Meet the First Believers: The Investors Behind Tomorrow’s Breakthrough Companies 

By Momo Yamamoto, Senior Investor Research Analyst, LSN

Every successful life science company has a defining moment in its fundraising journey. Long before a major venture capital round or strategic partnership, there is often an investor willing to take the very first leap of faith.

At 9:00 AM on Wednesday, September 23, Day 2 of RESI Boston 2026 begins with one of the conference’s most valuable discussions for early-stage founders: The First Believers: The Investors Behind Tomorrow’s Breakthrough Companies.

Securing that first investment is about much more than capital. Early investors provide critical validation, open doors to strategic relationships, and help companies build the momentum needed to attract future financing. Understanding how these investors think can give entrepreneurs a significant advantage as they prepare for fundraising.

This panel brings together accomplished investors and innovation leaders who regularly evaluate breakthrough technologies at their earliest stages:

Renaud-Jacquemart
Renaud Jacquemart

Omnium Global
(Moderator)
Sam-Gussman-Toh
Sam Gussman-Toh

ARPA-H
William-Hsu
William Hsu, PhD

NuFund Venture Group
Rohit-Jain
Rohit Jain

HBS Alumni Angels of Northern California
Dushyant-Pathak
Dushyant Pathak

Autobahn Labs

These panelists represent a diverse range of perspectives across venture creation, angel investing, government-supported innovation, and early-stage venture capital. Collectively, they helped identify and support companies long before they became widely recognized.

During the discussion, attendees will gain insight into what separates promising startups from investable opportunities. The panel will explore the characteristics investors look for in founding teams, the technical and commercial milestones that inspire confidence, and the common mistakes entrepreneurs make when approaching investors during the earliest stages of fundraising.

The conversation will also address how startups can build credibility before institutional financing, demonstrate meaningful progress with limited resources, and develop fundraising strategies that position them for long-term success.

For founders preparing to raise their first outside capital, this session offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the investors who are often the first to believe in transformative science and technology.

Whether you are refining your investment story, preparing for investor meetings, or mapping out your fundraising roadmap, The First Believers panel will provide practical insights that can help shape your next steps.

Don’t miss this opportunity to kick off Day 2 of RESI Boston with an inside look at how early-stage investors identify the breakthrough companies of tomorrow.

Register now for RESI Boston 2026 and join the conversations that can help launch your next stage of growth.

Register for RESI Boston 2026

Meet the Investors Shaping the Future of Life Science Innovation 

By Momo Yamamoto, Senior Investor Research Analyst, LSN

One of the most valuable aspects of attending RESI Boston is the opportunity to hear directly from the investors and strategic partners actively funding and partnering with early-stage life science companies.

This year’s agenda features an outstanding lineup of leaders representing global pharmaceutical companies, venture capital firms, strategic investors, government funding organizations, and mission-driven investment groups. Their sessions will provide firsthand insights into today’s investment landscape, what they look for in emerging technologies, and how startups can position themselves for successful fundraising and partnership discussions.

Farnaz-Bakhshi
Farnaz Bakhshi

American Cancer Society BrightEdge
Alan-Chiu
Alan Chiu

Breakthrough T1D
Yvanka-de-Soysa
Yvanka de Soysa

Foreground Capital
Shane-Duffy
Shane Duffy

Avanos Medical
Nimisha-Gupta
Nimisha Gupta

Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Sam-Gussman-Toh
Sam Gussman-Toh

ARPA-H
Jonathan-Illicki
Jonathan Illicki

Industrifonden
Nikhil-Mutyal
Nikhil Mutyal

AstraZeneca
Rohit-Nuwal
Rohit Nuwal

TELUS Ventures
Parthiban-Rajasekaran
Parthiban Rajasekaran

Sanofi
Armin-Rump
Armin Rump

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd
 

Register Today for RESI Boston 2026

Don’t miss your opportunity to learn directly from these industry leaders while connecting with hundreds of active investors, strategic partners, and innovative life science companies during Biotech Week Boston.

Join us September 22–23 in Boston, followed by three days of virtual partnering on September 25, 28, and 29.

Register now to secure your spot, take advantage of Early Bird savings, and begin scheduling meetings with the global life science investment community.

Register for RESI Boston 2026

Gearing Up for RESI Boston: Master Your Fundraising & Development Strategy at the Pre-RESI Biotech Forum

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

Max-Braht-Headshot

On Monday, September 21, 2026, the day before RESI Boston 2026, Life Science Nation (LSN) and RESI Boston Silver Sponsor, Certara, will host a Biotech Forum focused on Developing Investor Ready Strategies.

Designed for early-stage biotech companies, the workshop will help founders evaluate their company’s readiness for a global fundraising campaign by identifying opportunities to strengthen their development strategy and reduce key scientific, clinical, regulatory, commercial, and fundraising risks. Through expert-led sessions and interactive discussions, attendees will gain practical insights into what investors look for during diligence, how to build a credible development roadmap, and how to position their company for successful fundraising.

Held immediately before RESI Boston, the workshop gives companies the opportunity to refine their strategy and messaging before meeting with investors and strategic partners throughout RESI.

Register for the free Biotech Forum: Developing Investor Ready Strategies: Register Here

Not yet signed up for RESI Boston 2026: Register Here

We look forward to welcoming you to the CIC in Cambridge as we kick off RESI Boston 2026 with a day dedicated to helping innovative biotech companies become truly investor ready.

Register for Biotech Forum
Register for RESI Boston 2026

Cross-Border Investor Luncheon at RESI Boston 2026

A private, screened luncheon for regional and international investors seeking syndicate partners.

RESI Boston | Wednesday, September 23 | 75 Seats


RSVP for Cross-Border Investor Luncheon Today

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

DF-News-09142022

Nearly nine out of ten life science startups fail. Not because the science is poor, but because they never connect to the right capital and strategic partners. Solving that is the reason Life Science Nation exists, and for more than fifteen years our work has come down to one thing: finding parties who need each other and matching them.

As some readers know, LSN has been addressing this pervasive dilemma through the LSN Labs Anchor Node Program. An Anchor Node combines LSN’s commercialization methodology and global capital formation network with a regional partner’s laboratories, entrepreneurial programs, and operating platform to produce investment-ready life science companies.

As we expanded the Anchor Node Program across Boston, Australia, Japan, Korea, the UK, and Brazil, a clear pattern emerged: regional partners constantly brought their local VCs to the table seeking international capital. At the same time, our own data across five global RESI events revealed that twenty percent of all partnering meetings were already investor-to-investor.

So we decided to formalize it, and provide a dedicated room for these partners to connect.

The Cross-Border Investor Luncheon, CBIL, is a private luncheon at RESI Boston for regional and international investors seeking syndicate partners. Regional investors have access to exceptional companies that often never reach international investors. International investors have access and reach that regional funds cannot build alone. Both are looking for the same thing across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

Attendance is screened. CBIL is for active investors seeking syndicate partners outside their own region, whether that means bringing international capital into local deals or gaining access to deal flow in regions where they have no presence.

Taking place on Wednesday, September 23, CBIL follows the format of the Global Family Office BioForum luncheon (GFOB luncheon takes place on Tuesday, September 22), now in its eighth year. Across those eight years, GFOB has brought family offices together to find each other, form alliances, and build syndicates. CBIL is the natural next step, applying the same private, curated format to the international investor community.

“The future of life science investing is not just finding great companies. It is finding great syndicate partners in the global arena.”


Dennis Ford, Founder and CEO, Life Science Nation


Wednesday, September 23   |   Private luncheon   |   Screened RSVP   |   75 seats

Every RSVP is reviewed. Request your seat today!


RSVP for Cross-Border Investor Luncheon Today

Finding the Right Investors Starts with the Right Data 

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

Max-Braht-Headshot

For early-stage life science companies, fundraising success depends on connecting with investors who are actively looking for technologies like yours. That is why Life Science Nation (LSN) has spent years building one of the industry’s most comprehensive investor databases, designed specifically to help innovators identify the right capital partners.

Unlike generic databases built through web scraping, the LSN Investor Database is curated directly through 1:1 interviews with investors and strategic in-licensors, providing startups with insights that go far beyond basic contact information or what you find on an investor’s website. Each investor profile includes valuable details such as typical check size, preferred modalities and indications, stage of development, geographic focus, and more, allowing companies to build a highly targeted fundraising strategy.

The database includes more than 4,000 global investment firms across 10 distinct investor categories and over 12,000 investor contacts spanning therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, digital health, and other life science sectors. Whether you are raising a Seed, Series A, or Series B round, identifying investors who are an actual fit can save significant time and improve the quality of your outreach.

Not sure where to begin? Life Science Nation is offering a complimentary investor search to help companies uncover potential investors that may not already be on their radar. The search demonstrates how the LSN Investor Database can provide each company with a curated list of investors matched to their technology and stage of development, along with contact information to then go out and execute on a fundraising campaign.

LSN is also happy to offer a free Fundraising Readiness Assessment through our internally developed AI Agent. The assessment will generate a 6-page report that can be used to help transition your companies’ story from an “interesting technology” into a compelling and ultimately investable company.

Book your free investor search today or complete the AI assessment to take the first step toward building a more focused and effective fundraising campaign.

Book Your Free Investor Search Today

RESI Boston 2026 Agenda Announced: Two Days of Investor Insights, Partnership Strategy, and Networking

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

The agenda for RESI Boston 2026 is here, offering attendees an in-depth look at the conversations shaping the future of early-stage life science investment. Taking place September 22–23 at The Westin Copley Place in Boston, followed by virtual partnering days on September 25, 28, and 29, the expanded two-day in-person conference delivers more opportunities than ever to connect with investors, strategic partners, and industry leaders.

This year’s program reflects the evolving priorities of the healthcare investment ecosystem, with sessions designed to help innovators better understand today’s fundraising environment while building the relationships needed to move their companies forward.

Day one begins by exploring why Boston remains one of the world’s premier biotechnology hubs before examining key topics including partnering with health systems, how venture investors evaluate early-stage therapeutics, securing pharmaceutical partnerships, corporate venture capital strategies, digital health innovation, and the growing influence of family offices in healthcare investing. The day also features the Global Family Office Bioforum (GFOB), an invite-only private networking lunch that brings together select family office investors for high-value discussions and relationship building.

On day two, programming shifts toward emerging investment trends with sessions highlighting angel investing, women’s health, impact investing, and the increasingly important role of mission-driven capital. The conference concludes with two Reverse VC Pitch sessions, where investors take the stage to present directly to entrepreneurs, providing attendees with valuable insight into investment priorities, fund strategies, and what investors are actively seeking in new opportunities. The day also features the exclusive Global VC Connect Lunch, creating another dedicated opportunity for venture capital investors to build meaningful connections.

As always, RESI programming is designed to provide practical insights rather than theory. Whether attendees are preparing for their next fundraising round, pursuing strategic partnerships, or looking to better understand today’s investment landscape, every panel is curated to deliver actionable perspectives from experienced investors and industry leaders.

Combined with RESI’s partnering platform and three additional days of virtual meetings, the conference offers a comprehensive environment for companies seeking to advance fundraising and business development efforts.

Join the RESI Speaker Lineup

Are you an investor or strategic partner with valuable insights to share with early-stage life science companies? We are looking for dynamic speakers to join our RESI panels. Click here to submit your Speaker Interest Form today!

Registration is now open, with super early bird pricing currently available. Companies planning to attend are encouraged to register early to secure the best available rates and begin preparing for one of the most anticipated life science investment events of the year.

Register today and join the global life science investment community at RESI Boston 2026.

Register for RESI Boston

Registration Now Open for RESI JPM 2027 

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

Max-Braht-Headshot

Life Science Nation is excited to announce that registration is now open for RESI JPM 2027, taking place January 11–12 at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, followed by three days of virtual partnering on January 13, 18, and 19. 

Held alongside the world’s largest gathering of healthcare investors, executives, and innovators during JPM Week, RESI JPM provides early-stage life science companies with a unique opportunity to raise capital, build strategic partnerships, and accelerate business development in one of the industry’s most active networking environments. 

Previous RESI JPM conferences welcomed more than 1,000 attendees, including over 600 active investors, strategic partners, pharmaceutical business development professionals, and industry leaders. The conference combines curated educational programming with one-on-one partnering meetings, creating meaningful opportunities for fundraising companies to connect directly with the investors and partners best aligned with their technologies. 

The expanded format begins with two full days of in-person programming at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis, featuring investor panels, educational workshops, the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge, networking events, poster presentations, and partnering meetings. The conference then continues online with three additional days of virtual partnering, allowing participants to maximize the number of meetings they can schedule while extending networking opportunities beyond the in-person event. 

Whether you are seeking Seed, Series A, or Series B financing, exploring strategic partnerships, licensing opportunities, or looking to expand your visibility within the life science investment community, RESI JPM offers multiple ways to engage. Registration options are available for startups, fundraising executives, service providers, technology hubs, exhibitors, and qualified investors. 

Early Bird registration is now available, offering substantial savings on five-day hybrid registration for startups and fundraising executives. Register early to lock in the lowest available rates. 

Organizations looking to maximize their visibility during JPM Week can also take advantage of sponsorship and exhibition opportunities designed to connect brands with a highly targeted audience of investors, innovators, and industry leaders. 

Register today and save up to $900 with Super Early Bird pricing!

Register Now

Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of one of the life science industry’s premier fundraising and partnering events.