By Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, LSN
RESI @ JPM has generated feedback from a wide swath of attendees thus far. What LSN has heard has been two quite distinctive words: “Crazy good.” An interesting mantra, and it’s right on.
The overriding response was that the RESI conference is not stale (same old talking heads for decades) or burdened with a sterile-like quality of private white meeting rooms. RESI is not the “quiet car,” and most certainly is not projecting a low energy library-like atmosphere.
On the contrary, when you step into the beehive of RESI and into its palatable energy and buzzing noise, you know it’s different. It’s not only for the elite phase III and commercialization cadre that play in the later stage life science arena.
The RESI conference series is the Wild West of the life science arena, with preclinical and early stage players not looking to be catered to with pomp and circumstance – actually just the opposite. The game is afoot – let’s engage in the hunt for assets! Send forth the hounds, blow the trumpets, let’s make some noise!
Packed into an eclectic 12-story Spanish Colonial-style building built in 1926, RESI attendees were walking up and down tight flights of stairs to get around the crowd, but many seemed to know the drill – it was the third RESI @ JPM event.
And the RESI vibe brings down the walls and barriers and everybody is talking and meeting; it’s just a really open and accepting crowd.
The real win is that the attendees are the who’s who of global early stage investment. Savvy fundraising CEOs are smart enough to figure it out, and booked up to 16 meetings with investors that fit their stage and product – not to mention the additional ad hoc meetings that are the hallmark of the event.
There is a tribe of players, both global early stage investors and startup CEOs, that follow the RESI conference throughout the year. In 2017 there will be 5 RESI events through out North America: San Francisco, Toronto, San Diego, Boston and New York.
RESI is happening and capital is flowing into the drug, device, diagnostic and health IT startups. We hear about the resulting allocations almost every week.
It’s crazy good!
