Keep Your Startup Out of the “Valley of Death”

7 Jun

Join Life Science Managing Director, Nishta Rao and First Republic Bank at 12 PM EDT to learn how to keep your startup out of the “Valley of Death” and how a solid banking partner can help and add value to the early stage. Additional speakers include:
Richard Austin, PhD, MBA, CEO, Reglagene
Bhawanjit Brar, PhD, Founder & CEO, Jaan Biotherapeutics
Jessica Gibson, MBA, Co-Founder & CEO, Ariel Medicine
Danny Talati, PharmD, MBA, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy, Cognesy Therapeutics

We hope you’ll join us!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83314503728?pwd=UVFDLzB4Qm50UlZmelRRNmRyNWJNUT09

LSN Strikes Again, with a Content Only $250 Audience Access Ticket (AAT) to RESI June

2 Jun

By Dennis Ford, Founder and CEO of Life Science Nation, Creator of the RESI Conference Series

During Covid, Life Science Nation (LSN) changed the partnering landscape and emphatically proved that virtual “matched” meetings could thrive and deals could get done. LSN is leading the way again with this special $250 ticket aimed at scientist-entrepreneurs and first-time fundraising CEOs. Many of these players lack a support system to help them navigate the move from academia to a commercial startup entity. In many instances, they underestimate the critical importance of sales, marketing, and business development even at an early stage, and lack a marketing budget putting conferences out of reach.

With the Audience Access Ticket, these companies gain live access to RESI’s numerous panels, workshops, and pitch sessions, allowing them to benefit from investors, industry experts and successful entrepreneurs providing insights that can help them understand what they need to make the best impression in their fundraising campaigns. In addition to the live access, users also get access to all recordings for an additional three weeks following the conference.

Dennis Ford, Founder and CEO of LSN statesExposing the startup executives to the LSNs global network early on in the partnering process through an Audiences Access Ticket, will really flip a few switches on in their heads. They will be able to see firsthand how other entrepreneurs have successfully executed their global partnering campaigns.  Seeing is believing, and early stage entrepreneurs need to observe how other entrepreneurs prepare for events like RESIs Innovator’s Pitch Challenge and hear directly from scientist-entrepreneurs and fundraising CEOs in the Tales From The Road panels. LSN has been delivering a line-up of the who’s who of capital investors and licensing partners who participate on panels aimed at providing entrepreneurs with insight as to how they fill their investment mandates for portfolio companies and how Pharma business development executives source and license technology assets for their product pipelines.”

Candice He, LSN’s VP of Business Development says “Providing access to the 16 capital investor and licensing partner panels is exactly what is needed for these first-time entrepreneurs to cross the chasm and get serious about their partnering initiatives. LSN believes that we have an invaluable content resource that we need to share that and get the early stage executives immersed in the partnering marketplace.“

RESI is unique in that its main draw is its match-based partnering platform. Most other life science conferences use content as the lead draw and partnering secondary.  However that doesn’t change the fact that RESI content is also world class. Because RESI is a dedicated partnering event, its content is 100% partnering oriented, and all the panels and workshops revolve around investors and licensing partners educating entrepreneurs on how they source and evaluate, and their process of doing business with startups.  Plugging into this network, even at the earliest stages, allows companies to get a head start on learning who the key players are, and can help them more easily navigate their future partnering campaigns. Learn more about each content feature of the Audience Access pass and register today for a special $250 offer!

Digital RESI June 7-9, 2022 Agenda
Tuesday (6/7) Wednesday (6/8) Thursday (6/9)
10AM EDT IPC Session #1 Therapeutics IPC Session #4 Therapeutics IPC Session #8 AI (Devices & Digital Health)
11AM EDT Beyond Big Pharma
Partnering & Perspectives from Small and Mid-Sized Biotech
AI vs. Life Science
Which Comes First in Early-Stage Investment?
Age-Tech Care Management
Technology Improving the Lives of Older Adults
12PM EDT Keeping Your Life Science Startup Out of the “Valley of Death” Negotiating Term Sheets: What’s Best for the Company and What’s Best for You? SEEDing Biomedical Innovation: Support for Small Businesses at NIH
1PM EDT Angel Investors
Explaining the Process of Engagement
Corporate VC
The Changing Landscape & New Opportunities
Impact Investors
More Than Financial Returns
IPC Session #2 Medical Devices IPC Session #5 Medical Devices IPC Session #9 Therapeutics and R&D Services
2PM EDT The Neuroscience of Aging
Aging Impact on the Nervous System
Asia Cross-Border
Building Global Partnerships
Team, Tech, and Traction in Early-Stage AI
Building Your Startup as a Triple Threat
3PM EDT Fundraising Bootcamp IPC Session #4 Therapeutics Software-Enabled Medical Devices
Investing at the Intersection of Digital Health and Medtech
4PM EDT Tales from the Road: AI Innovation in Healthcare
Standing Out in a Growing Field
Tales from the Road: Age-Related Diseases
Developing Prevention & Treatments
Tales from the Road: Biotech and MedTech Innovators
Entrepreneurs on Their Fundraising Journey
5PM EDT IPC Session #3 Devices & Diagnostics IPC Session #7 AI (Devices & Digital Health) IPC Session #10 Therapeutics

Investors Making a Splash at RESI

2 Jun
By Claire Jeong, Chief Conference Officer, Vice President of Investor Research, Asia BD, LSN claireRESI is a frequent stop along the way for many investors seeking assets in early-stage life science and healthcare. Additionally, new investors are added each week to the RESI network and attend events with an open mind, looking to source promising assets. Check out the confirmed investors for Digital RESI, June 7-9. Partnering is open and most meetings are booked in the final days leading up to the conference, so there is still time left to make important connections. Learn more and sign up today!

Confirmed Digital RESI June 2022 Investors

Entrepreneur Workshops at Digital RESI June

2 Jun

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

RESI goes beyond traditional partnering to provide the best value for fundraising entrepreneurs. We have partnered with industry leaders offering insights, support, and services specially tailored to the early-stage, life science, and healthcare startup. These are practical workshops, designed to be interactive and informative, target important topics beyond fundraising and licensing and have a strong impact on the success of an early-stage company. Check out our lineup and learn more about what Digital RESI June offers! Interested in hosting your own workshop to the RESI community? Contact us to learn more!

June 7, 12 PM EDT – Keeping Your Life Science Startup Out of the “Valley of Death”

  • Nishta Rao, Managing Director, Life Science, First Republic Bank (Moderator)
  • Richard Austin, PhD, MBA, CEO, Reglagene
  • Bhawanjit Brar, PhD, Founder & CEO, Jaan Biotherapeutics
  • Jessica Gibson, MBA, Co-Founder & CEO, Ariel Medicine
  • Danny Talati, PharmD, MBA, Former BD Lead, ATAI Life Sciences

Life Science companies need more from a bank than just accounts and transactions. The right banking partner brings a mix of excellent service, industry expertise, and the ability to help companies grow. Join Nishta Rao of First Republic Bank to hear what companies should be looking for in a sound banking partner.


June 7, 3 PM EDT – Fundraising Bootcamp: Taking Your Campaign from Regional to Global

  • Claire Jeong, Vice President, Investor Research, Japan & Korea BD, Life Science Nation
  • Greg Mannix, Vice President, International BD, Life Science Nation

This workshop is designed to help scientist-entrepreneurs navigate the world of fundraising. It starts out by debunking some commonly held misconceptions about early-stage startups and fundraising, followed by tips on how to improve your chances and increasing investor visibility.


June 8, 12 PM EDT – Negotiating Term Sheets: What’s Best for the Company and What’s Best for You?

  • Brian Gordon, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
  • Aroma Sharma, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery

This interactive workshop, organized and led by McDermott Will & Emery, will provide wisdom to early-stage CEOs and management on the latest trends in term sheets, with a focus on founder and management equity opportunities. The workshop will cover common issues of concern to entrepreneurs (valuation/dilution, liquidation preference, board makeup, protective provisions, anti-dilution). Experts from the legal, investment and entrepreneurial community will discuss the interplay of financing milestones in the term sheet discussion.


June 9, 12 PM EDT – SEEDing Biomedical Innovation: Support for Small Businesses at NIH

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

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.

Hot Investor Mandate: VC Firm With USA & China Teams Invests Up to $30M in Innovative Therapeutics Platforms from Pre-Clinical to Late Clinical Stage

2 Jun

A venture capital firm with USA offices is actively seeking new investment opportunities. The fund will make 15-20 investments in total with no set number of investments per year. The firm will be actively involved in their portfolio companies and will invest up to $30 million over the life of each portfolio company. Initial check sizes will depend on the company’s stage of development and their needs prior to investment. The firm will invest in North American or European companies.

The firm also has a team in Shanghai focused on China providing a global reach for entrepreneurs.

The firm is focused solely on therapeutics and therapeutic platforms. The fund will invest at any stage of development from preclinical / discovery stage through Phase 3 clinical, and will invest in all therapeutic areas. Key areas of development include the following:

– Company building (Seed and Series A formation investments with a longer time horizon)

– Market deals Series A – C rounds

– Market opportunistic deals

The firm can work with companies at all stages of their evolution. The team has the capability and experience to build companies from the ground up, however generally gets involved with at least the beginnings of a management team in place. The firm can both lead and co-invest along syndicates and will generally seek board representation in portfolio companies.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Early-Stage Investment Firm is Most Interested in USA-Based Medical Devices and Research Tools, Open to Other Geographies Based on Fit

2 Jun

An early-stage investment and development firm located in Tucson, Arizona. The firm has more than $300 million in assets and operates under an “Evergreen” structure. The firm is flexible in investment size and structure, but prefer initial investments in the $1-5M range and the firm reserves additional funds for the subsequent funding of successful companies.

The firm invests in medical devices and research tools. For medical devices, the firm prefers those that can be approved under PMA guidelines. For research tools, the firm invests in technologies that enhance and enable the discovery and manufacture of therapeutics and diagnostics.

The firm seeks to invest in small, early-stage companies with a lean but strong and qualified management/execution team. The firm prefers to invest in companies in the U.S., but will consider opportunities in Europe, Israel and Australia.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: China-Based PE Firm Invests Up to $40M in Medical Devices, Diagnostics, Digital Health, and R&D Services Companies, Strong China Market Potential is a Plus

2 Jun

A private equity firm headquartered in China provides venture capital and growth capital to growth-stage companies across various industries, including life sciences, Internet, consumables, software, and high technology sectors (i.e. drones). The firm is interested in all types of life science companies except drug development. The allocation size will vary, but the firm has the capability to allocate up to $40 million per company, depending on the opportunity. The investment is typically in form of equity, but convertible loan will be considered as well. The firm has an emphasis on technologies and products, and it is currently seeking new investment opportunities globally. Companies with a China angle will be a big plus.

The firm is currently seeking to invest in medical device, diagnostics, biotech R&D services and healthcare IT sectors. The firm is very opportunistic in terms of subsectors and indications. Currently the firm will not invest in companies targeting drug development. The firm will consider companies at all stages of development, from pre-clinical stage all through to commercial stage; however, the firm prefers companies in the business proven stage, where the product is on the market and may already have customer feedback.

The firm primarily invests in growth-stage private companies. The firm does not have specific requirements for companies’ management team or revenues. The firm will take a board seat post-investment.

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