Tag Archives: news

RESI London Innovator’s Pitch Challenge Finalists 

18 Nov

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

The Innovator’s Pitch Challenge showcases early-stage companies developing breakthrough technologies across key sectors of life sciences.

The Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) returns to RESI London with a full lineup of pioneering startups presenting across multiple themed sessions. Each finalist will pitch to panels of relevant investors and industry leaders, gaining practical feedback and creating valuable connections with partners actively seeking new technologies. The IPC provides fundraising companies with a platform to elevate their visibility and engage with a global network of investors and strategics.

If you are attending RESI London, make time to see these pitches and meet the founders throughout the day. Delegates participating in partnering can also schedule one-on-one meetings with the finalists. Full event and registration details are available at resiconference.com/resi-london.

Meet the RESI London Innovator’s Pitch Challenge Finalists

Session 1 | 9:00 – 10:00 AM | Therapeutics

Session 2 | 10:00 – 11:00 AM | Diagnostics Tools & Platforms

Session 3 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Therapeutics

Session 4 | 1:00 – 2:00 PM | Therapeutics & Medical Devices

Session 5 | 2:00 – 3:00 PM | Therapeutics

Session 6 | 3:00 – 4:00 PM | Medical Devices

Session 7 | 4:00 – 5:00 PM | R&D and Enabling Technologies

Register for RESI London

From Lab to Market: Why Life Science Companies Are Drawn to Singapore 

12 Nov

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

LSN is proud to announce our partnership with Enterprise SG for RESI JPM 2026, to foster meaningful conversations on global life science innovation, investment and cross-border collaboration. Learn how Singapore is a dynamic launchpad for innovation and home to cutting-edge startups ready to collaborate on your next breakthrough. Join us at our upcoming panel on January 12 to find out more! 

As global healthcare challenges intensify, innovative biomedical technologies from Asia are stepping up to drive change, translating life science research into real-world solutions. Increasingly, investors, corporates, startups, and healthcare systems around the world are seeing the urgency in bridging the East and West to improve healthcare outcomes and deliver value-based care.

Singapore, located at the heart of Asia, is a dynamic hub for biomedical innovation, driven by a strong network of global investors, researchers, mentors, and innovators. With decades of sustained government investments and a robust talent pipeline from world-class universities and research institutes, it is home to over 500 biomedical and medtech companies. The ecosystem has attracted venture capitalists and venture builders like MPM BioImpact, Polaris Partners, and Flagship Pioneering, as well as global pharma leaders such as Pfizer, Roche, and Johnson & Johnson. These players work closely with government agencies, like Enterprise Singapore, that drive startup development, provide patient funding, expertise, infrastructure, and networks crucial for producing globally competitive solutions.

Singapore’s strategic position as a bridge between Asian and global markets enables it to play an outsized role in driving biomedical advancements. This works both ways, as a gateway for global companies to access the growing opportunities in Asia, and as a springboard for regional companies to expand worldwide. For example, through partnerships with healthcare organisations like Cedars-Sinai and Mayo Clinic in the US, Enterprise Singapore supports Singapore startups to test and scale their solutions in overseas markets, facilitating a bi-directional flow of innovation to improve healthcare for communities.

Join Enterprise Singapore at the ‘Asia Cross Border Investments Panel’ to explore how cross-border capital, talent, and technologies are converging to drive breakthroughs in precision medicine, innovative therapies, and next-generation diagnostics. The panel will take place on January 12, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm at RESI JPM by LSN, held at the Marriott Marquis, San Francisco. Learn from prominent industry leaders how transcontinental partnerships, including those with Singapore, are shaping the future of healthcare innovation – from discovery to global commercialisation.

To join the conversation, please contact Claire Jeong, VP of Investor Research, Asia BD, at c.jeong@lifesciencenation.com.

ApexBrasil and ABIQUIFI Deepen Strategic Alliance with Life Science Nation to Globalize Brazil’s Life Science Ecosystem and Leveraging the RESI JPM January Event 

28 Oct

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

DF-News-09142022

São Paulo – Boston | October 2025

Brazil is taking a significant step toward global integration in the life sciences. Last week, ApexBrasil (the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency) and ABIQUIFI (the Brazilian Association of Pharmaceutical Inputs Industry) hosted Life Science Nation (LSN) and Ganesha Labs in São Paulo for a week of meetings, workshops, and strategic dialogues with key stakeholders from across the national innovation and investment landscape. 

