From 13-17 January 2025, at the occasion of the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week in San Francisco (US) – gathering thousands of startups, corporates and investors each year and providing them with excellent networking and fundraising opportunities – the European Innovation Council’s Business Acceleration Services (EIC-BAS) joined forces with Health Holland Global Scale-up Program. Together they supported promising European medtech and life science companies through attractive anchor events with the local partners Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR) and Fraser, helping them to navigate investor meeting opportunities.
Which were the expectations of the participating companies and were they eventually met? Keep on reading to discover their post-event insights!
The coordinated visit of 14 EIC Accelerator companies
The EIC Business Acceleration Services team facilitated the visit of EIC Accelerator companies during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week by creation of a group of 14 visiting medtech and life science companies, the organisation of anchor events in partnership with WSGR and the sharing of a curated list of side event opportunities featuring leading life sciences VCs and corporates visiting San Francisco during that week.
The 14 EIC-backed companies were granted a high degree of flexibility to organise themselves in view of the week, based on their specific company goals and respective agendas.
© European Innovation Council (EIC)
The coordinated visit of 7 companies from the Health Holland Global Scale-up Program
As part of the internationalisation of Dutch life science companies, the Health Holland Global Scale-up Program has been assisting since 2012 European life sciences start-ups to enter onto the US stage with an intensive three-day workshop in Southern California.
The Program’s founder, Marianne Van der Steen, and its US director, Nanneke Dinklo, prepared the 7 participating life science companies for successful fundraising in the context of the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week, and provided personal guidance both before and during their US Tour.
Applications for the Health Holland Global Scale-up Program 2026 will open in March 2025 (further info at info@globalscale-up.com).
© Health Holland Global Scale-up Program
EIC and Health Holland Global Scale-up Program joining forces at this year’s JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week
To create synergies and foster networking for participating companies, for this year’s JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week the EIC-BAS and Health Holland Global Start-up Program decided to join forces to support the visits of their medtech and life-science cohorts of respectively 14 EIC Accelerator and 7 from the Health Holland Global Scale-up Program – making some of their anchor events available to both groups.
The latter goal was possible thanks to the collaboration – as for workshops and networking events – with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (WSGR), with expertise in providing support to UK/EU based start-ups and scaleups throughout all stages of their US lifecycle (including launch, expansion and fundraising to US partnerships).
Insights from EIC and Health Holland Global Scale-up Program participating companies
Had the EIC-backed participating companies and those from the Health Holland Global Scale-up Program planned to participate in the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week? Which were the most valuable outcomes and parallel events they attended? And, lastly, would they recommend other companies to attend the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week?
Let’s hear from them directly!
Hy2Care B.V. – EIC Accelerator medtech company (Netherlands)
Hy2Care was one of the participating companies in this year’s JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week, whose visit was facilitated by the EIC.
With its patented CartRevive hydrogel currently under clinical examination in the Netherlands and with US trials coming up, the company’s primary goal was to attend the RESI JPM Conference – which gathered 600+ investors and 50 in-licensors – and the Freemind Non-Dilutive Summit aimed at helping life science executives acquire valuable information about non-dilutive funding opportunities for life science R&D.
Early planning was essential for the medtech company, especially to reach out to the many contacts in the industry that would be present throughout the week.
Throughout the week I was able to speak with many valuable contacts – both new and existing – ranging from service providers, investors, to strategics.
- Leo Smit, CEO at Hy2Care B.V.
UPyTher B.V. – Medtech company from Health Holland Global Scale-up Program (Netherlands)
The Health Holland Global Scale-up Program helped UPyTher – Eindhoven-based biotechnology company developing innovative medicines treating peritoneal cancers with unmet medical needs – to select from all the events during the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference Week those tailored to their needs and clarify with the organisers and any doubts prior to their visit.
Being at the fundraising stage, the medtech company particularly appreciated the possibility to meet with early-stage investors, to whom to pitch their company and follow up afterwards, as well as with one of their current existing investors.
I can recommend attending the first time, if possible, with a program that helps you navigate the whole week. It’s very wise to have very clear goals and people you know that are on site and you will be able to approach months in advance to meet there.
- Geert C. van Almen, CEO & Founder of UPyTher B.V.
About the J.P Morgan Healthcare Conference
The J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is the largest and most informative health care investment symposium in the industry, connecting global industry leaders, emerging fast-growth companies, innovative technology creators and members of the investment community.
Fore more information, please visit the official website.
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.