In a move to help early-stage companies gain insights about their companies from investors, a group of life science angel investors are hosting a pitching event in Philadelphia next month. The 1st Pitch Life Science event wants to give entrepreneurs a stage to talk about their company and get a sense of what they need to tweak without the risk of losing a potential investor.
Mid Atlantic Bio Angels is hosting the event to give constructive feedback and provide a useful way for companies to network with potential investors. Audience members get something out of it too. They can offer their opinions about the companies and pick their favorite in a vote.
The median size of angel investments has been on the rise, according to a Halo Report published earlier this month by CB Insights, Silicon Valley Bank and Angel Resource Institute, but for healthcare it declined from $2 million in the fourth quarter in 2013 to a little more than $1.2 million in the first quarter of 2014. Healthcare accounted for 19.6 percent of the deals. The Mid Atlantic region accounted for 9.5 percent of angel group investments.
Interested companies can download applications here. Although Mid Atlantic Bio Angels has held the event in New York City before, this marks the first time it will be in Philadelphia. It’s scheduled for September 16 at the Cira Center.
The investment group doesn’t have a fund: its members invest as individuals or as a group. Companies it’s considering for investment will only be invited to present after clearing a pre-screening stage, which involves a member lobbying on the company’s behalf, according to its website. Among the groups represented in Mid Atlantic Bio Angels are Keiretsu Forum, Boston Harbor Angels, Minority Angel Investment Network, Delaware Crossing Investor Group and Investors’ Circle.
We’ve touched on the subject of what investors like and dislike on more than a few occasions on this website. Here are some helpful links:
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
- What entrepreneurs need to consider when pitching hospitals
- Some insights on working with angel investors. Here’s another link, and another.
