The European Innovation Council (EIC) and Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Investor Day powered by EuroQuity - Bpifrance held in Paris on 13 November 2024, brought together +100 attendees, including investors, corporates, and business partners, to explore the potential of groundbreaking healthcare solutions. The initiative featured 20 top EIC Accelerator companies and a panel of 26 jury members from leading venture capital funds.
The event was a resounding success, with engaging discussions, insightful pitches, and strategic encounters providing a platform for EIC Accelerator companies to connect with top-tier investors and showcase their innovative biotech, pharmaceutical, medtech, and digital health solutions. Here, we delve into the highlights and key takeaways from this impactful event.
The jury experts meticulously selected the featured companies EVerZom, ELEM Biotech, Gate2Brain, PannTheraPi, Allero Therapeutics BV, Nectin Therapeutics, EyeControl, Time is Brain, AdjuCor GmbH, PRECISIS GmbH , Synergia Medical, BOYDSense, NIMBLE Diagnostics, O11 biomedical, INBRAIN Neuroelectronics, AMT Medical, Angiolutions, from the pool of hundreds of EIC awardees who applied to pitch at the event.
Lilian Alcaraz, VP Early Innovation Partnering EMEA at Johnson & Johnson, Stéphane Ouaki, Head of Department at European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), and Gilles Le Cocguen Director of EuroQuity at Bpifrance, warmly welcomed all participants, while Pascal Lagarde Director - Head for International Affairs, Strategy, Research, and Development at Bpifrance joined and presided over the award ceremony and delivered the closing words.
Fostering connections between companies and investors
To gain a deeper understanding of the concrete advantages that companies obtained from participating in this Investor Day, we conducted interviews with a number of innovators who presented their pitches. By exploring their firsthand experiences, we are able to grasp the extent to which this event fostered valuable connections between the pitching companies and prospective investors.
In addition, we had the chance to interview some of the winners of the EIC Accelerator companies, further highlighting the success of this event. Among the winners are:
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NETRIS Pharma – France (Category I: Biotech Pharmaceutical)
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Powerful Medical – Slovakia (Category II: Medtech and Digital Health)
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STENTiT – The Netherlands (Category III: Medtech)
These outstanding companies shared their insights and experiences, shedding light on how participating in the Investor Day contributed to their success.
According to Alicia Martínez, CEO from Time is Brain, SL “We have benefited from different services coming from the EIC, first and most importantly to obtain the EIC Accelerator at the end of 2022. This truly marks a turning point for our startup, not only due to the funding but also because of all the support, networking, and guidance provided by the EIC.”
The significance of obtaining the EIC Accelerator, as emphasized by Alicia, CEO of Time is Brain, SL, goes beyond financial support. It has provided their technology-driven startup, which has developed BraiN20®, an AI-powered medical device for real-time brain monitoring of acute stroke patients, with invaluable support, networking opportunities, and guidance. These additional resources and assistance have played a crucial role in helping the company reach important milestones.
On the other hand, Bart Sanders, CEO of Stentit BV, emphasizes the value of participating in these events, stating, "During these types of events, you come into contact with other European companies that are directly in your space. As it is European-wide, you can benefit from exchanging know-how within the network and leverage that knowledge for your own specific needs."
This perspective from Bart Sanders aligns with the mission of STENTiT, a medical device company focused on the development of a novel class of regenerative stents. Their fibrillated implants not only open the arteries but also trigger the reconstruction process from the inside-out. With their ambition to become the new standard for endovascular reconstruction, STENTiT recognizes the importance of networking and knowledge exchange within the European community to further advance their innovative solutions.
Keren Paz, CEO of Nectin Therapeutics, shares, "we had the opportunity to be introduced to new investors that we were not familiar with before and experience different styles of investment."
Keren, emphasizes the value of networking and expanding their investor base. By being introduced to investors they were not familiar with before, as a clinical-stage biotech company, Nectin Therapeutics was exposed to fresh perspectives and potential sources of funding.
This experience broadens their network and opens doors to new opportunities for growth and development. It reflects the company's proactive approach to seeking investment and strategic partnerships to advance their mission of transforming the lives of patients with hard-to-treat cancers through innovative immuno-oncology therapies.
