Tag Archives: technology

Why Do 90% of Life Science Startups Fail? Because the Science Never Gets Out of the Way 

22 Apr

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

DF-News-09142022The Core Challenge: Science Without Commercialization Fails

Despite strong science, most life science startups struggle to scale because their founders lack the commercial expertise and support to navigate the investor landscape. Traditional accelerators often fall short, offering generic mentorship rather than hands-on, market-facing guidance.

Life Science Nation (LSN) addresses this gap by preparing startups to succeed on the global stage. From seed to Series B, LSN equips companies with the narrative, materials, and investor access needed to execute targeted global roadshows. Startups don’t just get introductions—they get a playbook for matching with the right partners, at the right stage, for the right reasons.

A Two-Way Innovation Bridge

LSN’s platform operates in both directions. It helps startups leave their region to reach global capital and commercial partners and connects international investors and licensing firms with often overlooked emerging markets. LSN is the connective tissue linking regional science to global dealmaking from LATAM to China to Europe and North America.

Regions that succeed in commercialization align government, academia, and industry. LSN brings the final piece: a global engine that sources, vets, and connects startups with the right capital and channels to commercialize.

Most Regions Have Science. Few Have a Commercialization Engine.

Virtually every country boasts scientific talent and academic excellence, but most lack the infrastructure, regulatory flexibility, and partner networks to commercialize innovations globally. LSN fills that gap by preparing startups for the global market and helping international players tap into new regional pipelines. The result: cross-border dealmaking, accelerated product development, and a more connected global life sciences sector.

RESI & LSN Labs: Global Success Starts Here

LSN’s commercialization platform is anchored by RESI (Redefining Early Stage Investments), a global conference series that connects startups and investors through curated, stage-specific matchmaking. With over $5 billion raised by RESI alumni, the event has become a trusted launchpad for early-stage fundraising.

Startups also gain access to the Global Partnering Campaign (GPC) and LSN Labs—a standardized, education-driven accelerator that teaches narrative development, market fit mapping, and investor targeting. It’s a proven system that replaces chance with structure.

The Missing Capital Layer: Early-Stage Therapeutics Fund

To close the early-stage funding gap, LSN is co-launching a $50 million venture fund in partnership with a few strategic stakeholders (unannounced). The fund provides micro-investments, fractional executive support, milestone-based coaching, and access to a global CRO network, offering a de-risked, high-support runway from discovery to Series B. Fully integrated with LSN’s ecosystem, the fund provides capital, coaching, and commercialization support in one unified package, creating a new template for therapeutics’ sourcing, shaping, and scaling.

A Blueprint for the Future of Biotech Commercialization

LSN is rewriting the life science commercialization playbook. By integrating structured education, curated global networks, and early-stage capital, LSN is helping science finally get out of its own way. In doing so, it’s reducing the failure rate of life science startups and ensuring more breakthroughs reach patients worldwide. This is the new commercialization model—where science and business move forward, together.

Hot Investor Mandate 3: VC Firm Seeks Investment Opportunities in Digital Health and Medical Device Technologies that Address Problems of Large Unmet Need in Healthcare

28 Jun

A venture capital firm spun out of a leading university looks to provide primarily seed stage financings to companies ranging from $100K – $500k initially with up to $5-6 million provided over the lifetime of the investment. The firm prefers to invest in companies in the Eastern United States but is open to considering companies from around the globe. The firm could make as many as 6-7 investments over the next 6-9 months.

The firm is looking for companies working in sectors of digital health and more selectively medical devices. The firm is only interested in companies that are targeting very larger markets/unmet needs and is not interested in companies that require FDA Approval. The firm is especially interested in companies utilizing software for the optimization of various products and processes within healthcare. The firm is not interested in consumer-facing products.

The firm is very open to working with young entrepreneurs and generally looks to take a board seat following the investment. The firm is looking for companies with the potential to become very large organizations capable of being worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

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

Hot Investor Mandate 3: Boston-Based VC Firm Makes Pre-Seed/Seed Investments in Data-Driven Technologies Including AI, Drug Discovery, and Computational Biotech

31 May

A venture firm headquartered in Boston, MA focus on pre-seed and seed stage investments, typically with an initially investment of $500K to $1M as part of the company’s first institutional funding. The firm prefers companies located in the USA and Canada. The firm will make 5-10 new investments over the next 12 months.

The firm partners with entrepreneurs solving real-world problems with data and machine learning, focusing on applications of frontier technologies such as AI, computational biotech, connected sensors, AR/VR, and blockchain. Past investments include biomedical and genomics data analytics platforms, data and analysis tools for drug discovery, and related areas.

The firm desires experienced management teams with a vision for the future. The firm can take a board seat when they have specific expertise in the area, and does not have an equity target. Strong technical teams who have a deep understanding of their markets is desired, though the firm is comfortable partnering with very early-stage (pre-product) companies.

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

Hot Investor Mandate 1: Japanese CVC with USA Offices Invests in Novel Pharmaceutical, Medical Device, and Digital Health Technologies

24 May

A corporate venture arm of a diversified business based in Tokyo is focused on investing in various sectors, including healthcare. The team is based in offices in both the West and East Coast. The fund has an evergreen structure looking to allocate between $1-$3 million per deal initially and up to $5 million over the life of the investment. The firm is seeking to invest in approximately 2-4 companies over the next 12 months and are open to investing in companies across the globe.

Sectors of interest include: pharmaceuticals, medical device and digital health. Therapeutic and product areas of interest include: Pain, critical care, musculoskeletal disease, kidney disease, DDS, patient monitoring technologies, bioprocessing technologies, digital therapeutics. The firm is open to all stages of investment, with a general preference toward companies with at least some early clinical data.

The firm invests in private companies and is willing to work with all types of management teams including incomplete teams. The firm generally requests at least an observer seat following investment.

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

Hot Investor Mandate 3: California-Based VC Seeking to Invest in Therapeutic Technologies that Solve Problems Within Genetically Driven Diseases

17 May

A California-based firm backed by a number of well-known global funds is actively seeking investment opportunities. The firm prefers to be the first institutional investor in a company, and is typically an active, lead investor (often the sole investor). The firm typically invests in 5 opportunities per year.

The firm focuses on genetic drivers of disease, and therefore only invests in treatments for monogenic diseases or genetically-driven cancers. The firm is only interested in treatments that elicit a disease-modifying response; treatments that target symptoms of monogenic diseases are not of interest. Therapeutics must have a clearly-defined mechanism of action. The firm usually invests at the preclinical stage, up to 18 months prior to IND, but is open to later stage candidates (including clinical).

The firm focuses on individual products, not technology platforms. The firm typically houses each single asset in its own discrete subsidiary. The firm has internal expertise in medicinal chemistry, biology, and clinical trials, with personnel having significantly contributed to 30+ INDs and 10+ approved drugs. The company will often leverage internal expertise for subsidiaries, and can also assist with recruiting.

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

Hot Investor Mandate 1: Large VC Firm Focused on Data-Driven Life Science Technologies, from Devices to Computational Drug Discovery

5 Apr

A venture capital firm with offices in California backs entrepreneurs applying deep and differentiated technology to transform giant industries. The firm focuses on seed and series A investments and has raised multiple funds to date, with over $1B AUM. The firm usually makes seed investments in the range of $250K – $1M and venture-stage investments from $1M-$4M and may use both convertible notes or straight equity. The firm may lead or co-invest in a syndicate and looks to add unique value to entrepreneurs with a strong Equity Partner network, operational experience and technical background.

The firm invests in several verticals and is focused on deep technologies such as AI, advanced materials, quantum computing, etc. In the healthcare space, the firm is focused on the entire continuum including computational drug discovery, AI-driven diagnostics, better/faster clinical trials and technologies used by payers and providers to better understand and manage risk and drive better outcomes. The common theme is that the startup’s underlying technology be novel and data-driven. The firm is also interested in synthetic biology. The firm does not invest in biopharma or traditional medical devices/diagnostics with a standard regulatory pathway.

The firm requires that startups have some type of proof-of concept and traction. The firm prefers experienced/proven management teams and entrepreneurs that are introduced through the firm’s network. The firm typically seeks a board seat when leading an investment.

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

Hot Investor Mandate 3: Technology Firm Establishes New Venture Fund for Investing in Early-Stage Digital Health Companies Globally

5 Apr

An operating group of a global public technology firm with an $18B market cap. The group began its venture portfolio in 2018 with investments in B-to-B software companies targeted at specific vertical markets such as healthcare. The fund invests $0.5M – 1M per company and is seeking companies raising seed to Series B rounds. The company is seeking 5 – 10 new investments to build their initial portfolio. The company prefers companies based in Canada, though as the parent firm is located in the US, UK, EU, and AU, the fund is open to invest globally.

The company is seeking healthcare IT, and they are particularly investing in technologies with a software component. The firm prefers commercial-stage companies, though is open to looking at clinical-stage companies as well. The company is indication agnostic.

The company will help companies fill management team positions, if necessary. The company prefers companies that are generating $100K – 3M in annual revenue.

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