The National Science Foundation (NSF), established in 1950 and located in Alexandria, Virginia, is an independent federal agency dedicated to advancing fundamental research and education across all scientific and engineering disciplines. With an annual budget of approximately $7.8 billion, the NSF operates America's Seed Fund, which allocates nearly $200 million each year to support startups and small businesses through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This initiative provides non-dilutive funding of up to $1.5 million to assist in research and development efforts, thereby facilitating the transformation of scientific discoveries into commercially viable products and services. By helping to de-risk technology, the NSF plays a crucial role in fostering innovation and addressing societal challenges through scientific advancements.

SOSV is a global venture capital firm that focuses on deep tech investments through the HAX and IndieBio startup development programs aimed at human and planetary health. The firm invests in startups at their inception, providing support to accelerate their next institutional funding round. HAX offers facilities and engineering resources, while IndieBio provides services and lab equipment for founders. The firm targets deep technology innovations in the health and environmental sectors.

RA Capital Management is an investment advisor based in Boston specializing in the life-sciences and drug development sectors. The company's team has been investing since 2002 and is comprised of professionals with training in biology, chemistry, and medicine and also has industry and business development experience at the executive and board levels. The company invests in companies with promising technologies and products.

OrbiMed is a healthcare-dedicated investment firm, with approximately $5 billion in assets under management. OrbiMed's investment advisory business was founded in 1989 with a vision to invest across the spectrum of healthcare companies: from private start-ups to large multinational companies. OrbiMed manages the Caduceus Private Investments series of venture capital funds and a family of public equity investment funds.

MassChallenge is a non-equity startup accelerator headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with additional locations in Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK. Founded in 2009, it focuses on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship by supporting high-potential startups across various industries globally. MassChallenge provides expert mentorship, a tailored curriculum, and access to corporate partners without taking any equity from the startups. Its programs, including specialized initiatives like MassChallenge FinTech and MassChallenge HealthTech, aim to facilitate partnerships between startups and established companies to drive innovation and growth. To date, MassChallenge has helped over 1,200 alumni raise more than $2 billion in funding and create over 65,000 jobs, demonstrating its significant impact on the global innovation ecosystem.

Qiming Venture Partners is a prominent venture capital firm based in Shanghai, China, with additional offices in Beijing, Suzhou, and Hong Kong. Founded in 2006, the firm specializes in investing in early to growth-stage companies across various sectors, including healthcare, information technology, consumer products, media, and clean technology. Qiming has established itself as a leading investment firm in China, managing multiple funds with over $1 billion in assets. The firm focuses on supporting innovative entrepreneurs and companies that demonstrate high growth potential, particularly in the technology and healthcare landscapes. Through its strategic investments, Qiming aims to foster the development of new business models and technologies, contributing to the dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in China.

IndieBio is an accelerator firm established in 2014 and based in San Francisco, California, with an additional office in New York. It specializes in startups that utilize synthetic biology to address significant global challenges. IndieBio runs four-month accelerator programs aimed at both companies and teams with innovative ideas, focusing on seed-stage and early-stage investments. The firm typically invests $250,000, providing $50,000 in exchange for eight percent equity in biotech startups, with the possibility of an additional $25,000 as a convertible loan note. IndieBio prioritizes investments in businesses that leverage biology as the core of their technology, particularly in life sciences, biotechnology, and related fields. The firm favors teams with a minimum of two co-founders and is open to investing in startups from various geographical locations.

Sequoia Capital, founded in 1972 and based in Menlo Park, California, is a prominent venture capital firm that invests in early to growth stage companies across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, financial services, and consumer services. The firm specializes in supporting startups and emerging growth companies, typically investing between $100,000 and $1 million in seed companies, $1 million to $10 million in early ventures, and $10 million to $100 million in growth investments. Sequoia Capital operates globally, with a presence in regions such as Israel, China, and Southeast Asia, and has built a diverse portfolio that includes notable companies like Airbnb, Alibaba, and JD.com. The firm emphasizes a partnership approach with entrepreneurs, leveraging decades of experience to guide them from initial concept through to public offering and beyond.

