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Partnering for Growth: DLA Piper on Supporting Life Science Innovation at RESI Boston 

9 Sep

At RESI Boston, global law firm DLA Piper plays a key role in guiding early-stage innovators through the legal and commercial challenges of scaling in the life sciences. In this interview, Lauren Murdza, Co-Chair of Technology & Life Sciences Licensing & Commercial Transactions, shares why DLA Piper chose to sponsor RESI, what the firm looks for in collaborations, and the trends shaping licensing and commercial transactions today.

Lauren Murdza
 CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): What motivated DLA Piper to sponsor RESI Boston, and why do you see value in supporting this conference?

Lauren Murdza (LM): DLA Piper is committed to supporting innovation in the life sciences sector, and RESI Boston offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with early-stage companies and investors. Sponsoring RESI aligns with our mission to be a strategic partner to emerging life science ventures, helping them navigate legal complexities while fostering meaningful connections that drive growth.

CD: From your perspective, what makes RESI a strong platform for connecting with early-stage life science innovators and investors?

LM: RESI creates a unique environment where entrepreneurs, investors, and advisors come together to solve real challenges. For DLA Piper, it’s an opportunity to listen and engage in conversations that matter—how to protect IP, manage data rights, and structure collaborations that attract capital. Those discussions allow us to show how DLA Piper’s integrated approach—combining legal, regulatory, and commercial insight—helps companies accelerate their next milestone.

CD: Can you share what types of companies, technologies, or partners DLA Piper is most interested in engaging with during RESI?

LM: We’re particularly interested in companies developing novel therapeutics, diagnostics, digital health platforms, and medical devices. Our team seeks to engage with founders and executives who are navigating the transition from concept to commercialization and who value strategic legal guidance in areas such as licensing, IP protection, and regulatory compliance.

CD: How does your team at DLA Piper support life science and healthcare companies as they move from early-stage development to commercialization?

LM: DLA Piper supports clients across the full lifecycle of a company—from corporate formation and IP strategy to licensing, financing, and M&A. We help clients identify the core aspects of their technology, assess patentability, and streamline initial filings to create contingent assets that support fundraising. What sets DLA Piper apart is our ability to deliver this seamlessly across jurisdictions, giving clients the confidence that their legal strategy scales with their business.

CD: Are there particular trends or challenges in licensing and commercial transactions that you think entrepreneurs at RESI should be especially mindful of?

LM: We’re seeing three big themes. First, clarity on data and AI rights is critical—investors want to know who owns what and how data can be used, especially across borders. Second, deal structures are evolving, with more options-to-license, milestone-based terms, and royalty monetization to help bridge funding gaps. Finally, regulatory and supply chain issues—from FDA expectations to manufacturing scale-up—are showing up earlier in negotiations. At DLA Piper, we help clients anticipate these challenges so they don’t slow down growth.

CD: What does DLA Piper hope to accomplish through its participation at RESI Boston this year?

LM: We aim to deepen our engagement with the life sciences community, share actionable insights through workshops and panels, and identify promising companies that could benefit from our legal and strategic expertise. RESI Boston is a chance to listen, learn, and contribute to the ecosystem that’s shaping the future of healthcare innovation.

CD: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the current life science innovation landscape, and how does DLA Piper plan to play a role in advancing it?

LM: We’re excited by the convergence of AI, data science, and biotechnology, which is accelerating discovery and personalization in medicine. DLA Piper plans to continue supporting innovators by offering forward-thinking legal solutions and fostering connections that help companies bring transformative technologies to the market.

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Advancing Early-Stage Drug Discovery with Mosaic Biosciences

12 Aug

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Manager, LSN

CaitiLife Science Nation is featuring Mosaic Biosciences, a returning RESI Boston sponsor dedicated to advancing early-stage drug discovery. Led by Chief Executive and Scientific Officer, Eric Furfine, Mosaic partners with biotech innovators to turn promising concepts into clinical candidates. In this interview, Eric shares how Mosaic’s experience and collaborative approach set them apart in moving ideas toward the clinic, and the types of partners they’re hoping to meet at RESI Boston.

Watch the interview:

Interested in RESI Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities

Whether you’re looking for face-to-face meetings, premium visibility, or lead-generation tools, we offer customized packages designed to support your goals.

Contact Us to Customize Your Sponsorship

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MantaBio: RESI Boston Pitch Challenge Winner Shares What’s Next 

22 Jul

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Manager, LSN

CaitiMantaBio earned third place in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) at RESI Boston this past June, standing out among a competitive field of early-stage life science companies. In this interview, Co-Founder and President Carter Boisfontaine shares insights into the company’s fundraising efforts, their experience at RESI, and what’s ahead for the team.

Watch the interview:

Interested in pitching your company at RESI?

Applications are now open for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Boston, September 17, 2025. Selected companies receive full access to the conference, partnering meetings with investors, and exhibit space in the RESI Exhibition Hall. New! The September 2025 IPC Pitch Package now includes an optional second RESI pass at no additional cost, allowing an additional team member to attend and participate in partnering. Apply now!

Apply to Pitch at RESI Boston Sept. 2025

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Inomagen Therapeutics: RESI Boston June IPC Winner

15 Jul

Inomagen Therapeutics, led by Chief Business Officer Eric Sandberg, is working to redefine how atrial fibrillation is treated—starting at the molecular level. A recent winner in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Boston June. In this interview, Sandberg shares insights into the company’s novel approach, development progress, and how RESI helped build investor momentum.

Eric Sandberg
 CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): Tell us about Inomagen Therapeutics, what is your core focus, and what inspired your approach to treating atrial fibrillation?

Eric Sandberg (ES): Inomagen Therapeutics is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing a non-viral gene therapy to improve the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common sustained heart rhythm disorder affecting 10M people in the US alone.  Patients with AF do not feel well and have a 4-5x increased risk of stroke, 2x risk of having a heart attack, and AF is a major cause of heart failure.  Unfortunately, current therapies, including cardiac ablation, have proven ineffective for many patients because they do not address the underlying mechanisms of the disease.

Inomagen’s approach is based on research conducted by our Founder, CEO and practicing electrophysiologist, Dr. Rishi Arora.  In his research laboratory, Dr. Arora identified major molecular mechanisms that contribute to AF in a majority of patients with AF; identified major trans-genes to selectively target these mechanisms in the atrium; utilized low energy electroporation to achieve therapeutic gene transfer and expression; and decreased AF in clinically relevant, large animal models of AF.

CD: What differentiates your platform from other therapies available to treat atrial fibrillation?

ES: Ablation is the mainstay of AF treatment. However, ablation success rates are suboptimal in patients with persistent AF. This is thought to be in large part because ablation is an anatomic procedure that is not targeted to the molecular mechanisms underlying AF. Inomagen has developed a non-viral gene therapy that targets one or more major molecular mechanisms underlying AF.  Specifically, we have demonstrated preclinical success delivering NOX2 shRNA plasmids to atrial tissue to achieve gene knockdown, to silence upstream mechanisms of AF, in order to achieve a therapeutic effect.  To be clear, our gene therapy is not replacing genes or editing genes, we are knocking down the expression of genes that are causing AF.  Based on our preclinical results, we believe that our gene therapy can potentially surpass cardiac ablation as the therapy of choice for atrial fibrillation.

To achieve safe and effective targeted gene delivery, we have developed a novel transvenous gene delivery system that uses low energy reversible electroporation to achieve high levels of gene transfection into atrial tissue.   We believe that our physical gene delivery approach overcomes the known challenges of using viral vectors which include insufficient gene transfection and well publicized off-target effects.  As such, we believe our gene delivery approach can potentially serve as a platform technology for other companies developing cardiac gene therapies, including gene therapy in the ventricles for congestive heart failure.

CD: Where are you in terms of preclinical or clinical development, and what are your near-term goals?

ES: With our recent development of a proprietary NOX2 shRNA gene plasmid and a gene delivery catheter, we have now achieved program readiness to initiate IND-enabling studies to gain FDA approval for a Phase I/IIa clinical study.  In the near term, we will be conducting IND-enabling studies in the 2nd half of the year in preparation for a pre-IND meeting with the FDA early next year prior to conducting pivotal tox and filing an IND in late 2026.  We aim to initiate our Phase I/IIa clinical study in 2027.

CD: What are you seeking in your current fundraising round, and what kind of investors or strategic partners are you hoping to connect with?

ES: We are currently raising a $5M Series Seed round and will be initiating a larger Series A round later this year to support the program through a Phase I/IIa study.  In the near term, ideal investors for Inomagen include angel groups and individuals, while we anticipate our Series A to be led by venture capital investors. Additionally, given the potential of Inomagen’s gene therapy to markedly improve the treatment of atrial fibrillation, we have several potential strategic partners who are tracking our progress.

Inomagen has multiple gene targets in our pipeline and a robust IP portfolio that includes 18 issued patents protecting genes/biologics and gene delivery.  We have an experienced team committed to bringing our gene therapy to the clinic.

CD: How did your participation in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Boston contribute to your visibility or investor outreach efforts?

ES: Our participation provided the opportunity to continue to share the progress that we are making with the attendees at RESI.  And being recognized as a top company in the Pitch Challenge has certainly provided increased visibility for Inomagen through Life Science Nation’s extensive readership.  We have experienced a further increase of interest in Inomagen, including a significant increase in traffic to our  website.

CD: Can you share any valuable feedback or connections that came out of the pitch sessions or RESI partnering meetings?

ES: Following our presentation in the Pitch Challenge, we added several more partnering meetings with interested investors. Given our experience at the June RESI meeting, we registered to attend the September RESI meeting as well.

CD: What advice would you give to fellow early-stage biotech founders about preparing for and participating in a RESI pitch competition?

ES: The RESI pitch competition provided a good opportunity to make sure that we are communicating the Inomagen opportunity clearly to potential investors. We appreciated the opportunity to join the many impressive companies presenting at RESI who have a passion to improve health care for patients and providers.

Applications are now open for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Boston this September.
New! The IPC Pitch Package now includes an optional second full RESI pass at no additional cost—bring a teammate to support investor meetings, pitch preparation, and maximize your conference presence.

Apply to Pitch at RESI Boston Sept. 2025

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Meet the First-Place Winner of RESI Boston’s Innovator’s Pitch Challenge: MindLab 

8 Jul

By Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Manager, LSN

CaitiMindLab took the top spot in June’s Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) at RESI Boston, standing out among dozens of early-stage life science companies who pitched to panels of active investor judges. In this brief interview, we speak with the MindLab team about their fundraising goals, experience participating in RESI, and what’s next for the company.

Watch the interview:

Interested in pitching your company at RESI?

Applications are now open for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Boston, September 17, 2025. Selected companies receive full access to the conference, partnering meetings with investors, and exhibit space in the RESI Exhibition Hall. New! The September 2025 IPC Pitch Package now includes an optional second RESI pass at no additional cost, allowing an additional team member to attend and participate in partnering. Apply now!

Apply to Pitch at RESI Boston Sept. 2025

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Engineering Breakthroughs: How Tecan Partners with MedTech Innovators to Scale Smarter 

3 Jun

At RESI Boston June, Tecan joins as a sponsor, and a strategic development partner for early-stage MedTech and life science companies. In this interview, Jed Palmer, Director of R&D and Engineering, shares how Tecan supports innovators from prototype to scalable product, what technologies they’re excited to partner on, and what startups can do to stand out in the eyes of a seasoned engineering team.

Jed Palmer CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): Can you briefly introduce Tecan and your role within the company, particularly as it relates to partnering and innovation?

Jed Palmer (JP): Tecan partners with companies across life sciences, diagnostics, and MedTech as an integrated, global development and manufacturing organization. Within Tecan, our Technology Development group works closely with MedTech innovators to bring breakthrough technologies from concept to working prototype in months, not years. From there, Tecan supports the transition to manufacturable, scalable solutions through our global network and operations

In my role as Director of R&D, I lead cross-functional teams of engineers and scientists who specialize in early-stage system design, particularly for electronics-based, energy-delivering and high-precision medical devices. We work closely with startups and emerging technology companies to overcome integration, prototyping, and scalability challenges, acting as a true extension of their R&D team.

