The medical device industry continues to experience rapid growth, driven by technological innovation, regulatory advancements, and increasing global healthcare demand. This panel brings together active investors to discuss the latest trends, opportunities, and challenges in the medical device industry.

Topics addressed may include:

• Emerging technologies and current trends that excite investors
• Investment strategies and due diligence process on medical device opportunities
• Navigating regulatory hurdles and barriers to market entry
• Case studies of successful medical device investments

This panel will be an insightful discussion on how investors capitalize on this dynamic sector while driving advancements in patient care and medical technology.

The most successful entrepreneurs are always the best storytellers. Finding a way to naturally formulate your company’s unique story and portraying this through multiple modalities whether it be a 1-minute elevator pitch or a 12-slide pitch deck is one of the most effective ways to get potential investors and partners on board with your value proposition. This bootcamp will cover the importance of entrepreneurial agency, finding your voice and developing a compelling narrative for the different players that will emerge along a deal chain, and language tools to refine your hook. Investors always bet on the team, not just the technology, and if every member of your startup can tell any strategic partner a consistent story of your company and technology, you are on the right track to building successful relationships.

As global markets become increasingly interconnected, cross-border investments between US, Europe, and beyond are unlocking new opportunities for growth. This panel brings together experienced investors, legal experts, and industry leaders to explore the complexities of international investments and strategies for navigating regulatory, economic, and geopolitical challenges.

Topics addressed may include:

• The importance of fostering cross-border investment and partnership opportunities in the life sciences & healthcare industry
• Strategies for mitigating risks and optimizing cross-border deal structures
• How current economic trends are shaping international investment flows
• Examples of successful cross-border deals

This panel will be an in-depth discussion on how investors can successfully expand their portfolios, how companies can better seek to work with these global investors, leverage international opportunities, and navigate the evolving global investment landscape.

This workshop on the EIC will explain which support the European Commission provides to European deeptech start-ups.
The EIC Accelerator facility, for start-ups the most relevant instrument, will be discussed in more detail.

Many large corporations establish corporate venture or innovation arms to invest and partner with life science and healthcare companies. However, every corporate venture capital firm has a unique approach and strategy in investment, and their ties to the corporation can differ. Some invest only in areas that complement the parent company’s existing interest areas, while some may source for opportunities beyond those interest areas. This panel will uncover insights from active corporate VC firms and how they seek to drive innovation, accelerate R&D, and bring transformative solutions to market.

 Topics addressed may include:

• How CVCs align investments with corporate strategy in healthcare & life sciences
• Balancing financial returns with long-term patient and industry impact
• The role of CVCs in fostering biotech, medtech, and digital health innovation
• Due diligence & investment process – how can companies seek to work with these firms?

This panel will provide exclusive insights from active corporate VC investors on emerging investment trends, strategic priorities, and the evolving role of corporate venture capital in transforming healthcare.

To explore the challenges and strategies in achieving market access for healthtech innovations, focusing on regulatory hurdles, coverage, coding, reimbursement and adoption pathways, and the role of data and digital tools in healthcare.

The digital health landscape continues to expand rapidly, with a growing emphasis on disease-specific solutions beyond chronic disease management and mental & behavioral health. Reimbursement for digital health companies has been improving and accelerating – digital therapeutics, AI/ML-driven patient monitoring and diagnostics tools are all important technologies that have enormous potential in improving patient outcomes. This panel will bring together active digital health investors to talk about latest trends, opportunities, and challenges in the digital health sector.

Topics addressed may include:

• Emerging technologies and current trends that excite investors
• Investment strategies and due diligence process on digital health opportunities
• Navigating regulatory and reimbursement hurdles
• Examples of successful digital health investments

This panel will provide actionable insights into the evolving digital health investment landscape and its impact on the broader healthcare ecosystem.

The industry has quickly adapted to a “new normal” – entrepreneurs and investors meet virtually over digital platforms to discuss potential investment opportunities, and it is not uncommon to see entrepreneurs raise capital from investors they have never met before in person. That said, there is no doubt that the fundraising journey continues to be challenging for many. In this panel, you will be able to hear fellow entrepreneurs share their experiences, from successes to challenges. This panel will discuss the following topics and more:

• What are some of the greatest challenges entrepreneurs have faced, especially during the pandemic, and how were they overcome?
• How did entrepreneurs identify investors that fit their technology?
• What are some misconceptions entrepreneurs had about the early-stage investment landscape?

Furthermore, entrepreneurs will share unique tips and insights they have gained from their fundraising experiences, and how others can work their way towards a more successful campaign.

Seed funding plays a pivotal role in translating scientific research into impactful healthcare solutions, providing crucial capital for early-stage product development, clinical trials, and regulatory preparations. This panel will bring together seed investors with expertise in various life science and healthcare sectors to discuss how they support startups through the initial stages of research, prototype development, and navigating regulatory pathways.

Topics addressed may include:

• The role of seed investors and the impact they have on the early-stage life sciences and healthcare ecosystem
• Strategies on due diligence and assessment in early-stage opportunities, especially on identifying ventures with high potential and navigating risk
• Particular areas of interest within life sciences and healthcare
• Approaches that funds take to help seed stage companies to scale and grow

Seed funds are important catalysts in fostering early stage innovations, and this panel will be an insightful panel on learning more from those that invest in the earliest stage opportunities.

Valuation is a key aspect of fundraising. An average value assumption for each company in a specific financing stage just does not do it anymore. For entrepreneurs, as for investors, its important to understand the value drivers of a company. We are looking at the financing trends of the last years, discuss dos and don’ts when speaking with investors and look at how to value a life science company with no revenues.

With biotech VC investment in 2024 increasing over 33% compared to the previous year and robust in-licensing activity, this year brings more optimism to the biotech ecosystem. Many investors continue to partner with and invest in biotech companies across various modalities and indications, in hopes of accelerating novel, transformative therapeutics that can impact the lives of patients suffering from debilitating diseases.

Topics addressed may include:

• Emerging trends and therapeutic areas of interest, exciting breakthroughs in major indications
• The role of different types of investors and partners, including traditional VCs and in-licensing partners
• Considerations companies must have to navigate through R&D and properly scale, especially those with platform technologies with potential in multiple indications
• Investment and due diligence process – how do you derisk opportunities, especially when many biotech companies are in pre-clinical and early clinical stage?

Investment and strategic partnering in biotech plays a key role in accelerating therapies and addressing high unmet need. This panel will uncover insights from some of the key players who aim to make an impact by supporting transformative solutions to go to market.

Once you are ready to embark on your fundraising campaign, how do you know whom to target? What investors are a best fit for you, how do different investors invest and partner, and how do you get in touch with them? Identifying investors, learning about the differences between investor types, accessing a database to provide you with key information to filter your best fit investors, and finally, using a CRM to manage your fundraise are critical to an efficient and successful fundraise.