Novo A/S is a Danish private limited liability company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the holding company of the Novo Group and as such the majority shareholder in the publicly listed companies Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S. Novo A/S was established in 1999 prior to the demerger of Novo Nordisk A/S, where Novozymes A/S was established as a stand-alone publicly listed company. Novo's purpose and objectives are to manage the Foundation's financial assets and to ensure the Foundation sufficient dividends to cover its grant obligations for medical and scientific research etc. in Scandinavia. Novo A/S attains these objectives through: compliance with the rules and principles which are set out in the Articles of Association of the Novo Nordisk Foundation regarding exercise of the voting rights of A and B shares in Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S, respectively, assurance that all companies in which the company has a material influence actively contribute to the development of the Novo Group and operate their business in accordance with the visions and values of the Novo Group, maintenance of a material influence on Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S, and investment and financing business including placing of capital in companies and real property domestically and abroad. Novo’s overall investment strategy is thus to maintain ownership of Novo Nordisk’ and Novozymes’ shares at a level just above 25% and to invest dividends from these companies and other income in the life science area as well as in a broad portfolio of financial assets. Novo A/S has since 1999 established itself as an international venture capital partner in the life science area and has invested in over 50 companies in Denmark, Europe and North America. Through its financial investment activities Novo A/S seeks to spread the company’s total financial risk and at the same time to ensure a high return taking into consideration the chosen risk profile. In 2007 Novo A/S together with the Novo Nordisk Foundation established ‘Novo Seeds’. The new program (split into two sub-programs) is aimed at supporting early stage applied research in the life science area in Scandinavia. At the beginning of 2009 Novo A/S launched a new initiative, investing 'growth equity' into promising later stage/commercial stage life science companies. Novo A/S represents the interests of the Novo Nordisk Foundation through participation on the boards of the companies in the Novo Group. The companies in the Novo Group are members of a 'family of companies', independently managed, but sharing a set of common values as set out in the 'Charter for Companies in the Novo Group'. In the Charter these core values, commitments and management principles that companies in the Novo Group should live up to are described.

Perceptive Advisors LLC is an investment management firm founded in 1999 and headquartered in New York City, with an additional office in Boston. The firm specializes in the healthcare sector, focusing on biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, life sciences, diagnostics, digital health, medical devices, and healthcare services. It engages in venture capital and incubation, investing at various stages of a company's life cycle, including seed and Series A funding, as well as late-stage venture and public market investments. Perceptive Advisors employs a long/short equity strategy and utilizes hedging techniques, including equity options and index options, while conducting in-house research to inform investment decisions. The firm also manages separate client-focused equity portfolios and provides customized debt financing solutions through its Perceptive Credit Opportunities Fund. Its clientele includes institutional investors, financial institutions, investment funds, and high-net-worth individuals.

ARCH invests primarily in companies co-founded by scientists and entrepreneurs, concentrating on bringing to market innovations in life sciences. They enjoy special recognition as a leader in the successful commercialization of technologies developed at academic research institutions and national laboratories. ARCH has raised ten venture funds totaling over $3 billion and has invested in the venture capital rounds for more than 150 companies. ARCH investors include corporations, pension funds, endowment funds, financial institutions, and private investors.

Google Ventures invests in sectors including life sciences, consumer, enterprise, crypto, climate, and frontier technology. With Alphabet as its sole limited partner, Google Ventures focuses on investments in North America and Europe. Its operating partners assist startups in design, equity, diversity & inclusion, talent, and engineering and help them connect with Google for technology and expertise. Some investments include Uber, Nest, Slack, GitLab, and One Medical.

MedTech Innovator is the industry’s nonprofit global competition and accelerator for medical device, digital health and diagnostic companies. Our mission is to improve the lives of patients by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming the healthcare system. MedTech Innovator annually features 100 companies that address one or more of the transformative themes identified in an annual survey of leading manufacturers and providers.

Alexandria Venture Investments, LLC is a venture capital firm established in 1996 and headquartered in Pasadena, California. As the strategic investment arm of Alexandria Real Estate Equities, it focuses on providing capital to seed, early-stage, and growth-stage companies within the healthcare sector. The firm emphasizes investments in biopharma, diagnostics, life sciences, research tools, agrifoodtech, and agtech. Alexandria Venture Investments aims to support innovative entities developing breakthrough technologies and therapies, leveraging its extensive industry knowledge and relationships with leading investors. Its approach is characterized by a commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the life sciences and technology sectors.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a grant-making foundation that supports initiatives in education, world health and population, and community giving in the Pacific Northwest. In its local region, the foundation promotes strategies and programs that help low income families.The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was co-founded by Bill Gates and Melinda Gates in 2000 and is based in Seattle, Washington, with regional offices in Washington, D.C.; New Delhi, India; Beijing, China; and London, United Kingdom. Its trustees are Bill and Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett.

Wellington Management focuses on investment management. The company applies its full resources to meet the needs of the institutional clients they serve. Their investment approaches span equity, fixed income, currency, commodity, and alternative markets. They also offer asset allocation, multi-manager, and speciality approaches.

