in all rounds from pre-A to crossover rounds. 
 
The firm has no specific company or management requirements. The firm can act as either lead or co-investor. 
 
If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com. 

A Venture Capital firm in the US currently investing out of its fourth fund looks to make early-stage investments, typically in Series A companies. Investments range from $1M to $1.5M in the initial round with up to $3M in reserve for follow on financings. The firm invests across the United States. The firm prefers to syndicate rounds with additional strong institutional investors, and is willing to serve as lead investor. 
 
The firm invests solely in early-stage medical device and diagnostics companies. The firm generally looks for companies that have created an early working prototype or obtained a proof-of-concept with supporting data. 
 
The firm seeks privately-held companies and maintains positive and productive working relationships with its portfolio companies, providing proactive assistance. The firm is more open to taking significant scientific and technical risk as opposed to sales and marketing challenges, preferring it’s investment to fund clinical trials and regulatory approval. 
 
If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com. 

A life sciences venture capital firm with offices in USA and Canada has invested in over 100 companies across multiple funds. The firm typically makes initial investments ranging from $2-$6 million of equity and looks to invest $8-$12 million over the lifetime of the investment. The firm expects to make 4-6 investments over the next 12 months, and prioritizes investment opportunities that are based in USA or Canada, though they will consider opportunities beyond.  
 
The firm invests primarily in therapeutics and medical devices, and consumer health technologies. The firm generally looks for companies phase I and later that have at least some human proof-of-concept with either early human efficacy signs or very strong animal data coupled with human safety data. That said, the firm is open to earlier stage, pre-clinical companies with strong validation. The firm is agnostic in terms of modalities. 
 
The firm invests in companies throughout the United States and Canada. The firm does not look to take an active role on the management team but does look to take a board seat. 
 
If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Aa venture capital firm headquartered in the US is self-described as a thesis-driven earliest stage firm and looks to lead investments in early-stage companies that are pre-seed. The firm is currently investing out of their second fund and primarily participates in equity investments including SAFEs but will consider other types of capital structures as requested by a founder. The firm invests largely in companies based in the United States and Canada but will also consider Europe and Latin America. 
 
The firm is primarily interested in investing in companies in the digital health, diagnostics, and medical technology sectors with a focus in platform technologies. The firm will not consider investments in medical device companies. However, the firm will consider therapeutics with a platform technology component. The firm will only invest in technologies that are still pre-clinical and in development. The firm is disease agnostic and will consider companies across all indications including orphan diseases. 
 
The firm will work with experienced and inexperienced management teams. The firm looks to invest in founders who are dedicated to their technology and their company. The firm is an active investor and will take an observer board seat as determined on a case-by-case basis. The firm prefers to act as a lead investor. 
 
If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com. 

Dr. Alberto Ramos Vernieri

Interview with Dr. Alberto Ramos Vernieri, Chief Scientific Officer at Untech By Caitlin Dolegowski Marketing Manager, LSN

Caitlin Dolegowski

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

Alberto Ramos Vernieri (CSO Untech): Untech is a drug development company that is focused on chronic wounds like diabetic foot ulcers, venous ulcers and bedsores. Currently, we are developing the first all-in-one medication under prescription for chronic wound healing acceleration. It is a combination product composed of 5 marketed small molecules and 1 marketed enzyme in the pharmaceutical form of a hydrogel.
This technology has its patent granted in the USA, Israel and South Africa and through a PCT process, it was applied in 43 more countries including China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and the European Patent Office.
We finalized our preclinical trials under OECD-GLP, demonstrating that Untech provides all therapeutic requirements that International Wound Care Associations recommend. We are the first product solution that addresses the mentioned 10 therapeutic requirements at the same time and in a single product. It will accelerate the healing process from years to months, drastically reducing the probability of amputations and the rate of hospitalizations, as well as allowing patients to remain ambulatory and apply the treatment themselves. Currently we are starting our first-in-human clinical trial in Argentina.

From different regulatory reports, we qualify for a Breakthrough designation and are an ideal candidate for the 505(b)2 path in FDA. Also, as we are using approved molecules, we already know pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of each one.

CD: Tell us about your team and your locations, Delaware, and Argentina.
ARV: Untech is a company that is functioning in a holding structure. The central house (Untech Inc) is in Delaware-USA and a subsidiary in Buenos Aires-Argentina. As our working plan is based on outsourcing every key activity we don’t discard incorporate our company in Europe and Asia.
Our management team is composed of three scientists and an entrepreneur. Our CEO and co-founder Ruben Salim Brovia is a technological serial entrepreneur, his background is in Business management and he has already co-founded three startups in the US, Spain and Portugal. I’m the CSO, co-founder, and the main inventor of this technology. As a researcher I spent the past 17 years studying chronic wounds, I published multiple articles and books about it and my work was recognised with several awards in international scientific congresses. Doctors Nicolas Cerusico and Romina Chavez Jara did their PhD and postdoctoral studies in the pathophysiology of these injuries and in the action mechanism of this medication.

CD: This was Untech’s first RESI conference. How did you learn of the RESI conference series?

ARV: In 2022 we started our internationalization process by presenting our projects in different events all over the world. We were in Seoul, Berlin, Lisbon, Bali, Dubai, San Diego, San Francisco, New York and Boston.
Last year in Boston, we were lucky enough to meet Mr. Gregory Mannix from Life Science Nation who introduced us to the event and showed us the benefits of using the RESI conference for our fundraising process.

CD: What stage of fundraising is Untech in and what were you looking to accomplish at RESI?

ARV: During the pitch challenge in the RESI event, we have formally opened our Series A. That is to advance with our clinical development plan in FDA for our first clinical indication. Our intention was to know more about the professional VC mindset and what they are looking for in therapeutic projects. By talking with them, we improved our complete data room and pitch deck and now we consider we are “investor ready”.

CD: What worked well for you at a RESI conference?

ARV: I think that the most important thing is that we have known an incredible ecosystem of entrepreneurs that share with us our same problems and concerns. We validate that our project could result in interest even for VCs that are used to seeing hundreds of projects every month. We get several contacts not only with investors but also with different services companies that could provide us with all that we need regarding regulatory, clinical development, business development and even seeking non-dilutive funds.

CD: Congratulations on your third-place finish in the RESI Boston June Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC)! What does this success mean to Untech?

ARV: When you start a life science project in a place that is far away from where everything occurs, it’s really important to continuously validate your plan and your knowledge. This prize is exactly that because the judges of the contest are people with a lot of experience and well recognized in the field. Each question from this kind of person is always useful to learn more about those things you can’t learn in other ways. So, we are really happy for their validation, and this encourages us to keep going on this path.

CD: What advice would you like to provide to fellow entrepreneurs?

ARV: Life science projects are usually long-term and very complex ones. It could take many years if you don’t validate your assumptions. That validation usually comes from experienced people and this kind of contest is an incredible opportunity to have access to that experience. The most important thing is not to win but to validate your assumptions. For my colleagues entrepreneurs in Latin America: We normally start our entrepreneur path with very low self-confidence. Don’t do that. You can do anything, you just need to learn how.

By Karen Deyo, Director of Product, Israel BD, LSN

Life Science Nation (LSN) spends a lot of time with first-time and early-stage CEOs.  Typically, they have their tech transfer license from academia and are now seeking non-dilutable money from the federal government, state regional entities, foundations, and patient groups.  

The challenge is crossing the chasm between academic research and entering the start-up business domain. The good news is there is no shortage of advice and programs to help steer you in the right direction.  The big issue that we see at LSN is that the entrepreneurs are coming to us with a problem-solution marketing slide set, and most are very generic and do not do much to really separate a company from all the other companies that are all competing for the same attending from the global partners who seek them.  

LSN spends a lot of time with the startup getting the story of the founders and the technology straight, and then concentrates on the tactical: how to plan and execute a global partnering campaign. LSN’s Founder & CEO, Dennis Ford, will host free webinars this summer, with a series of three back-to-back presentations that target the challenges and myths of the startup CEO.  

The series begins with the First-Time CEOs webinar on July 25, 12PM ET (Eastern Time). This session will cover some of the most common pitfalls that catch first-time and serial entrepreneurs off guard. From false premise and being tentative to surrounding yourself with executives that do not have augmentative and complementary skillsets, there are many things that can slow the growth of your early-stage life science entity. By learning how to avoid these issues and not run yourself over, your chances of making it to the market will increase greatly.  

Next up is the Launching Your Startup webinar on August 1, 12PM ET. Launching a startup begins with commitment. Commitment to your startup initiative, your executive team, and your partners. Learn how to sustain this commitment by creating a proof of concept or prototype and create market traction initially, considerations to your corporate structure, simplifying finances in the beginning and what tools to utilize. This presentation walks you through an honest look at best practices to launch a life science startup.     

The series wraps with the It All Starts with a Story webinar on August 8, 12PM ET. The most successful entrepreneurs are always the best storytellers. Finding a way to naturally formulate your company’s unique story and portraying this through multiple modalities whether it be a 1-minute elevator pitch, or a 12-slide pitch deck is one of the most effective ways to get potential investors and partners on board with your value proposition. This boot camp will cover the importance of entrepreneurial agency, finding your voice, and developing a compelling narrative for the different players that will emerge along a deal chain, and language tools to refine your hook. 

Scan the links on the banner to register for these free webinars hosted on Zoom.