Hot Investor Mandate 3: Corporate Venture Arm of Leading Netherlands’ Telecom Service Provider Looking for Data and Software-Based Healthcare Technologies

April 19, 2018July 6, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

Established in 2015, a corporate venture capital investment arm of a leading telecom and ICT service provider has interests in a variety of sectors in relation to their corporate activities, one of them being Digital Health. The firm manages a €70M revolving venture fund via which the firm invests in fast growing technology companies (Series A-C). In addition, the firm selectively invest in venture capital investment funds that complement the firm’ direct investment strategy and provide broader access to new technology companies and partnership opportunities. In January 2018, the firm for example initiated an early stage (seed) investment fund with multiple Dutch investors.

The firm aims to create value-creating partnerships with innovative technology companies providing access to capital, industry expertise, professional network and customer channels. The firm mainly focuses on opportunities based in Europe but is also interested to get in touch with companies which are located in USA and Canada, as long as they have an interest in expanding their commercial activities to the Netherlands. The firm’s initial ticket size typically ranges from €0.5M to €3M for minority stakes, building long-term partnerships, ultimately aiming for external exits, not acquisitions. The firm is open to both leading and co-investing, depending on the proposition. While the firm does not aim for a specific number of investments, the firm has made 6 investments per year since establishment.

The firm is highly interested in B2B/B2C software-based technology companies. The firm will only consider medical or diagnostic hardware companies that have a strong data or software component. The firm is especially interested in technologies that enable easier and smarter health management for patients and or medical professionals (i.e. self-monitoring devices for chronic disease management with real-time data accessibility, preventative healthcare, etc.). The firm is also interested in propositions that focus on (cyber) security solutions and or propositions that create efficiencies/cost-reductions within health organizations.

The firm seeks technologies that have a strategic fit or enough potential for a future collaboration with the firm’s health business, that fall under the firm’s sectors of interest. The firm prefers to work with management teams with a proven track record and wants to see market traction/validation, with at least €0.5M in annual revenues.

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

Hot Investor Mandate 4: Toronto-Based Global Firm Seeks to Invest Early-Stage Medical Device, Diagnostics, and Digital Health Companies

April 19, 2018July 6, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A firm based in Toronto that has offices worldwide manages a variety of different investment vehicles including private equity and multi-strategy funds. In the life sciences, the firm makes equity investments typically at Series A; initial investments range from $100,000-$1 million with follow on capital available of $1-3 million. The firm focuses on companies based in North America but has the capacity to invest worldwide.

In the life sciences, the firm focuses on medical devices, diagnostics and digital health companies. The firm prefers to invest in companies that are close to commercialization or which are already generating revenue (for example, device companies must ideally be ready to file for a CE Mark, 510k or Health Canada application).

The firm prefers to invest in experienced entrepreneurs who have deep knowledge of their sector. The firm only invests in companies developing products that have a clear path to market, and which serve a clear need; the firm prefers to invest in companies that are no more than a year from obtaining revenues. As the firm has offices globally, the firm is well placed to help portfolio companies make international distribution or license/royalty agreements. The firm invests in both public and privately-held companies.

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

Mark Your Calendar: RESI Boston Summer on June 4th, 2018

April 12, 2018June 22, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Samuel Rubin, Business Development Manager, LSN

Life Science Nation (LSN) and the RESI Conference now sets its sights on RESI Boston on June 4th, the day before the annual BIO Convention. This is the second year in a row LSN is holding a RESI Conference during BIO week, which promises to bring more than 15,000 life science executives to Boston. RESI specializes in early stage investor partnering, touting hundreds of qualified investment firms interested in meeting with innovative life science startups. No other Conference has such a deeply-rooted focus on early stage investment, complete with a robust data platform to connect with only those firms who are the right match. RESI will therefore offer significant value to folks traveling to BIO looking for something to do the Monday before BIO kicks off.

Registration is now open at the Early Bird Rate. If you would like to learn more about RESI Boston and why it’s a great choice for incorporating into your summer fundraising plans, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Click here to learn more about Premier Partnering Plus

RESI on MaRS Innovation Challenge – Check Out the Winners

April 12, 2018June 25, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Chris Cummings, Senior Marketing Manager, LSN

On April 10, more than 600 entrepreneurs and investors entered the exhibition hall at MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. They were greeted by 30 Innovation Challenge finalists across therapeutics, medical device, diagnostics, and healthcare IT sectors. The 30 companies, hand selected by LSN’s scientific and commercial review team, competed directly on merits of innovation and commercial viability. We wish all our finalists the best in bringing their products forward toward commercialization, but there could only be 3 top prize winners.

First Place: Neurescence

Neurescence has developed and commercialized a miniature microscope initially targeted to the neurology research market. Our Quartet™ system gets implanted in multiple regions of the brain and spine and follows the activities of 100s of neurons in each region for months while the subject freely moves around. Our hardware-software suite is the only technology that allows establishing a causal connection between the effect of the treatment, such as a drug, on both the neuronal micro-circuitry and the disease phenotype. This extremely powerful approach takes the process of discovering and developing treatments from a trial and error method to an intelligent design.

