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

9 Jun

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.

ANT5 CellFold
FELIQS HIUCHI-Pharma
Juntendo-University Radio-Nano
United-Immunity VCCT

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.

BTB Therapeutics CiRA
Orizuru-therapeutics Rege-Nephro
Shinobi_Therapeutics

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.

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Discover the Innovators: 14 Pitch Sessions Showcasing Emerging Life Science Companies 

9 Jun

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

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The Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) returns to RESI San Diego with an exciting lineup of 14 pitch sessions showcasing emerging companies from across the life science ecosystem. Finalists represent a broad range of innovation spanning Therapeutics, Medical Devices, Diagnostics, and Digital Health, highlighting the technologies shaping the future of healthcare.

These sessions provide RESI attendees with a unique opportunity to discover breakthrough technologies and engage directly with the entrepreneurs driving them forward. Each company will present in front of a panel of active investors and strategic partners, participate in live Q&A discussions, and receive valuable feedback from industry experts.

In addition to presenting during their assigned pitch session, all IPC finalists will showcase their companies in the RESI exhibition area through dedicated pitch posters. This format allows attendees to explore innovative technologies at their own pace, connect directly with company leadership, and schedule follow-up discussions with promising startups throughout the conference.

The Innovator’s Pitch Challenge culminates with the presentation of RESI Cash awards, recognizing standout companies from across the competition. Award recipients will also be featured in Life Science Nation’s Next Phase newsletter, providing additional visibility among the global RESI community.

More than a competition, the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge serves as a platform for fundraising companies to gain visibility, validate their value proposition, and build meaningful relationships with investors, strategic partners, and industry leaders from around the world.

See the full list of pitching companies below:

Apply to Pitch at RESI Boston

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Innovator’s Pitch Challenge: Where Deals Start

19 May

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

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At most conferences, startup pitch competitions are treated as side programming. Founders present a deck, judges select winners, applause follows, and the event moves on.

At RESI San Diego, the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge (IPC) is designed differently.

The IPC is not simply about winning a competition. It is designed to help early-stage life science companies generate investor attention, create business development momentum, and accelerate conversations that continue long after the presentation ends.

For many companies, that interaction becomes the most valuable part of the experience.

“The discussions also felt far more relationship-driven than transactional,” said Sian Farrell, CEO of StimOxyGen. “Conversations extended beyond the pitch itself and focused on clinical strategy, regulatory pathways, commercialization, and long-term value creation.”

Unlike standalone pitch competitions, the IPC is integrated directly into the larger RESI partnering ecosystem. Participating companies also receive partnering access, poster presentation visibility, and exposure throughout the conference environment, creating multiple opportunities for follow-up interaction.

“The combination of the presentation and the partnering platform made a significant difference,” said Bram de Moor, CEO of You2Yourself. “RESI brought us into direct contact with European and transatlantic life science investors who specifically seek early-stage diagnostic and biomarker companies — an audience difficult to reach through cold outreach.”

The IPC also introduces an interactive audience component through “RESI cash,” distributed to attendees during registration. Participants allocate their RESI cash to the companies they believe demonstrate the strongest potential, creating additional visibility and engagement throughout the event.

For founders navigating today’s capital environment, opportunities that combine exposure with concentrated investor access are increasingly valuable.

As fundraising conditions continue to demand stronger differentiation and clearer commercialization pathways, platforms that help companies sharpen messaging and generate high-quality investor interaction have become increasingly important.

At RESI, the IPC is intended to serve exactly that purpose.

Selected companies receive:

  • Two 5-day RESI registrations
  • A six-minute company presentation followed by seven minutes of investor Q&A
  • Poster presentation space
  • Full partnering access
  • Exposure to investors, strategic partners, and pharma business development teams throughout Convention Week

For many founders, the IPC becomes more than a presentation opportunity. It becomes the place where investor conversations begin, strategic relationships form, and fundraising momentum accelerates.

Applications for the Innovator’s Pitch Challenge at RESI San Diego are currently open, with limited presentation slots remaining.

Apply to Pitch at RESI San Diego

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Oncovita: A Novel Measles-Based Approach to Unlock Immunotherapy in Solid Tumors 

5 May

By Rahul Shetty, Project Management & BD Associate, LSN

Max-Braht-HeadshotIn oncology, one of the most persistent challenges is not a lack of therapeutic innovation, but a fundamental biological limitation: many tumors remain invisible to the immune system. While immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors have transformed treatment paradigms, a significant proportion of cancers, often referred to as “cold” tumors, fail to respond because they simply are not recognized as threats.

Oncovita, a France-based biotechnology company, is addressing this challenge with a novel approach rooted in engineered measles virotherapy. By leveraging the natural biology of the measles vaccine virus, the company aims to expose tumors to immune attack, effectively converting immunologically silent cancers into targets the body can detect and destroy.

This approach is particularly relevant in pleural mesothelioma, one of the deadliest solid tumors, where survival is often measured in months and treatment options remain extremely limited. Its immunologically silent nature makes it largely invisible to immune surveillance and resistant to existing immunotherapies, leaving patients with few effective options.

At the core of Oncovita’s platform is MVdeltaC, an engineered measles vaccine virus designed for intratumoral administration. Many tumors, including mesothelioma, overexpress CD46 – the receptor used by the measles virus to enter cells, providing a natural mechanism for selective targeting. Once inside the tumor, MVdeltaC triggers immunogenic tumor cell death and immune activation by releasing danger signals and tumor antigens, ultimately priming T cells to recognize and attack cancer. In doing so, it converts “cold” tumors into “hot” ones, enabling both local and systemic immune responses.

The use of measles vaccine as a therapeutic backbone offers several advantages. The live attenuated vaccine has been administered to more than four billion people worldwide, establishing a strong safety profile. It replicates in the cytoplasm without integrating into host DNA and is known to stimulate both innate and adaptive immunity, making it well suited for cancer immunotherapy.

Evidence supporting this approach includes a documented remission in a patient with triple-negative breast cancer treated with a measles-based therapy, along with preclinical data showing complete tumor regressions, long-term survival, and systemic immune activation across multiple aggressive tumor models. MVdeltaC has also demonstrated strong potential in combination with checkpoint inhibitors, further expanding its therapeutic relevance.

Oncovita is advancing MVdeltaC with an initial focus on pleural mesothelioma, supported by FDA & EMA Orphan Drug Designation and a clear regulatory pathway. From there, the company plans to expand into triple-negative breast cancer and additional solid tumors, using a stepwise strategy that builds early clinical validation before scaling into larger markets. This stepwise approach allows the company to generate early clinical proof-of-concept in a high-need population before expanding into broader oncology indications. With approximately 9,000 eligible patients annually across the U.S., Europe, and Japan in its initial indications and a significantly larger addressable market across solid tumors, the long-term opportunity is substantial.

Oncovita’s progress is supported by a multidisciplinary team with expertise spanning virology, immunotherapy, and clinical oncology. The company collaborates with leading institutions and key opinion leaders, including experts from Institut Gustave Roussy and MD Anderson Cancer Center, reinforcing the scientific and clinical foundation of its program.

As immunotherapy continues to evolve, enabling the immune system to recognize cancer may be just as important as enhancing its response. Oncovita’s measles-based virotherapy represents a compelling approach to solving this challenge, offering the potential to expand immunotherapy to patients who currently have limited treatment options.

Learn More & Connect

To learn more about Oncovita, visit: https://www.oncovita.fr/

To connect directly with CEO Stephane Altaba, reach out here: stephane.altaba@oncovita.fr

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Allosteric Bioscience: Advancing a First-in-Class Approach to Combat Muscle Degeneration 

28 Apr

By Max Braht, VP of Business Development, LSN

Max-Braht-Headshot

As the global population ages, sarcopenia and age-related muscle loss are emerging as major unmet medical challenges, impacting quality of life, independence, and long-term health outcomes for millions worldwide. With approximately 20% of the global population of 8.2 billion people over age 60, demand for therapies that preserve muscle mass and function is expected to rise significantly.

At the same time, the broader anti-aging market is projected to grow from $73 billion in 2024 to $140 billion by 2034, while the anti-obesity therapeutics market is expected to expand from $16 billion in 2024 to $105 billion by 2030, underscoring the growing commercial relevance of solutions targeting muscle preservation.

Allosteric Bioscience is positioning itself at the forefront of this space with a novel therapeutic strategy designed to preserve muscle mass and function.

Originating from groundbreaking research licensed from Johns Hopkins University, Allosteric Bioscience is developing a small molecule inhibitor of glutamate carboxypeptidase II (GCPII), an enzyme increasingly recognized as a key metabolic regulator in muscle degeneration. By targeting GCPII, the company aims to create a disease-modifying therapy capable of addressing sarcopenia at its biological source rather than simply managing symptoms.

Preclinical studies have demonstrated promising results, including preservation of muscle function, inhibition of muscle wasting, and approximately 20% improvement in survival in relevant disease models. These findings suggest potential applications not only for age-related sarcopenia but also for broader muscle-wasting conditions associated with obesity therapies, chronic disease, and other degenerative disorders.

Allosteric Bioscience’s lead candidates are currently progressing toward IND-enabling studies and advancement into first-in-human clinical development. The company’s broader platform also reflects an ambitious strategy focused on optimizing both lifespan and health-span through innovative aging-related therapeutics.

With leadership from Executive Chairman & Co-Founder, Bruce Meyers, and President & Co-Founder, Dr. Arthur Bollon, Allosteric Bioscience represents a compelling opportunity for investors, strategic partners, and stakeholders interested in next-generation therapeutics targeting one of healthcare’s most pressing aging-related challenges.

As longevity science and preventative therapeutics continue to attract growing investor attention, Allosteric Bioscience is working to redefine how the life sciences industry approaches muscle degeneration and healthy aging.

Learn More & Connect

To learn more about Allosteric Bioscience, visit: allostericbioscience.com

To connect directly with Executive Chairman & Co-Founder Bruce Meyers and President & Co-Founder Dr. Arthur Bollon, schedule a meeting here:

Schedule a Meeting with Allosteric Bioscience

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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]

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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]

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