The visit culminated during the Corporate Venture in Brasil 2025 Conference, held in São Paulo and co-hosted by ApexBrasil, which gathered leading investors, corporate venture leaders, development agencies, and innovation stakeholders to strengthen Brazil’s position in the global market. 

At the conference, LSN’s CEO, Dennis Ford, delivered a masterclass on running global fundraising campaigns and building two-way innovation bridges between regional science and global capital. This was followed by a panel discussion, “Where Brazil Is and Where We Should Aim Towards,” featuring KX Ventures, IKJ, Sebrae, Ganesha Labs, and Life Science Nation, and moderated by Marcos Valadares of ABIQUIFI. 

Over several days surrounding the conference, ApexBrasil and ABIQUIFI facilitated a series of high-level introductions that connected LSN and Ganesha Labs with leaders from accelerators, investment groups, and research institutions across Brazil. These discussions focused on aligning Brazil’s growing innovation infrastructure with global commercialization frameworks and investor networks. 

The São Paulo visit capped two years of collaboration between the organizations, during which ApexBrasil and ABIQUIFI have sent multiple cohorts of Brazilian life-science companies to LSN’s Redefining Every Stage of Investment JPM events and LSN Labs training programs. 

Together, they have provided Brazilian entrepreneurs with a structured path to international investors and licensing partners, and a deeper understanding of how to prepare and execute a global fundraising campaign. 

This ongoing collaboration is laying the groundwork for Brazil to become a formal anchor node in the LSN Global Partnering Ecosystem. This worldwide network links regional innovation hubs to global capital and corporate partners. Through continued coordination, the parties aim to establish a lasting two-way innovation bridge between Brazil and LSN’s international ecosystem, enabling Brazilian technologies to access global markets while channeling international investors and strategic partners into the country’s rapidly expanding life-science sector. 

According to Dennis Ford, Founder and CEO of Life Science Nation, 

“Brazil’s scientific depth and entrepreneurial momentum make it one of the most exciting emerging markets in life sciences. ApexBrasil and ABIQUIFI are doing exactly what global investors want to see—creating a coordinated pathway that connects local innovation with international capital and commercialization opportunities. LSN is proud to help Brazil take this next step.” 

Norberto Prestes, CEO of ABIQUIFI, emphasized the export and funding side of the bridge: 

“Brazil has a rich foundation of science and talent. Our goal is to help these innovations secure the visibility, funding, and partnerships they need to reach international markets. The collaboration with LSN provides the structure and access needed to make that happen.” 

Debora Lima of ApexBrasil highlighted the importance of bringing international investors into the Brazilian ecosystem: 

“Our mission is to connect Brazil with the world—to bring investors, partners, and collaborators to see firsthand the innovation emerging here. Working with LSN allows us to open new channels for global capital to engage directly with Brazilian startups and research institutions.” 


About Life Science Nation

Life Science Nation (LSN) is a global matching and partnering engine that connects early-stage life-science companies with investors and licensing partners through its integrated ecosystem—including the LSN Investor & Licensing Partner Database, the RESI Conference Series, and LSN Labs Accelerator. LSN has supported more than 400 companies in raising over $5 billion in verified funding worldwide.

About ApexBrasil

ApexBrasil promotes Brazilian products and services abroad and attracts foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy, strengthening national competitiveness and international presence.

About ABIQUIFI

ABIQUIFI represents the Brazilian Pharmaceutical Inputs Industry, advancing innovation, quality, and competitiveness across the national health and life-sciences sector.

Registration now open:

  • RESI London 2025 (Dec. 4, 8&9) – [Register]
  • RESI JPM 2026 (Jan.12-14, 19&20)– [Register]
  • RESI Europe 2026 (March 23-25) – [Register]

LSN Ecosystem Deal Matrix $1.29 Billion and Counting 

15 Oct

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

DF-News-09142022Across Life Science Nation (LSN)’s interconnected network, from the Investor & Licensing Partner Database and RESI Conference Series to LSN Labs, 90 companies have publicly disclosed raising capital or signing licensing deals sourced directly through LSN.  LSN has been collecting this disclosed data and, after reaching 90 deals, wanted to extrapolate the compelling metrics behind the LSN engine that facilitated the deals, known as the LSN Ecosystem.

Together, they’ve secured $1.29 billion in verified funding. When factoring in the broader global community of 9,000+ startups that have engaged with LSN tools and programs and gone through the RESI turnstiles, the estimated impact reaches $6.4 billion. This isn’t modeled data; these are real companies, real partners, and real outcomes. It’s proof that structured global partnering delivers measurable success.

