The Venture Leaders Biotech set sail on the Boston roadshow with immersive expert workshops, uniting entrepreneurs and investors in the US market

19.06.2023 16:40, Rita Longobardi

The Venture Leaders Biotech roadshow of 2023 witnessed the convergence of ten visionary entrepreneurs on a trip to Boston. Throughout an insightful week, the selected startups forged bonds with like-minded pioneers and seized unparalleled market exposure, immersive pitch sessions with esteemed investors and experts, and invaluable hands-on business development prospects that propelled their growth to new heights.

From June 12th to June 16th, 2023, the Swiss National Biotech Startup Team embarked on a dedicated roadshow in Boston. This select group of startups is revolutionizing diagnostic and treatment methods by leveraging cutting-edge technologies, cell therapies, processing platforms, and other groundbreaking innovations. Their collective mission is to drive advancements in the biotech sector, offering transformative solutions that have the potential to reshape the future of healthcare.


Expert pitch and feedback session

The week started with a session at Swissnex Boston to lay the foundations for the intense week ahead. Combining with an explanation on "Financing your biotech startup in the US" with Guillermo Elias and an expert workshop activity to dive into the "US market" with investors delivered by Ellen van Rooijen, a serial entrepreneur who has been working with Flagship Pioneering for a long time. Networking opportunities were enhanced through a reception held at the Consulate of Switzerland in Boston, where the Swissnex CEO and Consul of Switzerland, Benjamin Bollmann, were present.

The Venture Leaders Biotech had a packed agenda while attending various sessions and workshops. They participated in sessions focused on Biotech, which covered topics like commercialization in the US and the Inflation Reduction Act, spearheaded by Mark Lesseroth from BiotPort USA. The Biotech startups also had the opportunity to meet with investors such as Gurnet Point Capital and RA Capital, who provided valuable feedback on their pitches.

Additionally, Venture Leaders Biotech took part in informative workshops. One of these workshops, led by EY, delved into the current state of biotech investments. Another workshop, led by Todd Boudreau, the Founding Partner of ACL Capital Partners, provided insights into business incorporation in the US.

The agenda continued with a panel discussion featuring experts from Wyss startup, and the Venture Leaders Biotech had the chance to visit the new lab of Bayer, gaining firsthand exposure to the cutting-edge research and developments there.


Investors meetings and company visits

"I was great to be back in Boston with a brilliant team of biotech entrepreneurs, which I like to emphasize, comprised a majority fo women. The feedback from partners and investors was again very positive, and insightful. This bridge between Boston and Switzerland is an amazing asset and delivering a lot of value to the startup ecosystem" said Jordi Montserrat, Co-founder and managing partner of Venturelab.



To foster stronger ties between Swiss and Boston-area innovation leaders in the biotech industry, Swissnex and its partners organized the Biotech Pitch Cruise 2023, a scenic sunset cruise around the Boston Harbor. The event features US and Swstartups' presentations,d by a delightful di, dinner and networking activities. One highlight was the Venture Leaders Biotech presenting their startup pitches, engaging in a friendly competition with Boston-based startups, as they showcased the exceptional Swiss and US talent vying for the prestigious title of the best startup of the BioTech Pitch Cruise 2023. "It is a well-thought and well-organized program that provides intensive training in pitching to US investors," said Bilal Fares, CEO of ND Biosciences.


Biotech Pitch Cruise 2023 and lunch with the team

The roads ended with a sailing excursion in Boston Bay, allowing participants to engage in meaningful discussions, share valuable insights, and recap the event's most important highlights and key takeaways. "An immersive experience in the biotech venture in the US, Venture Leaders Biotech gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from fellow entrepreneurs as well as explore future opportunities in the US market," said Zoe Johnson, CEO of Affivant.

     
Sailing excursion in Boston Bay

Venturelab has been organizing international roadshows for the Swiss National Startup Teams for 18 years. The ambitious entrepreneurs and their promising startups are introduced to top-class investors and potential customers in leading technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, Boston, New York, London, Munich, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Barcelona.

Venture Leaders alums comprise high-flying biotech startups such as Covagen (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), Redbiotec (Redvax acquired by Pfizer), KB Medical (acquired by Globus Medical), SimplicityBio (acquired by Precision for Medicine), and AMAL Therapeutidevelopedired by Boehringer Ingelheim). NBE-Therapeutics participated in the Venture Leaders program in 2003 and was acquired for EUR 1.18 billion by Boehringer Ingelheim in 2020.

The Venture Leaders Biotech program is co-organized by Venturelab and Swissnex Boston and supported by Debiopharm, EPFL Lausanne, ETH Zurich, EY - Ernst & Young, Swiss Biotech Association, VISCHER, Hansjörg Wyss, and Venture Leaders alum Ulf Grawunder.



The Venture Leaders Biotech 2023 in Boston

Learn more about the Venture Leaders Biotech 2023 startups below: