Don’t Miss Out: Discover Cutting-Edge Japanese Innovations at RESI San Diego 2026

June 9, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

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

With RESI San Diego 2026 just two weeks away, taking place on Monday, June 22, at JULEP Venue San Diego, we are excited to showcase a strong cohort of innovative life science companies and technologies from Japan.

As Title Sponsor of RESI San Diego 2026, Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC) is organizing 2 incredible afternoon sessions featuring promising innovations that are being developed in Japan. We welcome you all to join and learn more about what Japan’s life science ecosystem has to offer.

Space is limited, so we ask that you RSVP to confirm your attendance.

RSVP to Confirm Attendance

1:00 – 3:00pm | KBIC Session –– Japan Life Science Showcase ––

KBIC is Japan’s largest leading biomedical cluster, bringing together approximately 350 companies, medical institutions, and research organizations.

Within this ecosystem, many startups are actively advancing R&D activities and working diligently toward commercialization on a daily basis.

As part of this exciting network, KBIC will host pitches from eight startups that are particularly eager to engage with overseas investors and licensing partners, and that are well prepared for such international collaboration.

In addition, leading venture capital firms in Japan and the representative of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will speak about the current investment landscape as well as their perspectives on the future of the Japanese startup ecosystem.

3:00 – 4:00pm | Kyoto-iCAP Session –– Translating Kyoto Science into Global Ventures ––

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. (Kyoto-iCAP) and Kyoto University will introduce Kyoto’s growing biotech innovation ecosystem and showcase emerging life science ventures developing transformative technologies in regenerative medicine, cell therapy, nephrology, pain treatment and radiopharmaceuticals. The session is designed to foster connections between global investors, strategic partners, and leading Kyoto University-originated startups.

Featured Interview: Dr. Narumiya, President of FBRI, shares his insights about Kobe and KBIC’s strengths and their role in strengthening the life science ecosystem in Japan.

Dr. Shuh Narumiya, President of Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe (FBRI)

What is Kobe? What is KBIC?

Kobe is a port city and is now emerging as a key hub for startup creation and accumulation in Japan, particularly in bioscience and medicine. At the center of this ecosystem is the Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (KBIC). In KBIC, you can meet institutes with Japan’s cutting-edge research, distinguished hospitals, research institutes of international Pharmas and start-ups, thus KBIC serving you as a “gateway to Japanese science and innovation”.

What science and innovation were and are being created in KBIC?

Science and innovation covered in KBIC span from drug discovery, regenerative medicine, digital health, and medical instruments and devices to bio-manufacturing. KBIC holds a distinctive position in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. It has, for example, nurtured and developed application of iPS cell research, leading to transplantation of iPSC-derived retinal cells in 2014, the world’s first clinical application, and the world’s first regulatory approval of iPSC-derived cells for a Parkinson’s disease treatment in 2026.

What are other advantages of KBIC?

Kobe is a part of Kansai region, an area of most distinguished life science research in Japan. Collaboration within the Kansai region is another strength of KBIC. Particularly, through partnerships with Kyoto University Innovation Capital (iCAP), KBIC supports the creation and growth of university spin-outs, combining Kyoto University’s research excellence with Kobe’s commercialization capabilities and vice versa.

What are the current state and issues of start-ups in Japan?

Today, Japan’s startup ecosystem—especially in the bio and life sciences sectors—is more vibrant than ever, producing a wealth of internationally competitive research and innovation seeds. However, these achievements are not yet fully recognized overseas, and many promising discoveries are still struggling for support to translate into commercial success. Bridging this gap is one of KBIC’s core roles.

Japan’s startups are now shifting from a domestically focused model to global expansion. In this transition, building international connections is critical. KBIC serves as a practical gateway for this purpose, offering integrated support from R&D to commercialization, fundraising, and global market entry.

Don’t Underestimate the Importance of the Line

June 9, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Dennis Ford, Founder & CEO, Life Science Nation (LSN)

There is a line between deciding to pursue investors and partners and pursuing them. Most people believe they cross it the moment they decide. They don’t. Deciding is private. The line is the part the market can see, and the market only sees behavior. You can be completely certain you are committed and still be, as far as anyone outside your own head can tell, standing exactly where you were a year ago.

The market doesn’t care what you declare. It responds to what you do. What it reads is presence, whether you are in the room when it counts. There are moments when it counts more than others, when the people who fund and license and partner are not scattered across a thousand calendars but gathered in one place at one time, looking for their next opportunity. Those moments are real, and they are on the calendar. The wave forms whether you are ready or not. The only question it puts to you is whether you are in the water when it arrives.

Here is the part that surprises people. The companies that are serious about this do not try to be efficient about it. You would think the sophisticated move is to be selective, to take only the meetings that obviously matter and skip the rest. It isn’t, and there is a hard reason why. The meeting that changes your company does not announce itself going in. The lead investor is hidden inside a large number of conversations that look, beforehand, exactly like the ones that lead nowhere. The licensing partner is buried in a stack of introductions you cannot tell apart until you are sitting in them. You cannot reason your way to the one that counts and avoid the others. The only way to reach it is to go through the volume. So the serious company does not look for reasons to take fewer meetings. It looks for reasons to take more, because every additional relevant room is another draw from the deck the one card is hidden in. Most of the draws are blanks. That is not a flaw in the method. That is the method.

Activity guarantees nothing, and no one who has done this for long will tell you otherwise. What inactivity guarantees is the opposite. The company that is not in the room is not weighed, and ends up passed over. It is simply never seen, and the market does not hold a seat open for the company that didn’t show. It gives the seat to one that did. Which brings me to the week of June 22 in San Diego. That is a week the market gathers. The city fills with meetings, events, and venues all competing for the same hours, and RESI, on June 22, is built for exactly the thing I have been describing, a room assembled out of investors, licensing teams, and business development people who came specifically to find companies like yours.

Some of you reading this are already going to be there. You have a reason to be in San Diego that week, and you still have not decided to be in this particular room. Sit with that for a second. You will be in the same city, on the same days, with the market gathered a few miles away, and you are on the fence about walking in. There is a word for standing that close to the water, dressed to swim, watching the set roll past. The word is not caution. It is hesitation, and from the outside the market cannot tell the difference between a company that hesitated and a company that was never there.

The line we started with is not crossed by deciding you are ready. It is crossed in the open, by being where the market is while the market is there. If you believe you are ready, the week of June 22 is where that belief becomes visible or doesn’t. Register for RESI San Diego, June 22.

Don’t underestimate the importance of the line.

Hot Investor Mandate: Venture Arm of Large Drug Development Organization Supports Drug Discovery Companies With Seed and Later-Stage Investments

June 2, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A corporate venture capital investor headquartered in Asia is an investment arm of a large drug development organization. The firm invests globally across all stages, from Seed through later-stage financings. In addition to providing capital, the firm offers strategic and operational support spanning drug development, regulatory planning, partnering, and commercialization. The firm leverages the broader capabilities and infrastructure of its affiliated organization to help portfolio companies accelerate growth and value creation.

The firm focuses on pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices, with a strong emphasis on drug discovery and translational innovation. The firm seeks differentiated therapeutic and medical technology opportunities with strong scientific foundations and commercial potential. Within therapeutics, the firm is modality-agnostic and evaluates opportunities across a broad range of disease areas and development stages, from discovery through clinical development. The firm also participates in licensing, incubation, and strategic business development activities designed to advance promising healthcare technologies.

From a company and management team perspective, the firm seeks founders and leadership teams with strong scientific expertise, differentiated intellectual property, and credible development strategies. The firm prioritizes opportunities supported by high-quality translational science and works closely with management teams to provide development resources, business development support, partnering opportunities, and commercialization expertise. Through its strategic network and operational capabilities, the firm helps portfolio companies accelerate development timelines and expand global market access.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: Multi-Stage Healthcare Investment Firm Seeks Early Clinical Stage Therapeutics and Devices Near Regulatory Approval, Investing Up to $20M

June 2, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A capital and private equity investor with a flexible investment mandate invests across a wide range of stages and sectors. On the venture capital side, the firm typically participates in Seed through Series B financings and is open to both leading and co-investing. Investments are generally made through special purpose vehicles, with typical allocation sizes ranging from approximately $2M to $20M. The firm primarily focuses on opportunities within the United States.

Within healthcare and life sciences, the firm invests in therapeutics, medical devices, digital health, and diagnostics. For therapeutics, the firm prefers opportunities that are approaching clinical development or already in clinical trials. Within medical devices, the firm focuses on technologies that are nearing regulatory approval or have already obtained clearance or approval. The firm is disease-agnostic and evaluates opportunities based on the strength of the technology, clinical potential, and commercial opportunity.

From a company and management team perspective, the firm generally prefers board representation and seeks to work closely with portfolio companies to support strategic growth and value creation.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: USA-Based VC Firm Focuses on Deeptech and Techbio Investments in Pre-Seed to Series A Rounds

June 2, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A venture capital firm headquartered in the United States focuses on Pre-Seed through Series A opportunities across deeptech, life sciences, and the convergence of technology and healthcare. Backed by family offices and strategic investors across multiple regions, the firm benefits from a network of partners with entrepreneurial and life sciences expertise. The firm typically participates as a co-investor with check sizes ranging from approximately $100K to $1M. In addition to venture investing, the firm collaborates with capital partners on strategic acquisition opportunities and actively supports company formation and incubation. The firm invests globally and assists portfolio companies with expansion into emerging markets across Asia, Africa, and other regions.

