台灣生技新創於國際早期募資盛會發光

台灣生醫新創在國際知名早期募資活動中再創佳績!美國時間1月8日,聿信醫療在舊金山參加RESI創新挑戰賽(Innovation Challenge),從全球逾300多家參賽隊伍脫穎而出,勇奪第二名的殊榮,成為繼去(107)年6月在波士頓BIO Conference,台灣共振波和新台北奈米分別獲得第一及第三名的佳績後,再次摘下RESI創新挑戰賽桂冠的潛力新秀,顯示臺灣的生技醫療新創已具備國際水準,有機會在國際舞台上發光。

全球最大生醫投資論壇JP Morgan Healthcare Conference每年都會在美國舊金山舉辦為期一週的國際投資盛會,吸引來自全球上千家新創、潛力企業和國際投資人齊聚,美國LSN (Life Science Nation)每年都會在這股風潮中,在此期間舉辦RESI Partnering Conference (Redefining Early Stage Investments,RESI),提供新創公司發表與媒合的平台。

RESI Conference著重於早期投資,每年有超過600家跨國企業和新創公司參與媒合,並創造單日超過1200場募資媒合機會。為協助台灣生醫新創公司前進國際市場,爭取國際募資機會,今年生醫創新執行中心委由轄下生醫商品化中心透過與LSN的合作,在RESI Conference辦理午餐會(Taiwan Luncheon)發表,這是台灣生醫產業首度與國際知名早期新創募資組織合作,推升我國新創團隊在國際的能見度並進行全球募資。

今年台灣更是首次由身兼執行中心執秘的科技部生科司莊偉哲司長領軍,率領台灣新創團隊前進RESI會議,與全球生技新創團隊同場競技。台灣15家潛力新創團隊,在RESI會議中之新創午餐會發表,已向全球創投與國際大廠展現我國堅強的新創動能與研發實力。

幫助台灣新創站上國際舞台 讓投資人看見

莊偉哲司長表示,台灣擁有全球最具優勢的ICT產業價值鏈,這些廠商不但有全球市場經驗,也有足夠的資金,但真正投入到生技醫療領域的資金卻很有限,我們帶台灣有潛力新創到RESI這個知名的國際早期募資會議,可望讓國際大廠、投資人和ICT廠商看到台灣生醫新創的實力,讓他們更有信心加碼投資。

本次台灣利用2019 JPM RESI Taiwan Luncheon的場合,向國際投資人、企業介紹台灣在生技醫療領域的成就與投資環境。這也是RESI首次與台灣合作舉辦的午餐發表會活動。以往加拿大、以色列和韓國也曾舉辦過這類以國家形式所舉辦的午餐發表會,均獲得高度的迴響,甚至促成第一輪後續募資的契機。

RESI會議最受矚目的活動之一-創新挑戰賽,提供新創生技企業一個絕佳的舞台,此次奪下第二名佳績的聿信醫療(Heroic Faith)以「自動肺音監測系統」從300多組團隊中入圍前30強,取得決賽入場券,最後再獲得大會評審和與會投資人的青睞,於1月8日的決賽中一舉奪得第二名的成績,展現台灣醫療電子與人工智慧的創新研發能量。

聿信醫療團隊表示,該公司自主研發的「自動肺音監測系統」是一套即時生命徵象監控系統,可監控臥床病患肺部早期徵狀,及早介入治療,避免病人發生實質化病變而延宕最佳的治療時機。聿信醫療除了自主開發的聽診貼片之外,透過可連續收集肺部異常音的資料庫系統,快速收集龐大的數位生理資訊,未來將成為開發人工智慧自動化聽診輔助系統的基石。

今年台灣共有15家(11家醫材領域、4家藥品領域)潛力新創企業參加RESI Conference,除了聿信醫療、台灣共振波(TRWR)和新台北奈米(Taipei Bio)之外,還包括:Above Care、百歐生科(AllBio)、翔安生醫(Acusense)、唯醫生技(WeMED)、PressureDot、炳碩生醫(Point Robotics)、澳創數據驅動(Ultrondata)、PapiVax以及醫盟科技( Flat Medical)等潛力新創企業,另外,北醫衍生新創綿天科技(MTAM Tech)和兆益生醫(ATP BioPharm)也在北醫國際產學聯盟(GLORIA)的支持下,一起與來自全球300多家的新創企業競逐桂冠。

吸取矽谷成功經驗 串連國際資源

生醫創新執行中心特別安排一場專家座談會(Panel session)-「Taiwan Investors」,由生醫創新執行中心創新長瞿志豪邀請多位知名國際投資專家與會,暢談台灣生醫產業的優勢與機會,邀請國際創投、跨國企業和新創前來台灣尋找各種合作夥伴,共同進軍全球生醫市場。

瞿志豪創新長談到,除了鼓勵台灣新創走向國際舞台之外,台灣在全球半導體和電子產業的既有優勢,是台灣切入國際數位醫療器材產業鏈的最佳利基。

國際新創和跨國企業可以將台灣視為策略性夥伴,除了提供優質的生產服務之外,台灣更可以成為國際新創的產品合作開發夥伴,善用台灣國際電子產業的快速開發反應能力以及供應鏈優勢,導入Design for Manufacturing、Design for Quality等概念,使國際醫材與台灣產業鏈進行進一步的整合。除此之外,台灣近期通過的細胞治療特管辦法,將可望增加國際細胞治療公司在台灣進行二、三期臨床試驗的吸引力。