Lucy Parkinson, VP of Investor Research, Life Science Nation | Yasaman Soudagar, Founder & CEO, Neurescence | Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation | Ying Tam, Managing Director, Health Ventures, MaRS

Second Prize: Acorn Biolabs

People’s own cells have and will continue to become the foundation of the most important future biomedical therapeutics and regenerative medicine strategies. Aged cells, however, are highly mutated and deteriorated versions of our current cells. Precisely when people will need high-quality cells the most, their cells at that time will be at their worst. Acorn Biolabs has developed a novel non-invasive at-home kit to collect and viably transport cells. Acorn cryopreserves these cells as a way to ensure people will always have access to their own young therapeutically-capable cells. The value potential is immense; customer’s preserved cells are a life-long living resource, retrievable for direct use with advanced cell-based therapeutics, and analyzable for personal genomics, epigenomics, proteomics and beyond.

Lucy Parkinson, VP of Investor Research, Life Science Nation | Steven ten Holder, Founder & COO, Acorn Biolabs | Drew Taylor, CEO, Acorn Biolabs | Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation | Ying Tam, Managing Director, Health Ventures, MaRS

Third Prize: Therachat

Therachat is a mental health platform which simplifies homework in therapy for therapists & psychologists & their clients. Therapists & psychologists can customize the homework experience for their clients via a simple web application and their clients can do their homework on an easy-to-use, HIPAA compliant, mobile application. We believe that homework needed a simpler way and that’s what we have built! Check http://www.therachat.io to find out more!

**Sajid Reshamwala, Director of Design, Therachat | Kouris Kalligas, CEO & Founder, Therachat | Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation | Ying Tam, Managing Director, Health Ventures, MaRS**

If you missed out on the opportunity to compete in the RESI on MaRS Innovation Challenge, we’d be happy to take your application for our upcoming Boston event on June 4th.

Apply for RESI Boston Innovation Challenge Now!

RESI Lands on MaRS in 5 Days – Check out the Program Guide

April 5, 2018June 25, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Nono Hu, Director of Marketing, LSN

In 5 days, The Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Conference will return to MaRS Discovery Centre, Toronto for the third time during the Toronto Health Innovation Week. So far, we have over 700 meetings booked through the RESI Partnering Platform, and have registered over 250 early stage investors.

If you’re planning your day at RESI on MaRS, check out the program guide now to find the full lineup of speakers, innovators, exhibitors and sponsors.

See you at MaRS on April 10th!

Why MaRS Toronto for an International Early Stage Investor Conference?

April 5, 2018June 25, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation; Creator of RESI Conference Series

There is a rich diversity of technology assets being developed in Toronto, as MaRS Discovery District and Johnson & Johnson’s JLABS have convened to create one of the most dynamic centers for life science technology innovation in North America. However, not to use an old cliché, Toronto’s real value in life science is in the people, from its visionary leaders to its extraordinary scientist-entrepreneurs, all striving (and succeeding) to move the needle and create the next generation of healthcare innovation.

When I first launched the Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Conference in Toronto in 2016, my network of global early-stage investors were initially open to seeing what was up in the north country. Just two years and three Toronto RESI conferences later, I am witnessing unprecedented signups from the global investor community. Much to my amazement, this upcoming RESI conference (April 10th at MaRS Discovery Centre) has seen a 25% increase in investor and strategic partner registrations. We expect 300-350 qualified investors (all with vetted investment mandates) to peruse the lineup of hundreds of early-stage biotech, medtech, diagnostics and digital health startups. But one quite compelling factor is that we expect that almost 60% of the investors and partners will be from outside of Canada.

But I digress. Back to the people factor. What I learned from discussion with investors who have attended RESI on MaRS in the past was actually quite startling. The main takeaway from a majority of the investors I chatted with was that the caliber of the fundraising CEOs and scientist-entrepreneurs was the main differentiator. It was their genuineness and their lack of inflated value of their technology that impressed the investors. In contrast, the Boston, NYC and CA players had elevated expectations regarding the amount of time it takes to get a deal done, and the valuations of their assets were off the charts. The investors implied that if they find a deal they like in Toronto, the valuations and executive teams in Canada are much more realistic, which translates into getting contracts signed quicker. These perceptions impact and ignite the global investor community and have heightened interest in Toronto, which proves out the adage that if you build it, they will come!

Meet the Family Office Panelists at RESI Toronto

April 5, 2018June 25, 2018 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Christine A. Wu, Senior Research Analyst, LSN

For every RESI event, the LSN Investor Research team aims to recruit a diverse slate of panels with experienced investors of all types and focus areas within life science technology. As one of the more highly sought types of investors for entrepreneurs, Family Offices is a recurring panel at RESI. Mostly backed by private wealth as evergreen funds, family offices often have deep connections in the life science field both professionally and, at times, personally—some family office investors have loved ones battling debilitating diseases. Family offices are highly idiosyncratic with their own motivations and strategies, though despite their differences and founding stories, they continue to play actively within life science investment.

On April 10^th at RESI Toronto, we will hear from four family offices that invest in several different life science sectors. Moderated by Catherine Love, Director of Capital Services for MaRS Discovery District, the panelists include: