RA Capital Management and Qiming Venture Partners have selected 10 biotech startup teams as finalists for the inaugural S2S China Symposium, an initiative designed to connect academic therapeutics research in China with global biotechnology investors.
S2S China is the China chapter of Science2Startup, an invitation-only program that brings researchers from academic and research institutions together with venture investors, pharmaceutical scouts and industry executives.
The finalists were selected from a large field of applicants after multiple rounds of evaluation by experienced biopharma investors. Approximately 20 teams reached the semifinal stage before the group was narrowed to 10 finalists.
Those teams will pitch investors during an in-person event at Westlake University on October 15.
Before the event, the finalists will participate in a dedicated mentorship program designed to help them strengthen their scientific development plans, commercial narratives and investor presentations.
The program is intended to help academic researchers move promising therapeutic discoveries closer to company formation, financing and eventual clinical development.
Science2Startup was originally established in 2018 by F-Prime, SV Health and Atlas Venture. RA Capital Management, Osage University Partners and 5AM Ventures subsequently joined the initiative.
The China program is supported by leaders from academia and life sciences investing, including Westlake University President Shi Yigong, Qiming Venture Partners Partner and Healthcare Co-Lead Kan Chen and RA Capital Management Partner Josh Resnick.
The symposium is also supported by major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and professional services companies.
Goodwin, Eli Lilly and Biocytogen are platinum sponsors, Johnson & Johnson is a gold sponsor and Sanofi is a silver sponsor.
The program gives global life sciences investors another pathway for identifying therapeutics emerging from China’s academic ecosystem while giving researchers access to investors and operators experienced in turning scientific discoveries into biotechnology companies.
Qiming Venture Partners manages 11 U.S. dollar funds and seven RMB funds with $9.5 billion in capital raised. Since its founding in 2006, the firm has backed more than 580 companies across technology and healthcare.
