Sessions
It’s not enough to have revolutionary technology, market need, an experienced management team and a well-heeled board. For a start-up, a truly effective board - capable of operating in synchrony with an entrepreneur’s vision - can be the company’s leading asset. The role of the corporate board and its relationship to the management team is changing in today’s capital-constrained markets.
Investors are actively evaluating whether management’s vision and strategy align with operations, financial experience and industry knowledge. At the same time, there are no rewards for top-heavy management teams, and companies need to engineer the right “leadership” balance between management and its Directors. What insights and contributions should a board be able to bring to the game? Is management prepared for board participation and differences of opinion?
Today, we are all asking ourselves whether the venture model will recover and be redefined to withstand the test of these challenging times. Join this panel of experts as they discuss managing under cost-constraints, new business models and their views on how to get capital in and out of companies focused on resource-intensive R&D activities. With the current model so much at risk, how do newly formed entrepreneurial companies develop a rational business plan, raise money and negotiate partnerships and manage through risk – all while defining an acceptable exit?
Research has led scientists to observe that Alzheimer’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and many cancers may result from an accumulation of misfolded proteins in certain tissues. These misfolded proteins aggregate and form large clumps in the brain, which give way to a group of diseases known as amyloidoses, of which Alzheimer’s is the most recognizable, and other neurodegenerative diseases. Given the promise of targeting diseases caused by protein misfolding and the vast number of possible therapeutic applications, protein folding is quickly becoming a focus of attention in biopharmaceutical research. Hear from several experts in the area who will discuss the therapeutic applications and investment opportunities that protein folding enables.
You’ve cleared your initial financing fences, and distributed precious angel and institutional investments into start-up operations. Today, the hurdles for raising that next B round are higher than ever, and early-stage companies need to secure investors who truly understand their technology, risks, opportunities and timeframes. How do you identify and attract the investors most suited to your company? From business plans to patent estates, management experience, right-sizing and chemistry, hear experienced investors and start-up CEOs address the top reasons why biotech deals get killed and investors can be denied the opportunity to participate.