Beginner's Mind

Thirty years ago, entrepreneurs established businesses, focused on building a customer base, scaled their company, and sometimes when they wanted to accelerate growth or needed some more cash as fuel to maneuver rough economic circumstances, they engaged with banks and investors.

Back then, the traditional financing instruments were capital in the form of debt or equity. Also, the repayment was straightforward: Debt was mostly on periodic installments plus interest rate and equity earned dividends and increase in value.

The technological revolution that came with the internet also changed the financing models and how companies operate significantly. Developing a profitable business model is still on the radar, but most of the time 20 to 30 years down the road.

Delayed gratification seems to be the theme these days when increasing traditional key figures like EBIT.

I am happy that the investment banking expert Tero Weckroth joined me for this vital conversation about financing instruments in the last three decades.

We went over questions like:

* How can tech entrepreneurs survive these long dry periods of zero profit or even retained losses?

* What investment models exist today?

* Why is it necessary for entrepreneurs to understand those differences before approaching investors?

Join us for an informal chat over Angel Investment, Crowdfunding, Venture Capital - private and public investments.Guest in this Episode:Tero Weckroth, Entrepreneur, Investor and organizer of Nordic Chessboxing

Video to the Episode:

Youtube

Upcoming Event:

When? October 2, 2021

Where? Helsinki and Online

Get Your Ticket:

Timestamps:

For those who want to listen to specific parts of the episode, here are the timestamps:

(0:00) Opening words

(0:30) Introduction Tero Weckroth

(3:00) Life Science in Finland

(8:30) Life Science Investments for Business Angels

(22:00) Alzheimer Drug Development and Diagnostics – Biogen and Combinostics

(26:40) What is the Right Pricing for Drugs on the Market?

(30:00) Availability of Capital for Early-Stage Drug Development

(33:00) Importance of a Team

(38:00) Public Investments and Crowdfunding

(44:00) Risk Management for Investors

(46:00) Differences between Privat and Public Investment and Crowdfunding

(49:30) Reddit – New Development on the Stock Market

(01:00:00) New Macroeconomic Era?

(01:06:00) Cash, Gold, or Digital Gold?

(01:15:00) Technological Evolvement in the Investment Banking World

(01:20:00) Effects of the Pandemic on Regulations

(01:25:00) Cryptocurrencies

Community Partner:

These companies make the community, this newsletter, and the LSG2G Podcast possible, so go check them out and thank them for their support!

You are receiving the LSG2G-Letter because you either signed up or attended one of the events organized by LSG2G. Feel free to unsubscribe if you aren’t finding this valuable.

Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial or investment advice. Do your own research.

Investing in Life Science

In 2021 I thought it is a smart idea to shine more light on life science companies, as more and more people and institutions got interested in investments in the pharmaceutical industry.

The life science b2b value chain is one of the most complex ones. Without deep insight into science, it is challenging to judge from the outside which companies technology and the team will thrive and which not.

All that changed with the pandemic as many people wanted to help move innovative vaccines and therapies forward.

The Genomics Revolution

Yet already in 2014, Cathie Wood started Ark Invest, which manages ETFs based on what she calls disruptive Platforms of Innovation.

In the Big Ideas Reports 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 she highlighted those Platforms and presented the most recent developments in these fields every year.

One of those 5 Platforms of Innovation is the Genomics Revolution. Her fund invests in companies that are moving innovation forward in these areas:

* CRISPR

* Targeted Therapeutics

* Bioinformatics

* Molecular Diagnostics

* Stem Cells

* Agricultural Biology

Since its inception, the companies in the ARK Genomics Revolution ETF delivered a return of almost 30 percent each year. This is roughly three times the average annual return of an S&P 500 ETF.

CRISPR Stocks Skyrocketed Since the Recording

So I thought it would be a smart idea to chat with experts from the LSG2G community about this promising technology.

Between the recording and publishing the episode something significant happened:

Intellia Therapeutics to Present Interim Clinical Data from Ongoing Phase 1 Study of NTLA-2001 for the Treatment of Transthyretin (ATTR) Amyloidosis at the 2021 Peripheral Nerve Society Annual Meeting Data to offer insight into safety and pharmacodynamics of NTLA-2001, the first-ever systemically administered in vivo CRISPR therapy candidate Read more…

Intellia is the company of Jennifer Doudna. She and Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry "for the development of a method for genome editing" (through CRISPR).

The data readout called a "landmark" by H.C. Wainwright analyst Michael King, Jr. fueled sharp gains in peers focused on CRISPR technology including Beam Therapeutics (BEAM), Editas Medicine(EDIT), and CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP).

Aelian Biotechnology

So, it is about time to shine a light on these hot topics in the LSG2G Podcast series. The intention of this episode is to help to make deeptech science understandable for retail investors and institutions that are new to life science.

Aelian Biotechnology is one of the companies that are positioned in this field in one of the European hotspots of Gene Editing: Vienna. The company combines CRISPR screening with single-cell RNA sequencing, leveraging two transformative technologies to enable genetic screening for complex phenotypes.

It utilizes the CRISPR screening workflow to map the impact of thousands of genetic perturbations on the global transcriptome at single-cell resolution, thus effectively establishing a paradigm for next-generation CRISPR screens.

The powerful approach has broad applications in identifying novel drug targets or elucidating unknown mechanisms of actions of drugs.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with the founders

* Tilmann Buerckstuemmer and

* Thomas Moser

about the past, present, and future of the Genomics Revolution.

In this episode, we will cover questions like:

* How to create a novel life science company focusing on Gene Editing.

* What is Gene Editing?

* Why is there so much excitement around Genomics, CRISPR, and Gene Sequencing?

* Where does it all come from?

* What developments are already in the pipeline that will change society?

Timestamps:

For those who want to listen to specific parts of the episode, here are the timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:23) Introduction Thomas Moser

(05:45) Introduction Tilmann Bürckstümmer

(08:40) Aelian Biotechnology

(10:20) The Science Behind Aelian

(17:50) Life Science Business Model

(27:00) How to Setup Business Relationships in Life Science

(34:35) Gene Editing - Why Did it Create Such a Hype?

(41:00) History of Gene Editing with Insights Into CRISPR/Cas9

(45:30) Vienna - Part of The CRISPR Community

(47:50) IP of CRISPR

(50:00) CRISPR - Real Life Use Cases

(55:05) CRISPR in Cancer Research

(59:20) Are Genetically Altered Human Beings Possible?

(01:04:20) Genetically Enhanced Human Beings - Reality or SciFi?

(01:08:00) Gene Editing and its Role in Agriculture

(01:12:00) SARS-CoV-2 - What Role Did CRISPR Play in Fighting the Pandemic?

(01:12:20) CRISPR Screen for SARS-CoV-2 - Technology of Aelian Biotechnology

(01:15:00) Drug Discovery for SARS-CoV-2 with CRISPR

(01:18:00) Fundraising for Life Science Companies

(01:27:00) Comparison of the Investment Culture in Europe and the United States

(01:31:00) Major Players in the CRISPR Field

(01:32:00) CRISPR - IP Landscape

(01:44:00) Final Question: Advice for First Time Entrepreneurs

Community Partner:

These companies make the community, this newsletter, and the LSG2G Podcast possible, so go check them out and thank them for their support!

You are receiving the LSG2G-Letter because you either signed up or attended one of the events organized by LSG2G. Feel free to unsubscribe if you aren’t finding this valuable.

Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial or investment advice. Do your own research.

Have you ever wondered what role the small country Austria - located in the center of Europe - plays in Life Science?

Then listen to the managing directors of LISAvienna, Johannes Sarx, and Philipp Hainzl. 

LISAvienna is a joint life science platform operated by Austria Wirtschaftsservice and the Vienna Business Agency. On behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs and the City of Vienna, it contributes to the advancement of life sciences in Vienna. 

LISAvienna supports innovative biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, and digital health companies in Vienna that develop and market new products, services, and processes. The platform links these companies with development partners and key customers. 

As a central knowledge carrier, LISAvienna provides input for decisions to advance the life sciences in Vienna and contributes to positioning the city of Vienna as one of the leading European innovation centers.

If you want to learn more about the Life Science Hot Spots in the center of Europe, then this episode is for you.In this talk we discussed the situation of Life Science in Austria and covered topics like

* Public Funding

* Life Science Conferences

* Infrastructure

* Access to global talent and

* private funding as well as the pharma industry.

Join us for a colloquial chat over Life Science and Entrepreneurship.

Speaker:Christian SoschnerJohannes SarxPhilipp Hainzl

Organizations:CS Life Science InvestLISAvienna

Conference in Person in Fall in Austria as Discussed During the Podcast Conversation:

The European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Bioeconomy (EFIB)will take place in #Vienna this year, and is themed “Delivering the EU Green Deal: Industrial biotechnology into business”. Join the dialogue on how biotech can enable a more circular and sustainable future. As EFIB’s local partner, LISAvienna is looking forward to connecting you to experts in the region. Mark your calendar for October 6-7, 2021 and join us at Austria Center Vienna - Internationales Kongresszentrum.This is a great opportunity to grow your network.Learn more about the regional expertise, potential partners and new products and services online. Many of these breakthrough innovations will be showcased at EFIB in Vienna. Image: acv.at / begehungen.dehttps://lnkd.in/euT5eRe

Community Partner:

These companies make the community, this newsletter, and the LSG2G Podcast possible, so go check them out and thank them for their support!

You are receiving the LSG2G-Letter because you either signed up or attended one of the events organized by LSG2G. Feel free to unsubscribe if you aren’t finding this valuable.

Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial or investment advice. Do your own research.

This episode will discuss what it takes to build companies that develop novel therapies, vaccines, and diagnostics in the pharma industry.

Since the pandemic, everybody has become familiar with the critical elements of pharma product development.

But let’s take a closer look into the value chain of the industry.

What does it take to pick up a technology and bring it to patients?

Questions we will discuss:

Some questions we will focus on:

* What strategic approaches do exist for life science companies?

* How important is the team in developing a company to an IPO?

* Where can scientists find help when they want to start a company?

About Christoph Lengauer (from Third Rock Ventures)

“The most powerful thing about being a part of this industry is having the opportunity to improve the lives of patients and their families.”

Christoph loves the ideation of new company concepts and focuses on the formation, development, and strategy of our portfolio companies. He is an accomplished scientist and drug hunter with the ability to translate that knowledge, insight, and expertise into compelling business strategies. Christoph has contributed to the discovery and development of eight FDA-approved medicines.

Christoph is dedicated to making a dramatic difference in patients’ lives. He is enthusiastic about Third Rock’s approach to discover, launch and build great companies by focusing on bold ideas that meet at the intersection of science, strategy, business, and medicine. He is especially excited by initiatives at the firm focusing on the early detection of diseases in order to not only treat but cure patients.

By leveraging his experiences and networks from academia, pharma, and biotech, he hopes to continue building great teams that help young companies succeed with this important mission.

Over his career, Christoph has received numerous awards, including the Novartis Oncology’s President’s Award for Top Innovator, and has been elected to membership in the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars.

About Third Rock Ventures

We discover, launch, and build great companies based on bold ideas that meet at the intersection of science, strategy, business, and medicine – where transformational science meets operational reality – providing the best opportunity to make a dramatic difference in patients’ lives.

THE THIRD ROCK TEAM

Our team has a proven record of translating disruptive technologies into valuable business enterprises. Working closely with leading scientific and business visionaries as well as industry partners, we identify opportunities to change the future of medicine and rigorously vet those ideas through our discovery process to develop the vision, strategy, and plan needed to succeed.

A FORMULA FOR INNOVATION

We only invest in the best of those ideas. We are actively involved in the early stages of our companies’ development, typically serving as members of the founding management teams, to build a strong foundation, put in place the right people and culture, and set the companies on a path to scientific and operational excellence. We believe in the companies we launch and make big initial investments, often complemented by strategic alliances, to enable our companies to advance life-changing therapies, devices, and diagnostics. By creating value for patients, we create value for our investors.

Link to the Video of the Recording:YouTubeSpeaker:Christoph LengauerChristian Soschner

Organizations:CS Life Science InvestThird Rock Ventures

Available on All Podcast Platforms after May 27. Guaranteed Ad-Free only here.

Community Partner:

These companies make the community, this newsletter, and the LSG2G Podcast possible, so go check them out and thank them for their support!

You are receiving the LSG2G-Letter because you either signed up or attended one of the events organized by LSG2G. Feel free to unsubscribe if you aren’t finding this valuable.

Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial or investment advice. Do your own research.

This podcast episode will discuss the EU’s next framework program for research and innovation, Horizon Europe, and the exciting opportunities this program offers businesses, scientists, and investors. With the launch of the Horizon Europe program just weeks away, we will share insight into the program's novelties, where to start, and tips on how to be successful. 

The Podcast Host, guests Kimberly Cornfield and Michael Browne will discuss questions like:

* What is new in Horizon Europe? The European Innovation Council, Missions and Clusters – all you need to know

* Funding for DeepTech? The opportunities for high-risk/high gain and interdisciplinary research and innovation collaboration

* Where, when, and how to apply for Horizon Europe funding? – tips from the experts

We shall address all these questions and discuss the latest priorities in EU research and innovation funding and the importance of collaboration.

Our guests in this episode:

Kimberly Cornfield is Head of European Research and Innovation at University College London (UCL), one of the top-performing universities under the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, having secured ca. €400 million over the last seven years to support its research and innovation activities. To support UCL in upholding its place as one of the leading universities in the next EU research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, and achieving its impact objectives, Kimberly and her team connect scientists and business around EU collaborative funding opportunities and offer a suite of support services to improve the chances of success in obtaining funding and achieving their impact objectives.

Michael Browne is Director and Co-founder at Crowdhelix - an Open Innovation Platform that forges links between an international network of excellent researchers and innovating companies to help deliver pioneering collaborative projects. Michael has worked in the European Research & Innovation space for more than 15 years and is a recognized expert in Framework Programme funding.

Link to the Video of the Recording:

Youtube Video

Available on All Podcast Platforms after May 8. Guaranteed Ad-Free only here.

Community Partner:

These companies make the community, this newsletter, and the LSG2G Podcast possible, so go check them out and thank them for their support!

You are receiving the LSG2G-Letter because you either signed up or attended one of the events organized by LSG2G. Feel free to unsubscribe if you aren’t finding this valuable.

Nothing in this email is intended to serve as financial advice. Do your own research.

In this podcast episode, we will discuss several different forms of growth and scaling up companies. In the era of the fast-growing unicorns and skyrocketing valuations, we try to disassemble the growth path and see what a founder can do to benefit most of these options.

* How to decide if an organic or buy&build model is the right one for me?

* Are mergers & acquisitions play-field only for the very mature companies?

* When is the time to start with bolt-on acquisitions?

* Is fast growth really possible in only an organic way?

* We shall address all these questions, look into the latest M&A trends of 2020 and 2021, shed a light on the life science industry, and discuss several real-life cases of buy&build growth models.

As we are excited about the next podcast episode let us just say ‘Hopin' our podcast episode for more.

Dusica Lukac holds an Executive MBA from Carlson Business School, Minnesota, the US and Wirtschaft Universitaet Wien, Vienna, Austria: Entrepreneurial Specialization and Fintech Law and Regulations courses Duke University, US; Private Equity and Venture Capital course Bocconi, Italy.

Traveled to 78 countries, multilingual, fascinated with financial innovation, watercolor painter.

Link to the Video of the Recording:YouTubeSpeaker:Astrid WoollardChristian SoschnerDusica H. LukacOrganizations:CS Life Science InvestDL Capital Partners LtdXenoVC

Available on All Podcast Platforms after April 18. Guaranteed Ad-Free only here.

In this podcast episode, we will discuss how blockchain technology is utilized in the energy sector beyond the well-known utility of a payments system, her experiences in entrepreneurship and innovation, including start-up life in Berlin.

Ana Trbovich is the Grid Singularity co-founder & COO and Vice-Chair of the Energy Web Foundation. She serves on UNECE Carbon Neutrality and DENA SET Hub Advisory Boards, and previously acted as an independent board member at the European Institute for Innovation and Technology (EIT), Axa, and the Belgrade Philharmonic, among others. She teaches Entrepreneurship at FEFA, a leading business school in Belgrade, Serbia, where she also served as Dean from 2012 to 2015. She has consulted on good governance, competitiveness, and innovation policy for international organizations, including the EU and the World Bank.

Link to the Video of the Recording:
YouTube

Speaker:
Ana Trbovich
Astrid Woollard
Christian Soschner

Organizations:
CS Life Science Invest
Grid Singularity
Scytale Ventures


Be part of our Network:
Subscribe here:  https://mailchi.mp/e2467061ef75/lsg2g

Support the show (https://www.lifescienceget2gether.com/registration-membersclub/)

It was great fun to talk with Walter Stockinger, Co-Founder of Hadean Ventures, about the topic of Life Science Investments.

We covered the following questions:

• How do Venture Funds operate?
• What do you need to know about approaching VCs?
• What is the purpose of a VC?
• Why are exits necessary for VCs?
• And what exit strategies are relevant?
• Why do VCs raise money, and from whom?

Use the opportunity to get your answer directly from a VC.

Link to the Video of the Recording:
YouTube

Speaker:
Astrid Woollard
Christian Soschner
Walter Stockinger

Organizations:
CS Life Science Invest
Hadean Ventures
Scytale Ventures


Be part of our Network:
Subscribe here:  https://mailchi.mp/e2467061ef75/lsg2g

Support the show (https://www.lifescienceget2gether.com/registration-membersclub/)

This one is an episode for the go-getters and never-giveupers.

Astrid and Christian had great fun talking with Essa Saulat, Chief Growth Officer of the Austrian digital health company Symptoma.

Essa is a seasoned entrepreneur and helped many start-ups getting off the ground.

In this episode, he shares his life story of overcoming adversity, keeping moving forward relentlessly, and ultimately changing his world and the worlds of many people he met in his life for the better.

He shares in unambiguous words the most important question every entrepreneur needs to confront frequently.

When you look at the most successful founders and companies globally, they all have clarity and a strong answer to this key question of entrepreneurship.

Enjoy the show.

Link to the Video of the Recording:
YouTube

Speaker:
Astrid Woollard
Christian Soschner
Essa Saulat

Organizations:
CS Life Science Invest
Scytale Ventures
Symptoma

Be part of our Network:
Subscribe here:  https://mailchi.mp/e2467061ef75/lsg2g

Support the show (https://www.lifescienceget2gether.com/registration-membersclub/)

Drug Development is a challenging process. It needs profound basic research, translating scientific results into products and moving them towards the market.

Making things more challenging deal structuring is also a b2b business, which means selling products to the pharma industry that completes the product development and brings therapeutics to patients.

How does structuring deals with the pharma industry really work to sign one of those multi-billion dollar contracts?

Sascha Bucher is a Venture Capital expert with tremendous experience in deal structuring with the pharmaceutical industry.

In his career at renowned venture funds and companies like Roivant Sciences, Roche, or UBS, he completed transactions worth more than 10 billion dollars.

To give life science entrepreneurs access to the expertise, network, and funding, he and his team are in the process of founding Forty51 Ventures - a novel venture fund dedicated to closing the Life Science Valley of Death in Central Europe.

Join our conversation and learn more about how to negotiate with the pharmaceutical industry.

Gain more insights into VCs' daily business life with a particular focus on building relationships with BD, R&D, and C-suite executives in the industry.

Link to the Video of the Recording:
YouTube

Speaker:
Astrid Woollard
Christian Soschner
Sascha Bucher

Organizations:
CS Life Science Invest
Forty51 Ventures
Scytale Ventures

Be part of our Network:
Subscribe here:  https://mailchi.mp/e2467061ef75/lsg2g

Support the show (https://www.lifescienceget2gether.com/registration-membersclub/)