CD: What motivated Tecan to sponsor and attend RESI Boston this year? What makes this conference valuable to your team?

JP: RESI Boston is one of the premier conferences that brings together a critical mass of early-stage life sciences and MedTech innovators who are actively looking for partnership, not just exposure. For us, it’s a unique opportunity to connect with founders and technical leaders who are right at that moment where concept validation meets real-world execution.

We sponsored RESI because we believe our customers’ technologies have the power to shape the future of healthcare and drive meaningful impact. As engineers, we want to be at the center of that innovation, working side by side with our partners. Our goal is to be a true strategic collaborator, not just a service provider, offering deep technical expertise and scalable platforms that help turn promising ideas into transformative, market-ready products.

CD: What types of early-stage companies or technologies are you most interested in connecting with at RESI? Are there particular therapeutic areas or platforms that align with Tecan’s strategic goals?

JP: We’re especially interested in early-stage companies developing energy-based therapies, electrophysiology tools, neuromodulation platforms, and next-gen surgical systems, particularly those integrating complex electronics or control systems. Therapeutic areas that align closely with our strategy include:

  • Cardiac and electrophysiology devices
  • Minimally invasive surgical technologies
  • Implantable and wearable therapeutics
  • Neurotech platforms

We partner with teams solving tough engineering problems in power delivery, system integration, miniaturization, etc. Our goal is to accelerate their journey to functional prototype and scale.

CD: How does Tecan typically engage with startups? Are you looking to collaborate through investment, strategic partnerships, technology licensing, or another model?

JP: Our approach is very hands-on and partnership-driven. We focus on collaborative technology development, acting as an extension of our partners’ R&D team—bringing a multidisciplinary group of engineers, physicists, and system architects to accelerate progress.

We understand that no two companies or technologies are the same. Whether it’s a short-term technical challenge or a long-term product roadmap, we work with our partners to define a structure that aligns with their goals, resources, and timelines. Our focus is on building the kind of partnership that delivers meaningful value.

CD: What advice would you give to early-stage companies looking to capture the interest of a company like Tecan at a partnering conference?

JP: The most compelling startups are the ones who are clear on what problem they’re solving—and have a grounded view of what they need help with. You don’t need to have everything figured out. What resonates with us is clarity around the application, an understanding of technical gaps, and openness to collaborative development.

Also, don’t be afraid to bring your early challenges forward. We’re not just here for polished decks—we’re here for the engineering friction points, the integration problems, and the roadblocks that need real solutions.

CD: Are there any common challenges you see when evaluating potential partners in the life science ecosystem, and how can companies better prepare to overcome them?

JP: In the early stages of technology development, it’s very common to not recognize the assumptions that were made in designing a treatment. We like to see teams that are open to having those assumptions challenged in order to progress the technology.

Another common challenge is underestimating the time and complexity required to move from proof-of-concept to a robust, testable prototype. Teams often get stuck when transitioning from feasibility to development because the architecture wasn’t built with flexibility or scale in mind.

Companies can better prepare by thinking about system-level design earlier in their process. Bringing in a development partner with deep hardware/software integration experience can help avoid costly rework, especially for energy-delivering or electronics-driven devices. Early conversations around testability, firmware strategy, and control platforms can save months.

CD: Looking ahead, what trends or innovations in the life sciences space are you particularly excited about, and how do they align with Tecan’s long-term vision?

JP: We’re particularly excited by the convergence of energy delivery technologies, real-time sensing, and closed-loop control, especially in areas like Neurostim technologies and electroceuticals. These are areas where modular, scalable architectures can unlock faster development. We’re also watching the push for personalized and distributed care, which demands smaller, smarter, and more adaptable devices.

Our long-term vision is to be the go-to partner for teams looking to innovate faster and scale smarter. RESI is one of the places where that journey starts.

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Redefining Emergency Care: An Interview with Opportunity Health 

6 May

Third-place winner at the RESI Europe Innovator’s Pitch Challenge discusses their breakthrough anti-choking device and plans for market launch. 

Interview with Iñigo Almazán Tife, Industrial Design Engineer of Opportunity Health by Caitlin Dolegowski, Marketing Manager, LSN

Iñigo Almazán Tife CaitiCaitlin Dolegowski

We sat down with Iñigo Almazán Tife, from Opportunity Health to learn more about the inspiration behind their life-saving innovation, their experience at RESI Europe, and what lies ahead for the company. Opportunity Health recently took third place in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Europe, and their technology is generating attention for good reason. 

Caitlin Dolegowski (CD): Tell us about the origin of Opportunity Health and the innovation behind your solution. 

Iñigo Almazán Tife (IT): Opportunity Health began with a deeply personal event. Our CEO, Germán, was inspired to create this company after a frightening incident involving his brother, Txema. Txema began choking during a family dinner. Thankfully, their father had some knowledge of how to perform a life-saving intervention and managed to save him. But the family recognized it could have ended very differently—had Theo been alone, the outcome might have been fatal. That moment sparked the idea behind our solution. 

The result is Yarnasa, the first automatic, self-applicable anti-choking device. It’s designed for emergency situations and intended to be simple and intuitive—something that can be used in the moment, even by the person who is choking. 

CD: Can the device be used on both adults and children? 

IT: At this stage, our focus is on adults and individuals over the age of 12. This decision is driven by data: around 90% of fatal choking cases occur in individuals over the age of 65. Once we validate the product for adults, our plan is to begin trials to adapt and validate its use for children as well. 

CD: What stage of development and fundraising is Opportunity Health in now? 

IT: We’re currently patent pending and preparing for CE marking in the European market. Our aim is to launch commercially in Europe by mid-2027. The regulatory process for medical devices in Europe typically takes about two years, so we’re laying the groundwork now. 

In parallel, we’re looking ahead to securing FDA clearance for the U.S. market. However, we currently need additional resources to begin that process. One of our near-term goals is to secure funding to pursue FDA certification in parallel with our European regulatory strategy. 

CD: How does your device compare to existing solutions? 

IT: There are other anti-choking devices on the market, but ours is fundamentally different. Most existing options require prior knowledge or physical effort from another person. That becomes problematic if, for example, the person assisting is also elderly or not physically capable. 

Yarnasa is fully self-applicable and automatic. There’s no need for training or strength—just activate it, place it, and press a button. We’re offering a premium, highly innovative solution that redefines the category of anti-choking devices. 

CD: You took third place in the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI Europe. What was your experience like? 

IT: RESI Europe exceeded our expectations. It was incredibly well organized and offered a strong platform for networking. We met potential investors and collaborators who provided feedback not only on the product but also on company strategy and market approaches. 

The only improvement we’d suggest is better alignment between registered investors and actual attendance. Some investors were only available virtually, which made coordination a bit challenging. But overall, it was a very positive experience. 

CD: How was your experience with the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge itself? 

IT: The Pitch Challenge gave us valuable exposure and feedback. Beyond the pitching session, being part of the exhibition hall allowed us to interact with a wide range of stakeholders. We had insightful conversations about go-to-market strategies across Europe and the U.S., which gave us a clearer roadmap for commercialization. We walked away with actionable insights and new connections. 

CD: Did RESI Europe help you take any steps forward in your fundraising efforts? 

IT: Yes, absolutely. We made new investor connections and followed up by sharing our deck. We’re now in active conversations. Fundraising is a long process, of course, but RESI helped us move things forward. 

CD: What are your goals for the next year or two? 

IT: In the coming months, we’re focused on finalizing our prototype for industrial production, targeting September of this year. After that, we plan to launch an investment round by the end of 2025 or early 2026. The goal of that round is to fund the company through the final development phase and launch the product in market. 

CD: What advice would you give other companies preparing to pitch at RESI? 

IT: I wouldn’t call myself an expert in pitching, but from our experience, I’d say preparation is key. Be clear about the main message you want to convey. And most of all, enjoy the event—be open to conversation. You never know who you’ll meet, and those connections could play a vital role in your company’s journey. 

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