VANTEC Meeting: Investing in Life Sciences and HealthTech

Wendy Hurlburt, President & CEO at LifeSciences BC

Wendy, is a senior executive who brings more than 20 years of global finance, operations and compliance leadership experience in healthcare and technology sectors, has held leadership positions at Johnson & Johnson, the Heart & Stroke Foundation and Lexmark International. Wendy has a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, MBA from Queen’s University and a Certificate in Strategic Leadership from the Sauder School of Executive Education, University of British Columbia. 

LifeSciences BC

LifeSciences BC is a not-for-profit, non-government, industry association that supports and represents the life sciences community of British Columbia through leadership, facilitation of investment and partnering, advocacy, and promotion of our world-class science and industry.

http://www.lifesciencesbc.ca

Jason Robertson, VP Investments, Nimbus Synergies Inc.

Jason leverages over 20 years of experience as a health and technology executive, entrepreneur, mentor, and investor. He is the co-founder and Vice President of Investments at Nimbus Synergies, which leads early-stage financings in innovative and complementary health technology companies in British Columbia. Prior to founding Nimbus, Jason led Business Operations for Aquinox Pharmaceuticals where he was responsible for M&A, licensing, IP, contracts, and, outsourcing and relationship management. He was integrally involved in the company’s raising of more than $60M in VC financing, successful NASDAQ IPO, as well as a $155 million partnership with Astellas Pharma. Jason also serves on the Board of Directors of Alavida Health, Claris Healthcare, LifeBooster, and Zennea Technologies.

Nimbus Synergies

Nimbus Synergies leads early-stage financings in innovative and complementary digital health companies in British Columbia. By bringing these companies together to share resources, industry specific knowledge, and relationships, Nimbus is accelerating their growth and increasing their likelihood of success. Nimbus is significantly impacting the burgeoning yet underserved digital health sector through its leadership as investor, partner, and mentor. It is one of the most exciting additions to the province’s technology industry and the newest member of Discovery Parks’ group of companies. By investing Discovery Parks’ assets in startups focused on the intersection between life sciences and technology, Nimbus aims to improve health through BC-led innovation.

https://www.nimbusinc.vc

Ali Ardakani, Founder and Managing Director of Novateur Ventures Inc.

Ali is the Founder & Managing Director of Novateur Ventures. Until recently, he was Senior Vice President Device & Business Development for Beyond Air (NASDAQ:XAIR), where he was involved with the company from early stage until Nasdaq public offering and several rounds of financing and livensing. He is the CEO and co-founder of Optigo Biotherapeutics, an ophthalmology R&D cmpany, the Vice Chair of LifeSciences BC, and Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovate Calgary. He is also an Associate at Creative Destruction Labs.

Novateur Ventures

Novateur Ventures is a global advisory firm with over 200 advisors around the globe servicing biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and digital health companies in areas of strategy, clinical and regulatory development, reimbursement, financing, venture capital advisory and due diligence, executive placement and much more. This expansive network of top-level experts guarantees agile, timely, and high-quality development and commercial solutions in a broad range of life science innovations.

https://www.novateur.ca/

Geof Auchinleck, Co-founder and CEO of Claris Healthcare Inc.

Geof has 35 years of experience with medical device startups field.  He has worked on surgical robotics, joint implants, minimally invasive surgery, lab automation and blood transfusion management.  Most recently he co-founded Claris Healthcare to develop a platform for the delivery of care into the home – including social isolation prevention, remote patient monitoring and coaching for recovery from surgery.   Geof is active in the Vancouver community through Creative Destruction Labs, the Medical Device Development Centre and the boards of several medical device companies.

Claris Healthcare

Claris Healthcare provides a software platform by healthcare providers to manage acute care, chronic care, and social care patients at home. Its engaging software provides solutions for remote patient monitoring, telemedicine, telerehabilitation, and social isolation.

Gregory Block, Senior VP Corporate Development of Notch Therapeutics

Gregory Block is Senior Vice President, Corporate Development of Notch Therapeutics. Prior to his position with Notch, he served as Director of Business Development for Astellas Pharmaceuticals, where he led business development and strategic initiatives for regenerative medicine and cell therapy immune oncology. Dr. Block joined Astellas via the company’s 2018 acquisition of Universal Cells Inc., where he was instrumental in company-building and business development. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Tulane University and completed a fellowship at the University of Washington.

Notch Therapeutics

Notch Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company developing renewable, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapies with an initial focus on cancer.

Apply to Pitch

We invite all companies seeking seed investment to apply. Please express your interest by completing your application to pitch no later than May 14, 2021, at 11:59pm PDT.

Benefits

• Get feedback and advice from investors and industry experts on your business, investor profile and presentation several weeks before the investor meeting.

  • VANTEC Pitch Practice - Volition Pitch Night - Practice your pitch in front of a friendly audience and get feedback. 

  • Tandem Innovation Group contract CFO's will review and give feedback on your pitch deck, business model, dealroom, etc.

  • Global Affairs Canada and VANTEC will invite foreign investors interested to meet with ventures that have a global market ambition and strategy.

• Grow your connections, relationships with industry experts, peers, and investors. Set up deep dive conversations with aligned investors.
• Selected companies will be provided with the opportunity to share their story via pre and post-event marketing content that will be created and shared by our partners.
• Company pitches will be recorded on video for viewing on-demand and are made available to you to share with your investors.
• We will share the videos of the pitches and investor packages with our investors and affiliated angel groups.

Application Criteria

You are seeking an equity investment from angel investors and you are on your way to meet these criteria.

You are a BC-based company that is transforming the value chain with life sciences and healthtech solutions. Companies from other provinces are welcome to apply, and we will introduce you to our partners, however for this investor meeting BC companies are preferred.

Innovation & Impact: Concept is a transformative/game-changing approach to solving a problem or gap in the market that can have a major impact at scale.

Product / Technology: Product or service has a competitive advantage and barriers to entry.

Customers / Traction: Validated customer needs and wants. Researched competition and substitutes. Understand key growth metrics. Steady progress in building a successful business.

Business Model / Scalability: Clear business model. Know how to scale, access markets, and acquire customers. Know costs and how margins improve with scale. High growth profitable market opportunity, preferably with global impact at scale.

Sustainability / Social Good: Business has a triple bottom line: people, profit, and the planet.

Team: Well-rounded team of founders, staff, and advisors.

Exit: Path to a high-value exit.
 

Our Process

• May 14 - Is the final deadline to submit your application. We ask you to complete a secure online investor profile on GUST. An investor panel selects the companies.
• May 18 and May 25 - If you are selected for the online pre-screening, you will give a 5-minute presentation, answer questions, and receive feedback on your business and presentation from a panel of experienced investors and domain experts. This will take about 30 minutes.
• May 26 - We will announce the final selection of companies. 
• June 2 - At the investor meeting, you will present to an audience of angel investors, family offices, funds, and community partners.
• The meeting starts at 2:30pm with industry trends and roundtable discussion. Company presentations to investors are from 4:00pm to 5:30pm.
• We recommend companies schedule time for investor deep dive meetings after the investor meeting.

NOTE: If you are not selected to present, we will consider your application for upcoming investor meetings held monthly on the first Wednesday of the month.

Selection Committee

The selection committee includes: