We are pleased to announce our thirty finalists to compete in the Innovation Challenge at Life Science Nation's (LSN) first-ever RESI in San Diego. From a pool of approximately 100 applicants, the LSN Scientific Review Team has selected a diverse group of life science startups: three healthcare IT, three diagnostic, thirteen therapeutic, and eleven medical device companies. These startups will showcase themselves in the exhibit hall display spaces at RESI on June 19th. The quality of these companies should not go unnoticed, as we have seen nearly 50% of Innovation Challenge finalists from previous RESI's receive funding within one year of their debut.

From personalized cancer immunotherapies to digital pathology imaging, these companies cover a diverse range of life science technologies. Coming from all over the world, the companies will be competing based on scientific merit and investment potential, pitching to RESI attendees and showcasing their innovations. Be sure to catch them and make your "investments" at the RESI Exhibition Hall in just a couple weeks!

Angel investors are a major force at the earliest stages of financing for life science companies, and can have a great influence in startup development. As many of these individuals have been entrepreneurs and often take an operational role along with an investment, their capital, network and know-how is crucial for energizing a new venture and ensuring that the company has all its ducks in a row as it goes on to grow as a business and raise more capital.

Given the significant differences in the development and financing needs of biotech vs. medtech companies, LSN has two separate sessions which showcase active angles in each space separately.

The Biotech Angels panel will be moderated by Bernie Rudnick, Founder, Mid Atlantic Bio Angels and will feature the following panelists:

• Michael O'Donnell, Member, Life Science Angels
• Stephen MaCDonald, Managing Director, Bio/Med Investor Network
• Richard Koffler, CEO, Greenwings Biomedical
• John Chi, Head of Screening Committee, BioPacific Investors

The Medtech Angels panel will be moderated by Brian Frenzel, Member, Band of Angels and will feature the following panelists:

• Laird Cagan, Managing Director, Cagan McAfee Capital Partners
• Patricia Beckman, Managing Director, WINGS
• Chris Apfel, Member, Life Science Angels
• Wei Tao, Member, Sand Hill Angels

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Corporate venture capital funds have been a key pillar of the life science investment community for some time, and at LSN we've seen these groups evolving on strategy to keep up with an increasingly competitive investor marketplace. While many pharma firms still use corporate VC as a strategic vehicle for filling pipelines, these firms are increasingly collaborative and keen to be seen as aligned with the interests of entrepreneurs and other investors, as well as those of their parent companies.

Moderated by Rajeev Dadoo (Partner, SR One), the participants are:

• Elaine Jones (Vice President, Pfizer Venture Investments)
• Vijay Murthy (Principal, Johnson & Johnson JJDC)
• Vikram Sudarsan (Head of Cipla Technologies, Cipla New Ventures)
• Andreas Jurgeit (Investment Director, Merck Ventures)