Lund Life Science Summit: An exclusive and informal format, with time to interact to create long-term relationships. These were some of the comments following the industry and investor meeting arranged by SmiLe and LU Innovation.
A panel discussed the challenges faced by all parties involved in life science, including startup companies, in front of 40 specially invited guests at the event held on April 18 in SmiLe Incubator’s premises at Medicon Village in Lund.
The panel included industry representatives from Pfizer and Leo Pharma, private equity firms HealthCap and Hadean Ventures, and business angel John Moll. In addition to actively participating in the panel discussions, the eight selected startup companies also pitched their business plans for the participants, and nine individual partnering meetings were held.
“The concept is new and exciting. The small and open format provided a great opportunity to get to know the participating companies well. I learned about two or three new companies that I hadn’t heard of before, and I’d like to see a similar event again,” says John Moll, a business angel who focuses on small early-phase companies with exciting potential.
Moderator Sylvie Bove, previously CEO of EIT Health, led the discussion between the panel and the startup companies
“SmiLe and Medicon Village provide an incredibly important environment for finding exciting projects and collaborations. My managers at Pfizer value this type of environment as the most important for scouting new projects, and I would gladly return for another event like this one,” says Johan Brun from Pfizer.
Comments from Pfizer and Leo Pharma included:
The investors HealthCap, Hadean Ventures, and business angel John Moll expressed:
Magne Stoknes from the private equity firm HealthCap gained new contacts.
“I found a new company that is really relevant for us. But discussions with other investors have been equally exciting, as well as with pharmaceutical companies and representatives from SmiLe,” he said.
“The exclusive and somewhat smaller format works really well to encourage in-depth conversations with startup companies and investors, as well as pharmaceutical companies. We hope that today’s meetings will lead to additional discussions and similar meetings between the participating companies and organizations,” says Ebba Fåhraeus, CEO of SmiLe Incubator.
The following startup companies will be presented during the conference:
About LU Innovation and LU Holding AB, Sweden: LU Innovation is Lund University’s combined unit for innovation, which works with researchers and students to bring benefit and growth to society. LU Innovation has two sections: one that is part of the public authority and the other is a holding company, LU Holding AB. The holding company can support and finance startup companies, but also own, manage and sell shares in companies that have their origin in research at Lund University. www.innovation.lu.se
For information about SmiLe Incubator, contact: Ebba Fåhraeus, CEO at SmiLe Incubator
+46 (0)734000433, ebba@smileincubator.life ; Or visit our mediaroom
SmiLe is a business incubator within life science based in Medicon Village in Lund. SmiLe helps entrepreneurs and startup companies to commercialize new ideas. Our main task is to help the management teams of these companies to navigate the complexities of business development, financing, recruitment and risk management. There are currently 20+ companies in SmiLe, which together with alumni have attracted more than 175 MEUR in venture capital to date since 2014. Approximately 100 people, representing around 20 nationalities, and almost 50 percent of whom are women, work at SmiLe incubator. The opportunity also includes well-equipped laboratories and advanced instrumentation. SmiLe has its major financing from Lunds university, Lund Municipality, Region Skåne och Medicon Village. www.smileincubator.life