BIOtech Now
Nareg Sagherian
As the biopharma industry has gained traction on new drug approvals throughout 2019, the financial dollars have followed suit. According to BIO’s 2019 Emerging Therapeutic Company Trend Report, a record $17.5 billion in venture investment dollars went to emerging therapeutic companies globally in 2018. In 2018, venture capital funding of private emerging therapeutic companies also reached a decade high of $12.3 billion, a 56% ($4.4 billion) increase from the prior record set in 2017 ($7.9 billion). The report also indicates that with respect to phase of development, early-stage companies continue to receive a large share of venture capital investment. Specifically, U.S. start-ups receiving first-time Series A funding accounted for 109 financings, also an all-time high. This investment interest in biotechnology continued to grow partly because of the increased output measured by FDA drug approvals and the impact of key policy initiatives coming into effect.
Partnerships remain a vital option for companies looking to mitigate risk with small up-front payments and profitable downstream successes due to the volatility of the current administration and the subsequent financial climate. However, while venture capital funding of private U.S. companies climbed sharply, the top 40 companies raised more than 50% of all U.S. venture capital. This means that while more financial capital is flowing into the biopharma industry, it is being spread over fewer clinical indications, making it even more imperative for investors to find the right corporate partners for deal success. This is where the BIO Investor Forum comes in.
The 17th annual BIO Investor Forum (#BIF19) will bring together more than 200 biotech CEOs from 30 different countries in San Francisco, with the specific goal of connecting with partners to make the deals that drive our industry. The premier event for emerging private and public companies, the BIO Investor Forum will likely draw over 350 qualified investors looking to forge long lasting partnerships with potential to shape the future of healthcare.
Much of the event’s success can be traced to the seasoned group of 28 Advisory Committee members—some of the best and brightest actively engaged in the latest industry breakthroughs—who guide the program development by thoroughly evaluating proposed panel sessions, suggesting subject-matter expert speakers, nominating companies to present, and promoting the event to their vast networks. Reflecting BIO’s mission to promote workforce development, diversity and inclusion, more than half of the committee members are female.
Working collaboratively with BIO staff, the program advisors will recruit nearly 200 “must watch” start-ups and emerging companies to give 15-minute presentations (the current list of presenters can be found here). To round out BIO Investor Forum program, the committee seeks to get the pulse on the latest life science investment trends from sophisticated and active early-stage investment and company executives to develop a dozen candid panel discussions with leading clinical experts and investigators with insights on pipeline research and clinical practice.
BIO meticulously reviews the qualifications of each company and investor to ensure high-quality interactions during the two-day event. These reviews, for example on the investor-side, begin with the foundation of a comprehensive investor policy that involves assessing the organization type, position title, value of assets under management in the industry, and even specific deals within their respective life science portfolios. This year’s event will attract investors from over 60 funds with more than $1B assets under management; nearly 100 funds specializing in Angel/Series A placements; and over 40 funds from outside the U.S. The current 2019 list is an indication of the exceptional talent expected to join us in October.
To facilitate investor engagement, BIO’s One-on-One Partnering™ system will allow attendees to search company and investor profiles, evaluate potential collaborations and funding opportunities and pre-schedule private business development meetings. Last year, over 3,000 individual meetings were held over two days.
To support market goals, the BIO Investor Forum is designed to accelerate growth within the biopharma industry, catering to entities early in their lifecycle and those focused on getting innovative treatments to patients sooner. Qualified investors attend for free. Register now.
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