F-Prime's roots are in one of America’s great entrepreneurial success stories. Fidelity Investments was founded in 1946 and grew from a single mutual fund into one of the largest asset management firms in the world, with over $2 trillion in assets under management. For the last forty years, this venture capital group has had the privilege of backing other great entrepreneurs as they built ground-breaking companies in technology and life sciences, including Atari, MCI, ROLM Corp., Alibaba, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, and Ultragenyx. Today, F-Prime's funds are larger and more global, but its teams are still small and local. F-Prime stays true to its entrepreneurial roots. In the US and Europe, F-Prime Capital Partners is investing in healthcare (formerly Fidelity Biosciences) and in technology (formerly part of Devonshire Investors). In other geographies, its sister fund is called Eight Roads (formerly Fidelity Growth Partners), with investment teams in London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Mumbai. Together F-Prime brings a world of insight, domain expertise and relationships to support entrepreneurs. Without the pressure of fundraising from outside investors, F-Prime Capital Partners focuses all of its time finding and helping great entrepreneurs build important companies.

Invus recognizes that every company is unique and that extraordinary business performance cannot be achieved by following a formulaic approach. Due to their unique structure, they have a great deal of flexibility in the types of companies and situations where they can get involved. They know that real transformation takes time and that it is never a straight line. They fully align their incentives with their partners and have the wherewithal and long-term commitment to see through any bumps along the way. They have been successfully empowering owner-managers since 1985. They have been reinvesting the same pool of money from the same group of European families (through their Artal investment vehicle) since their founding. Today they manage over $4 billion in an evergreen fund and work out of offices in New York, London, Paris and Hong Kong.

Polaris Partners is a venture capital firm founded in 1996 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. With additional offices in San Francisco and New York, the firm specializes in investing across all stages of technology and healthcare companies, including life sciences and biotechnology. Polaris has established a strong track record over its more than 20 years in the industry, focusing on partnering with repeat entrepreneurs and innovators who are enhancing quality of life and work. The firm's investments are directed primarily within the United States and Europe, supporting companies from their founding stages to profitable growth.

Khosla Ventures invests in companies that are bold, early, and impactful. The firm was started in 2004 by Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, to provide venture assistance to entrepreneurs. Khosla Ventures invests in a range of areas including AI, climate, sustainability, enterprise, consumer, fintech, digital health, medtech and diagnostics, therapeutics, and frontier technology.

The EIC pilot supports top-class innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies and scientists with bright ideas and the ambition to scale up internationally. It brings together the parts of Horizon 2020 that provide funding, advice and networking opportunities for those at cutting edge of innovation.

Andreessen Horowitz is a venture capital firm specializing in investing in seed, start-ups, early, mid-stage, growth, and late-stage. It prefers to invest in the social media business and technology sector with a focus on software, back-end infrastructure, the infrastructure of the Internet, cloud computing, enterprise software and services, consumer, business Internet, mobile-Internet, consumer Internet, cloud computing, data storage, social network browsers data-storage, consumer electronics, networking functions, software related biology, biotech, and medicine companies at the intersection of computer science and life sciences with a focus on digital therapeutics, cloud technology in biology, and computational medicine.

Casdin Capital is a fundamental research investment firm focused on the life sciences and healthcare industry. It manages a long-short equity fund and makes investments in early-stage to late-stage private investments. Casdin was launched in 2012 by founder and CIO Eli Casdin and as of October 2020 has approximately $2.2 billion in assets under management.

Innovate U.K. is a NPO that offers funding services to support science and technology innovations. The organization offers services and information on births, deaths, marriages, business, self-employed, childcare, parenting, citizenship, law, disabled persons, transportation, education, environment, housing, money, tax, travel, immigration, and jobs. Innovate U.K. is based in Swindon.

New Enterprise Associates is a venture capital firm that invests in technology and healthcare startups. The firm engages with entrepreneurs at various stages of business development, providing support from initial funding to public offerings. The company focuses on the technology and healthcare industries.

Lilly Asia Ventures, founded in 2008, serves as the corporate venture capital arm of Eli Lilly and Company, focusing on investments in the life sciences and healthcare sectors, with a particular emphasis on opportunities in China. The firm targets promising companies at various stages of development, from seed to commercialization, and seeks to invest between $5 million and $15 million per round. Lilly Asia Ventures specializes in human therapeutics, medical technology, healthcare services, and broader life sciences, including industrial and agricultural biotechnology. With a preference for taking minority stakes, typically less than 20 percent, the firm aims to partner with companies that exhibit strong management teams and innovative business models. Headquartered in Shanghai, with additional offices in Hong Kong and California, Lilly Asia Ventures is committed to driving innovation in the healthcare landscape across East and South Asia.

Alumni Ventures Group provides high-quality, diversified venture portfolios to individual investors who previously haven't had access to VC. It helps accredited alums from top entrepreneurial schools invest together in the ventures of fellow alums. The firm backs companies with an alumni connection and an institutional lead investor with expertise in the space. AVG also offers focused funds that allow any accredited investor access to a venture portfolio, diversified by type, sector, stage, and geography. Beth Obermiller, Michael Madden, and Mike Collins co-founded the firm in Manchester, New Hampshire in 2013.

5Y Capital is a firm engaged in providing early-stage venture investments. It was formerly known as Morningside Venture Capital. The investment firm manages USD 5bn in dual-currency funds in USD and RMB, backed by world-renowned sovereign wealth funds, family offices, fund of funds, university endowments, pensions, and foundations. It was headquartered in Xuhui, Shanghai, China in 2008 by Ken Shi and Richard Liu.

Deerfield is an investment management firm. They provide a healthcare ecosystem through information and investment. They also provide private and public investments across the life science, medical device, diagnostic, digital health, and health service industries.

Samsara Biocapital provides investment advisory services to help entrepreneurs turn their own ideas and visions into successful companies. Samsara BioCapital, as a results-driven organization, is always looking for ambitious and visionary partners with the drive and flexibility to take their company to the next level. Samsara BioCapital promotes biotech innovation and collaborates with inspiring companies as they develop important and innovative new therapies.

Versant Ventures is a healthcare investment firm committed to helping exceptional entrepreneurs build the next generation of great companies. The firm invests across the healthcare sector and at all stages of company development, with an emphasis on the discovery and development of novel therapeutics. With $2.3 billion under management and offices in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, Versant has built a team with deep investment, operating, and scientific expertise that enables a hands-on approach to company building. Since the firm’s founding in 1999, more than 65 Versant companies have achieved successful acquisitions or IPOs.

US Department of Energy is a government agency that regulates energy policy, research, and development. The Energy Department's mission is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.

Fidelity Investments, founded in 1946 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a privately owned investment management firm that offers a wide range of financial services. These services include individual retirement accounts (IRAs), 401(k) rollovers, annuities, discount brokerage, retirement planning, estate planning, wealth management, and life insurance. The firm caters to individual investors, businesses, financial advisors, and institutions, managing equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds. Fidelity invests in global public equity and fixed income markets, employing in-house research to inform its investment decisions. The firm serves over 32 million individuals, assists more than 22,000 businesses in managing employee benefits, and provides support to over 13,000 financial institutions with innovative solutions. Fidelity operates through numerous regional offices and Investor Centers across the United States.

Redmile Group is a healthcare investment organization that makes venture, growth, and crossover investing across healthcare.

Rock Springs Capital is an investment company situated in Baltimore, Maryland. The company specializes in offering advisory services, primarily focused on managing security portfolios and providing portfolio management solutions to businesses and institutional clients. Through its advisory activities, Rock Springs Capital aims to assist clients in optimizing their investment strategies and achieving their financial goals.

The firm is a 25-year-old global investment firm focused on healthcare with approximately $5.8 billion in AUM, which we have invested in over 290 public and private companies worldwide. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with offices in Asia. Our team consists of 50 multi-disciplinary professionals, including, physicians, scientists, entrepreneurs, operating executives, and industry experts. The firm operates as a multi-fund investment platform, covering growth equity, private equity including buyout, venture capital, and public equity. Vivo invests broadly in healthcare across all fund strategies, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and healthcare services, with a focus on the largest healthcare markets.

Atlas Venture is an early-stage venture capital firm that creates and invests in biotech startup companies led by promising entrepreneurs focusing on life sciences innovation. Its seed-led venture creation strategy rigorously selects and focuses investment on compelling opportunities to build scalable businesses and realize value.

Lux Capital is a venture capital firm established in 2000, with offices in New York City and Silicon Valley. The firm specializes in founding, seed, early-stage, and growth investments, primarily in the physical and life sciences, as well as sectors such as biochemistry, material science, aerospace, and advanced technologies like machine learning and synthetic biology. Lux Capital actively supports entrepreneurs in developing successful businesses, leveraging its extensive expertise to enhance the connectivity and competitive edge of its portfolio companies. With assets under management totaling approximately $4 billion, the firm has played a significant role in founding over 20 companies, focusing on high-growth opportunities and innovative solutions across diverse industries.

General Catalyst is a venture capital firm that provides early-stage and growth equity investments. The company provides ongoing momentum that accelerates ideas, careers, and companies toward standout success.

Bpifrance Financement S.A. is a French financial institution that provides a wide range of financing solutions and support services for businesses at various stages of their development. Established in 1980 and based in Maisons-Alfort, France, the company offers medium to long-term loans, export insurance, real estate and equipment leasing, and working capital loans. Bpifrance also invests in startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and mid-cap companies through direct investments and fund management activities. Additionally, it provides consulting services for executives and training for CEOs, aiming to facilitate innovation and growth. Bpifrance was formed from the merger of several entities in July 2013, including OSEO, CDC Entreprises, and FSI, to enhance its role in supporting the financing of the French economy.

T. Rowe Price Japan is a global investment management company dedicated to funding technology startups.

Foresite Capital is a healthcare and life sciences investment firm. They take a data-driven approach to invest in startups that employ biology and big data to improve healthcare, such as 10x Genomics, Relay Therapeutics, Element Biosciences, and Inscripta.

Logos Capital is a fundamental biotechnology-focused fund that seeks to combine in-house data analytics with scientific and clinical expertise to identify transformative therapies in healthcare. Based in San Francisco, Logos combines expertise across medical, scientific, and statistical disciplines to expand the depth of diligence in identifying compelling investment ideas and uncorrelated-market returns. They combine scientific diligence with their statistical modeling of clinical trials to achieve the highest levels of conviction in each position.

Pfizer Inc., founded in 1849 and based in the United States, is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, specializing in the development and sale of prescription drugs and vaccines. With annual sales nearing $50 billion, the company focuses on improving health outcomes by providing safe, effective, and affordable medicines. Pfizer has a diverse portfolio that includes leading products such as the pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13, the cancer treatment Ibrance, and the cardiovascular medication Eliquis. The majority of its sales come from prescription drugs and vaccines, with nearly half of its revenue generated from international markets, particularly emerging economies. Pfizer is committed to addressing significant health care challenges through scientific innovation and aims to ensure access to essential health care services for people worldwide.

Northpond Ventures is a science-driven venture capital firm headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Our mission is to build a better tomorrow. Our investments are focused on life sciences, technology, and affiliated industries.

Nextech Invest is a Zurich-based venture capital and private equity firm established in 1998, specializing in early, mid-stage, and late-stage investments within the healthcare and life sciences sectors. The firm focuses on companies developing innovative therapies, diagnostics, medical technologies, and services, with a particular emphasis on oncology. Nextech Invest seeks evidence of efficacy in preclinical animal models or device prototypes that meet specific requirements before considering investments. It primarily targets investments ranging from CHF 1 million to CHF 5 million per financing round and aims to secure a Board position in its portfolio companies. The firm is interested in global opportunities, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, North America, and Europe, including Germany and Switzerland, and it is open to co-investments across the rest of Europe. Nextech Invest typically aims for exit strategies within three years through trade sales.

The Column Group is a venture capital firm dedicated to creating the next generation of biotechnology companies. They manage over $4 billion in assets and focus on building companies with groundbreaking scientific platforms that have the potential to deliver significant new therapies for unmet medical needs. TCG takes a long-term approach, aiming to develop companies capable of generating multiple product opportunities rather than focusing on quick exits.

Merck & Co., Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey, dedicated to discovering, developing, and providing innovative medicines and vaccines across various therapeutic areas, including cancer, cardiometabolic diseases, and infections. The company has a robust vaccine portfolio aimed at preventing pediatric diseases and human papillomavirus. Merck also has a significant presence in animal health, offering various related products. Its venture capital arm, the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, invests in emerging healthcare technology companies globally, focusing on digital health, care management, and analytics, among other sectors. Founded in 1891, Merck operates with a mission to improve lives worldwide through its diverse range of healthcare solutions. Additionally, Merck Research Laboratories, a subsidiary, is engaged in the discovery and development of medicines for serious health conditions, contributing to the company's comprehensive healthcare offerings.

Mission BioCapital is a life science venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies. The company leadership team has a long history together, investing in and launching dozens of early-stage life science companies. They are located in regions with a rich concentration of research, discovery, and venture capital investment, and they are known by leaders of portfolio companies for the expertise and deep support they provide.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation accelerates early-stage innovation through strategic collaboration. It connects potential collaborators to resources with the goal of assisting them in advancing transformation science and technology across the pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer healthcare spectrums.