Hot Investor Mandate: Investment Arm of Biotech Company Invests in Seed to Series A Rounds, With Strong Focus on Novel, Pre-Clinical Small Molecule Therapeutics

23 Jun

The investment division of a biotech company is solely dedicated to the identification and success of early-stage, biotech start-ups for the firm’s incubation and investment platforms. The firm’s commitment is to operate a collaborative platform for innovative biotech companies from around the world, and for anyone aiming to develop an idea with transformative or strong potential.

The firm invests globally in biotech innovation with novel solutions to unmet medical needs across multiple therapeutic areas. Leveraging the firm’s experience and technical advantages in the field of novel drug R&D, the firm provides both cash and in-kind services (EFS) for their investment. Additionally, based on the need, the firm also offers value-added services in operation and logistic support, BD and Financing assistance, etc. to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies. The firm can allocate from $500,000 to $5,000,000 of equity capital or convertible notes in seed or Series A.

The firm focuses on novel, preclinical therapeutics and is agnostic to indication, modality and geography. The firm is currently most interested in small molecule first-in-class drugs but is open to considering all drug types. For therapeutics, the firm is open to invest from super early-stage to pre-clinical stage. The firm will not invest in Diagnostics, Medical Devices, or Healthcare IT companies.

The firm does not have specific requirements for companies or management teams.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot Investor Mandate: VC Firm With USA & Europe Offices Invests in Venture to Growth-Stage Digital Health Companies and Data-Driven Devices & Diagnostics Companies

23 Jun

A venture capital firm with offices in USA and Europe is actively seeking innovative investment opportunities with high potential for growth. With their latest fund, the firm invests in digital technologies in the life sciences space. The firm prefers to invest in venture to growth stage companies – in general, companies looking for seed funding will be considered too early-stage for the firm. With this fund, the firm seeks to make 18-20 investments with initial investment sizes in the range of $3-10M. The firm will focus on companies that are based in USA, Canada, and Western Europe, but may review those from other geographies on a case by case basis.

The firm is most interested in life science companies with a digital component. This includes healthcare IT/digital health, utilization of AI/machine learning for drug discovery, genomics, precision medicine, etc. The firm is open to medical devices or diagnostics that have a digital component. In particular, the firm is most interested in technologies that are dedicated to the treatment of chronic disorders and lead to improved outcomes and lower care costs in hospital systems. The firm will not consider traditional biopharmaceutical modalities.

The firm carefully evaluates investment opportunities based on the quality and experienced of the management team as well as market opportunity. The firm is open to both leading and co-investing, and in the former case will seek board representation.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot Investor Mandate: Japanese VC Invests in Promising Early, Pre-Clinical Stage Technologies Across All Life Science Sectors, Focusing on Companies in USA & Europe

23 Jun

An investment firm in Japan is currently investing from its second fund which had an initial close in 2020. The firm is actively seeking investment opportunities in Seed to Series A rounds, and can invest up to $3M over the company’s lifecycle. The firm is open to companies based in Japan, USA, and Europe.

The firm is interested in cutting edge technologies in all areas of life sciences, and will consider all opportunities in therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health across all indications. As MIJ is an early-stage investor, the firm will consider any technologies in pre-clinical stage of development.

The firm does not have specific company or management team requirements. The firm can act as either a lead or co-investor, but if the company is very early-stage, the firm will expect to have a more active role in supporting the company’s growth and will seek to act as the lead investor. In addition, the firm has partnered with numerous organizations and has a strong network the firm can leverage to provide operational/commercialization support.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Digital RESI June IPC Winners

16 Jun

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

claire

At Digital RESI June, nearly 50 life science and healthcare startups participated in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC), a unique pitching opportunity for early-stage companies in therapeutics, medical device, diagnostics, digital health, and R&D/services sectors.

All attendees are encouraged to participate in viewing each finalist’s dedicated webpage, pitching materials, and live session in order to vote for the best pitch at RESI. Everyone from fellow startup founders to active early-stage investors votes for their favorite companies based on the materials displayed on their dedicated landing pages (pitch video, slide deck, executive summary, etc.) as well as their performance in live Q&A sessions, in which founders pitch directly to and participate in a subsequent Q&A with investor judges.