The firm takes an opportunistic approach to life sciences and deeptech investing. Key areas of interest include artificial intelligence, health technology, neuroscience, life science tools, and therapeutics. The firm is also open to orphan disease opportunities. Within therapeutics, the firm focuses on companies from the preclinical stage through Phase I clinical development. The firm seeks differentiated technologies with the potential to create meaningful scientific, clinical, or commercial impact.

From a company and management team perspective, the firm does not impose specific requirements regarding leadership composition and does not require board representation as a condition of investment. The firm prefers to support founders through collaborative partnerships and strategic guidance while maintaining flexibility in investment structure and governance.

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

Hot Investor Mandate: CVC Arm of Leading Healthcare Company Allocates Up to $10M in Growth-Stage Therapeutics and Diagnostics Companies

June 2, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

The firm is a corporate venture capital arm of a leading healthcare and diagnostics company based in Asia. The firm focuses on investing in later-stage life sciences and healthcare companies, typically from growth-stage financings through post-IPO opportunities. The firm generally makes investments below $10M per company and maintains a selective investment strategy. The firm evaluates opportunities globally and leverages the expertise, industry relationships, and commercial infrastructure of its parent organization to support portfolio companies.

The firm primarily focuses on therapeutics and diagnostics, while remaining open to select medical device and digital health opportunities. Within therapeutics, the firm is most interested in programs ranging from mid- to late-stage clinical development through commercial-stage assets. Areas of interest include cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, oncology, autoimmune disorders, urology, and central nervous system disorders. Within in vitro diagnostics, the firm is open to a broad range of technologies spanning development-stage through clinical and commercial applications.

From a company and management team perspective, the firm seeks technologies with strong scientific foundations, clear commercial potential, and a high likelihood of successfully navigating regulatory approval pathways. As a strategic investor, the firm prioritizes opportunities that demonstrate meaningful differentiation and long-term market potential.

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

Investors Presenting at RESI San Diego

June 2, 2026June 2, 2026 ~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

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

The Life Science Nation (LSN) team is gearing up for the highly anticipated RESI San Diego conference, bringing together investors, strategic partners, and early-stage life science innovators for a full day of insightful discussions and high-value networking during Convention Week.

This year’s panel lineup will explore some of the most important trends shaping early-stage healthcare investment and partnering, spanning pharma, medtech, diagnostics, oncology, AI, and venture financing. Attendees can expect perspectives from venture capital firms, corporate venture groups, pharmaceutical companies, strategics, and experienced healthcare investors actively evaluating emerging opportunities across the life science landscape.

As a global partnering conference focused on connecting early-stage companies with investors and strategic partners, RESI San Diego is designed to foster meaningful conversations between fundraising CEOs and active dealmakers. The panels will provide tactical insight into how investors assess opportunities, what strategic partners are looking for, and how companies can position themselves in today’s increasingly competitive fundraising environment.

Join the panelists below at RESI San Diego:

Friedemann Janus Bayer	Shiv Krishnan Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.	Eva Dahlén Novo Nordisk
Yaron Daniely aMoon Fund	Claudia Generaux Bristol Myers Squibb	Lana Ghanem Hikma Ventures
Mankit Law GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)	Debbie Lin T.Rx Capital	Priya Balachandran Life Science Angels
Andrew Strong Cancer Focus Fund	Randy Berholtz Mesa Verde Venture Partners	Gunes Bozkurt Beiersdorf
Damian Carvajal Ibanez Debiopharm	Nicolas Cindric Yahara Ventures	Han Dai Viva BioInnovator
Luca Giani Alumni Ventures	Sam Gussman-Toh ARPA-H	Ole Henrik Bang Andreasen Avant Bio
Rohit Jain HBS Alumni Angels of Northern California	Ray Jordan Elmstead Holdings	Mohsin Khan Fortress Biotech
Cheryl Kuai Sixty Degree Capital	Don Lin Guoqian Venture Capital Investment	Andrew Merken Polsinelli PC
Ralph Morales III Aquillius Ventures	Nick Mourlas ReefHaven Ventures	Mahesh Narayanan Neuvation Ventures
Stephanie Oestreich Myeloma Investment Fund	Soyoung Park 1004 Venture Partners	Preetha Ram Pier 70 Ventures
Bob Sweeney Global Health Impact Fund	Divya Yerraguntla Life Science Angels	Chris Yoo Xcellerant Ventures