A Marketplace That Works — and Scales

At first glance, the dataset lists 90 companies and 52 investors. On closer inspection, that ratio reflects how healthy marketplaces behave. Each transaction represents multiple funding relationships, roughly 100 to 150 discrete deals in total, many of which are undisclosed but very much real.

  • For startups, closing $1.29 billion through LSN-facilitated partnerships signals one of the strongest verified conversion rates in early-stage life sciences.
  • For investors, repeat participation by six global funds, including corporate venture, pharma, and family offices, demonstrates a growing cycle of trust and sourcing efficiency within LSN’s ecosystem.

This is not a collection of introductions; it’s a living marketplace where structure, data, and discipline transform intro meetings into ongoing dialogue, building relationships that ultimately lead to transactions.

Where the Money Moves: The Four Domains (4Ds)

SECTOR DISCLOSED FUNDING ($) % SHARE COMMENT
Drugs (Therapeutics) 1,106,490,000 83% Core growth engine for global biotech
Devices (Medtech) 120,820,000 9% Strategic investments and exits rising
Diagnostics & Tools 111,330,000 8% A precision frontier gaining traction
Digital Health Emerging (<1%) Expanding rapidly as AI matures and the software moves adroitly

Therapeutics dominate the dollars, but the deal flow is distributed, indicating a balanced and resilient early-stage market that spans drugs, devices, diagnostics, and digital health alike.

Even Distribution, Uneven Costs

It’s no surprise that therapeutics absorb most of the capital; drug development is costly and front-loaded. A single preclinical or IND-enabling round can match the combined raises of multiple device or diagnostics startups. But when you look at deal volume, not just deal size, the picture changes. The 90 funded companies are evenly distributed across the 4Ds:

SECTOR  COMPANIES FUNDED  SHARE OF TOTAL 
Drugs (Therapeutics)  31 34%
Diagnostics & Tools  26 29%
Devices (Medtech)  23 26%
Digital Health  10 11%

The big money may flow into drugs, but the deals are happening across all four domains. That balance defines a healthy market, diversified, dynamic, and alive.

Average Deal Size Across the 4Ds

SECTOR  AVERAGE RAISE PER COMPANY ($)  INSIGHT 
Drugs (Therapeutics)  $35.7 million Reflects the high capital intensity of preclinical and early clinical development
Devices (Medtech)  $5.3 million Medtech investors focus on de-risked prototypes and regulatory progress
Diagnostics & Tools  $4.3 million Enabling and precision technologies attract steady, mid-range funding
Digital Health  >$3 million Early but fast-growing; deal sizes expected to rise with data maturity

These numbers capture a simple truth: Drug rounds dominate in size, but early-stage innovation thrives across every domain. The LSN ecosystem delivers results across all four, not just where the biggest checks are written.

The Signal: Efficiency Is the New Advantage

As global capital tightens, efficiency wins. With RESI London (Dec 2025) and RESI JPM (Jan 2026) approaching, startups and investors alike are leaning into systems that don’t just connect, they convert. LSN’s rhythm of data, readiness, and disciplined outreach has become the commercialization backbone for early-stage life sciences worldwide.  “At RESI, we don’t chase headlines; we measure outcomes. The companies and investors in this dataset are the proof.”

Join the Momentum. Be Part of the Data.

The next cycle begins now. Don’t miss your chance to access the world’s most effective life science partnering platform.

Registration now open:

  • RESI London 2025 (Dec. 4, 8&9) – [Register]
  • RESI JPM 2026 (Jan.12-14, 19&20)– [Register]
  • RESI Europe 2026 (March 23-25) – [Register]

Host Your JPM Reception, Presentation, Showcase or Partnering at the Marriott Marquis 

15 Oct

By Matt Stanton, VP Sales US West, Central and South America, LSN

JPM is creeping up on you once again, and you still don’t have an event planned. All the good venues are gone and all you’re left with are subprime ones or those with sky-high prices. Why not work with us to plan your best event or partnering table rental at the centrally located Marriott Marquis? RESI JPM will be a two-day event this year: Monday and Tuesday. Life Science Nation has rental space available on Sunday, that will allow you to put your event during what is already a lively ecosystem of early-stage companies and investors. If you already have an event planned, why not do more? If there were ever a time to do more, it’s during JPM.

If you’re a membership organization, you owe it to your members to provide them partnering space at JPM. But getting a partnering table at one of the San Fran hotels will costs at least $1500 per day per table! Contact us to find out how you can get conveniently located partner tables for your members at affordable prices.

Finally, if you’re a product or service provider, sponsoring, exhibiting or attending RESI is, by far, the best opportunity to bang out 50+ meetings with early-stage innovators. RESI is the only partnering conference where companies are more than happy to accept partnering meetings with vendors, as can be seen in our partnering stats. In the RESI partnering system, you won’t find any profiles with the dreaded “no service provider requests”. Additionally, sponsoring or exhibiting at RESI is less than doing so at any of the other main JPM conferences.

See you at JPM!

Secure Your RESI JPM Exhibitor Spot Contact Us to Reserve Event Space

From RESI Boston to Global Growth: Bilix on Winning the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge

15 Oct
Myung Kim
  CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Bilix, recognized as a top Innovator’s Pitch Challenge winner at RESI Boston this past September, is making waves in the biotech space with its innovative multi-modality approach to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. In this interview, Myung Kim, Founder and CEO, shares how participating in RESI Boston helped the company connect with key investors, refine its strategy, and advance its clinical milestones.

Hear firsthand how Bilix is driving progress in complex disease treatment and discover how your company can join the next generation of innovators pitching at RESI London and RESI JPM. Applications are now open.

Apply to Pitch at RESI London Apply to Pitch at RESI JPM

Finalist in the RESI Boston Innovator’s Pitch Challenge – Meet M6P Therapeutics

30 Sep

In this interview, Caitlin Dolegowski speaks with Cuong Do, Founder and Chairman of M6P Therapeutics, about the company’s groundbreaking lysosomal targeting platform, its applications in rare disease and oncology, and the experience of pitching at RESI Boston.

Cuong Do
CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): M6P Therapeutics has achieved what was long thought impossible, delivering proteins to lysosomes. Can you explain the significance of this breakthrough?

Cuong Do (DO): An enzyme called GlcNac-1-phosphotransferase (PTase) is responsible for adding mannose 6-phosphate to the surface of lysosomal enzymes. People have tried and failed for decades to increase the expression of M6P, and everybody gave up. Our co-founder Stuart Kornfeld never gave up. He and his post-doc were able to engineer a variant of PTase that turned out to be 20X more effective than PTase itself in adding M6P to lysosomal enzymes. We built upon this breakthrough to create a platform that is able to create enzyme replacement therapies that have very high M6P content. Furthermore, our gene therapies are the only ones that result in M6P-containing enzymes being produced by the transduced cells.

We expanded upon the innovation and created chimeric antibodies that contain M6P as well. This allows these antibodies (after they bind to the targeted antigens) to be brought to lysosomes in virtually all cells in our bodies for degradation. This is a significant advantage over traditional antibodies relying on Fc clearance by only select immune cells.

CD: You have multiple rare pediatric drug designations and two programs nearing the clinic. What are the most exciting upcoming milestones for your pipeline?

DO: We are preparing to start an Investigator Initiated Trial in Australia for our M021 ERT for Pompe Disease in hopes of obtaining early human data demonstrating M021’s superiority over the standard of care.

CD: How does your lysosomal targeting platform extend beyond rare diseases, particularly in oncology with your chimeric PD-L1 and PD-1 antibodies?

DO: We figured out a way to add M6P to any protein, including antibodies. Our chimeric antibodies can be cleared by virtually all cells in the body since virtually all cells have receptors for M6P. This is especially effective for clearing surface antigens from cell surfaces. Our chimeric PD-L1 antibody is able to clear virtually all PD-L1 from the surface of tumor cells and thus activate T-cells and drive T-cell mediated tumor killing. Our chimeric version of Keytruda is able to remove PD-1 from the surface of T-cells and has shown to be more effective in inhibiting tumor growth in vivo than Keytruda itself.

CD: Can you walk us through your IP position and how it supports your growth strategy?

DO: We have invested heavily in IP that has created a portfolio of 9 patent families, 9 issued patents, and ~20 still in prosecution.

CD: Where are you in your fundraising journey, and what types of investors or partners are you looking to engage with?

DO: We have raised ~$40 million in our Seed and A rounds, which we invested to get our programs to where they are today. We are trying to raise a $5 million bridge now in anticipation of a $50+ million Series B next year. In addition to investors, we want to engage with potential partners who might be interested in our molecules.

CD: How did participating in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Boston help advance your business development or investor connections?

DO: We met a few companies who might be interested in partnering on some of our molecules. We’re continuing the conversations.


IPC Applications are now open for the next Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI London 2025 and RESI JPM 2026, with spots filled on a rolling basis.