除了午餐會、專家座談會之外,生醫創新執行中心也在次(9)日籌備一場台灣醫療新創媒合會(Taiwan MedTech Startups Event),協助新創團隊與研擬的戰略夥伴安排進一步的會談,藉此促進國際合作與吸引國際資金的投入。

此外,也安排台灣新創公司到聖荷西參加矽谷投資媒合會,邀請當地對台灣新創有興趣的天使投資人、創投,進行一對一的會談,並拜訪當地的加速器與育成機構如:JABIL Accelerator、IndieBio Accelerator與QB3 Incubator等,吸取矽谷募資的成功經驗,串連國際資源。

越來越多的亞洲生技醫療公司藉由各種國際投資媒合會議進入全球市場,台灣生醫企業必須持續創新研發、融入國際新創生態圈,積極走向國際市場,讓全球看見台灣的創新研發能量。

 

 

 

BIOMED TW & Biomedical Commercial Center Cooperate with Life Science Nation for International Startup Competition and Fundraising

 The Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) Partnering Conference held by Life Science Nation (LSN) is one of the widely anticipated activities during J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California.  This year, for the first time, BIOMED TW together with LSN to hold a startup competition and luncheon on Jan. 8th at the Marines’ Memorial Club & Hotel through great efforts from the teamwork of its Biomedical Commercialization Center. This activity aimed to help usher Taiwan’s biomedical startups onto the world stage and to seek for international fundraising opportunities for them.

 

Helping Taiwan’s startups to gain visibility on the international stage

 

Heroic Faith won the second prize in the Innovation Challenge startup competition exceeding more than 300 startups from around the world.  Its novel approach to support critical care medical practitioners to cope with lung-related complications would greatly enhance medical care efficiency and reduce mortality.

 

Other startups among the total of fifteen from Taiwan presented innovations ranging from robotics to tissue regeneration, covering medical devices and pharmaceutics, attracted impressive remarks from the audience during the occasion.  The fifteen included Above Care, Acusense, All Bio, ATP BioPharm, Flat Medical, Heroic Faith, MTAM Tech, PepiVax, Point Robotics, Pressure Dot, Taipei Bio, Taiwan Resonant Waves Research Corp, TRER Designs, Ultron Data Driven, and WeMED.

 

This marked the first international startup activity held by Taiwan’s biomedical industry in conjunction with an international early-stage startup funding organization.  This would offer an opportunity for the Taiwanese firms to better compete against global biotech teams and to increase the visibility of Taiwan’s startup teams.

 

Dr. Woei-Jer Chuang, the Director General of Department of Life Sciences of Taiwan Ministry of Science & Technology as well as the Executive Secretary of BIOMED TW, led a group of startups to the RESI Conference to participate in the RESI Innovation Challenge and to attend the Taiwan Luncheon and Showcase.

 

Dr. Chuang remarked that the objective of the event was to introduce Taiwan’s achievements and investment environment in biotech and healthcare to international investors and enterprises.  He pointed out that Canada, Israel, and Korea have held similar events in the past to promote their countries.  Those activities proved to be quite success. The organizers cited the events as instrumental in creating the opportunity to promote a first round of follow-on funding.

 

One of the most widely anticipated activities of the RESI Conference is the RESI Innovation Challenge, which provides early-stage companies with great opportunities to present their technologies and products at the conference site gathering top ranked biotech VCs and key players of the world. LSN’s internal scientific review board would select innovative applicants to move to the next stage where they could present their technologies and participate in a virtual investment contest.

 

The RESI Innovation Challenge held in conjunction with the BIO 2018 convention last year was especially fruitful for Taiwan teams as Taiwan Resonant Waves Research Corp. winning First Prize and Taipeibio taking Third Prize.

 

Learning from Silicon Valley’s successful experience and seeking for international resources

 

The organizing committee also arranged a “Taiwan Investors” panel session. Dr. Michel Chu, Chief Innovation Officer of BIOMED TW, has invited several renowned international investment experts to join the forum to discuss the strengths and opportunities associated with Taiwan’s biomedical industry environment.  International venture capitalists, multinational enterprises, and startups were invited to Taiwan to pursue a broad range of cooperative opportunities.

 

Besides the luncheon and the panel session, the organizers have arranged the Taiwan MedTech Startups Event, where startup teams and potential strategic partners can engage further discussions. This activity is expected to promote international engagement and investments.

 

Meanwhile, arrangements have been made for startups from Taiwan to attend a Silicon Valley investment partnering event in San Jose, California. Angel investors and venture capitalists interested in these Taiwan startups will be invited to join one-on-one discussions with the target startup teams. These teams will also visit local accelerators and incubators, including JABIL Accelerator, IndieBio Accelerator, and QB3 Incubator. The purpose is to inspire the startups from the successful experience of Silicon Valley companies in fundraising and to network with international resources.

 

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