Life Science Nation is pleased to share the winners of last week’s IPC who received the most votes during the 3-day conference. Congratulations to the winners! Check them out below and see the full list of finalists. The IPC returns to an in-person format September 21-22 at RESI Boston! Contact us to learn more and apply.

Surgical Automations, Inc. – First Place
We are building the Tesla for endoscopic procedures. We are developing Automated Endoscopic Robots for procedures such as Upper and Lower GI endoscopy, Cystoscopy and Ureteroscopy, Endotracheal Intubation and Bronchoscopy. Our core technology is AI based Automated Robotic Endoluminal Navigation (AREN) and is supplemented by an IoT infrastructure that enables us to offer an integrated stakeholder experience to patients, physicians and the hospital leadership. The automated scanning of the anatomy is performed in a predetermined fashion ensuring all areas are visualized. During scanning, our AI/ML algorithms that are developed after extensive training on the images, identify the target anatomy and screen for any visual abnormality. If identified and when indicated, the robot will recommend the procedure to perform. Upon confirmation from the physician, the robot will mark a trajectory on the lesion predicting the exact location where the intervention will be done. Upon confirmation from the physician, the robot will perform the procedure. All this is automated and done under the supervision of the physician who has the capability to manually override at any time. Additionally, in addition to providing us with important data for business analytics, the IoT infrastructure and data warehouse also offers value-added interactive interfaces to our stakeholders for a superior experience and engagement.

JOCAVIO Co. Ltd. – Second Place
JOCAVIO Co. Ltd. was founded in 2021 by Drs. Tomoko and Hiroyuki Inoue together with seasoned industry experts in 2021 with a vision to provide “Hope for the Irreplaceable Lives of Cancer Patients”. JOCAVIO’s core expertise is genetic manipulation of vaccinia virus and the unique coating technology that enable repeated systemic administration of virus vectors. Moreover, we utilize a promising nanobody technology that allows multi-epitope binding for cancer specific tropism. Our primary focus is a novel oncolytic virus that provides not only robust efficacy with multiple targets but also possesses a “kill switch” that inhibits virus replication in case of excess activity. Utilizing our expertise on vaccinia virus, we have a project on SARS-Cov-2 vaccine that would be effective regardless of different variants. This project is an expedited project in needs of effective vaccines and will enter FIH in 3Q 2023 and we expect to complete P2 in 2024. Similarly, some early pipelines in consideration include vaccines that are effective for Zika and Dengue fever. We are looking for investors to help us in seed finance to support FIH in 2024-2025. Also we are keen on a strategic partnership with companies who are interested in co-development of our vaccine projects in APAC countries.

SynCell Biotechnology, Inc. – Third Place
SynCell’s business is focused on making the cutting edge a reality, offering a pipeline of novel antimicrobial products from our patented platform that improves patients’ quality of life, enhances the quality of care, and reduces the burden on society from the costs of antimicrobial resistance.

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RESI Boston Panels

16 Jun

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.

RESI Boston Preliminary Agenda
Sept. 21 – Wednesday Sept. 22 – Thursday
9 AM EDT Angels
Explaining the Process of Engagement		 Digital Health
Leveraging Software, Lowering Costs & Improving Care
10 AM EDT Medical Devices
Investing in Novel Engineering		 Big Pharma
Strategies for Preclinical & Early Clinical Assets
11 AM EDT Tales from the Road
The Fundraising Biotech Founder		 Tales from the Road
Medtech Startups Redefining Possibility
12 PM EDT Lunch
1 PM EDT Diagnostics
Next-Gen Tech Changing Treatment Paradigms		 Corporate VC
The Changing Landscape & New Opportunities
2 PM EDT Tales from the Road
AI at the Intersection of Health and Tech		 AI Healthcare Investments
Defining Tech and Discovering Potential
3 PM EDT New, Now, and Next in Longevity Investment
Opportunity and Priorities in Age-Tech		 Tales from the Road
Age-Tech Innovators on Their Fundraising Journey
4 PM EDT Family Offices
Perspectives on Seed & Series A Rounds		 Oncology Innovation
The Search for New Approaches to Diagnosing & Treating Cancer
5 PM EDT Networking Reception

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The 4 Fs of Successful Meetings

16 Jun

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!

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SEEDing Biomedical Innovation: Support for Small Businesses at NIH

9 Jun

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

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