Connecting Investors and Innovators: Advancing Europe's Healthcare Sector through Strategic Partnerships and Investment Initiatives
The event attracted 40+ investors, corporate and business partners including jury members representing top VC funds such as Adamed Technology, Bpifrance Investment, Cathay Capital, Clave Capital, Curcuma Capital, 415 Capital, Debiopharm Innovation Fund, Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures, EIT Health, FASE, Go Capital, Johnson & Johnson, Karista, LifeX Ventures, Omnes Capital, Panakes, Philips Ventures, Speedinvest, Supernova Invest, Thuja Capital Management, Turenne Capital, Verge Healthtech Fund, Vesalius Biocapital IV Partners, W11 Ventures, xista science ventures, YAYA Capital.
"From my perspective as an investor looking at pre-seed series A, this was exactly the type of companies that you would know were venture-ready and prime for investing at this point." Rika Christanto, Partner at LifeX Ventures, shares her perspective on the potential of health and tech bio companies.
This highlights the recognition of the value and readiness of health and tech bio companies in the preseed to series A stage. LifeX Ventures, an investor focused on software and AI-driven companies that extend the life of people and the planet, aligns with this recognition by investing in companies that leverage software to accelerate the commercialization of breakthroughs in human and planetary longevity.
Moreover, Sergio San Agustín, Investment Director at Clave Capital, states, "the benefit apart from the funding they are receiving is to get access to a high-quality network in a whole Europe." He highlights the value of their investment extending beyond financial support. Clave Capital, a Spain-based private equity firm managing around 200M€, focuses on Tech Transfer projects in sectors such as Health Tech, industrial technologies, Foodtech, and renewable energy.
Sergio emphasizes that this investment opportunity provides access not only to startups but also to a network of other investors. This interconnected network fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and additional investment possibilities, showcasing Clave Capital's commitment to supporting the growth and development of innovative companies throughout Europe.
Lilian Alcaraz, VP of Early Innovation Partnering at Johnson & Johnson, highlights the company’s commitment to fostering innovation globally. He explains, "At J&J, we believe that good ideas can come from anywhere, and our mission is to be out there close to innovators, to provide them with tools and resources to push innovation forward. Such an event enables us to make those close connections that may deliver today or tomorrow the next big transformation in healthcare."
Johnson & Johnson is committed to accelerating early-stage, transformative solutions in pharmaceuticals and medical technology. They actively seek and collaborate with innovators worldwide, providing incubation, investment support, and leveraging their extensive scientific and commercial expertise to drive the development and commercialization of groundbreaking ideas.
Lilian underscores the importance of being actively involved in the innovation ecosystem and forging strong connections with innovators. By participating in events and building relationships, Johnson & Johnson can discover and support groundbreaking ideas that align with their mission and commitment to advance healthcare and improve the lives of patients worldwide.
About the EIC Investor Readiness and Outreach Programme
This opportunity is brought to you by the EIC Investment Readiness and Outreach Programme, which is expanding the EIC’s Business Acceleration Services (BAS). The programme aims to enhance the investor readiness of EIC Accelerator innovators, providing them with the necessary tools and knowledge to attract investment and scale their ventures. Once ready, the programme also provides introductions to the best investors in their sector, namely through ePitchings and Investor Days.
Why is EIC collaborating with J&J and Bpifrance - EuroQuity?
The EIC and EuroQuity-Bpifrance have previously teamed up to deliver a number of successful ePitchings and Investor Days. For this time, Johnson & Johnson Innovation hosted this Investor Day in their offices at Parisante Campus.
Johnson & Johnson Innovation works across the pharmaceutical and medical technology sectors to accelerate early-stage, transformational solutions by catalyzing the best ideas, wherever they are in the world. Located in innovation hubs around the world, they work hand-in-hand with innovators, helping accelerate ideas with industry-leading incubation and investment support, and deep scientific and commercial expertise from within Johnson & Johnson.
Operated by Bpifrance (the French Public Investment Bank), EuroQuity is a matchmaking platform dedicated to economic development and an essential source of financing for SMEs.
Its mission is to accelerate the growth of companies throughout Europe and beyond by giving concrete credentials to companies to maximize their opportunities to meet and match with investors, through their membership in e-communities and e-labels.
DISCLAIMER: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission, or any other organisation.