The pandemic has changed the way VCs evaluate funding opportunities. Join leading bioscience venture capital firms as they share their thoughts on the current market and discuss bioscience investment trends to watch for over the coming months.

Funding is typically a hot topic in the bioscience community. But, what about your end game? Join merger and acquisition expert, Michael White, to learn more about M&A as a business strategy, when and how to start planning, and what you can expect as you move through strategy development, due diligence, and across the finish line.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs offer nondilutive research and development funds to small businesses, including biotechnology companies, to explore high-risk/high-reward technology. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which includes the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are the two granting organizations with the largest budgets focused on the biotechnology sector. Although both agencies award Phase 1 and Phase 2 grants, key differences distinguish their respective proposal submission and review processes. In this session, we will compare and contrast the SBIR process for these two agencies, offer key tips for success, and provide helpful insight into a competitive writing and submission strategy. 

In July, Governor Kay Ivey established the Alabama Innovation Commission with the purpose to review and develop recommendations tailored for growing Alabama's innovation economy and tech-related industries. Join this panel discussion to learn more about the Alabama Innovation Commission, how our State leaders are prioritizing innovation and tech-related industries such as bioscience, and how collaboration and smart policy can enhance Alabama's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

In Alabama we are fortunate to have leaders such as Senator Richard Shelby advocating for policy and programs designed to fuel our State’s economy. 2020 presents new challenges and our legislators, as well as their staff, have been focused on coronavirus legislation, reshoring efforts, and drug pricing. All three topics are debate worthy, however, the focus of this fireside chat is to discuss specific ideas and focus areas coming out of Senator Shelby’s office.

Our conference would not be complete without a discussion around the latest advancements, discoveries, and applications in precision and genomics medicine. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is leading the way and members of their multidisciplinary team will share specifics surrounding their important work and how it translates to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease tailored to the individual patient.

Enormous progress has been made in plant genomics and investigators at HudsonAlpha have been at the forefront of providing solutions to the many agricultural challenges. This panel features a collaborative effort from around the state and calls attention to Alabama’s agricultural assets, sustainability, and how genomic based techniques are being applied to improve crop yield for two of Bama’s rising stars - Beans & Barley.

This 2-part session will describe the advancement of drug and gene delivery technologies that can help overcome limitations of getting an active pharmaceutical agent in the body at the right place, at the right dose, at the right time. It will highlight the efforts of local companies and university scientists to increase efficacy of new drugs while limiting potential side effects, all while manipulating delivery systems at the nanoscale.

Join this session to examine the core strengths of Alabama’s bioscience industry and explore opportunities to catalyze continuous, inclusive growth. Panel members will present key findings from primary and secondary industry research including “voice of industry” feedback that comprise BIO Alabama’s Strategic Economic Development Roadmap and proposed recommendations in three focus areas: 1) startup and technology transfer; 2) workforce development; and 3) business attraction and retention.

The life sciences industry has become top-of-mind to economic developers. It’s a high impact industry with research dollars, high paying jobs, and innovation occurring at a rapid pace. Life sciences is a big economic driver for the Southeast and the world. Join our keynote speaker as he explains why the bioscience sector is attractive as an economic development driver as well as the corporate location and site selection strategies that are key to success.

Don’t miss this tactical discussion following keynote, Bob Hess, as we explore approaches and techniques that economic developers can deploy to establish, support, and grow the life sciences industry. But wait, this session isn’t just for economic developers. Bioscience leaders and stakeholders are encouraged to attend to learn more about how the economic development process works and how you can support local efforts to grow and expand #ALBioTech.

Join two of Alabama’s economic development leaders for an informative discussion on Alabama’s growth opportunities and trends in bioscience. Greg Canfield has served as the Secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce since July 2011. He continues to shape the vision for our State’s economic growth including sustainable growth and dynamic job creation for the bioscience industry. At the helm of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), Greg Barker brings years of experience and expertise to one of our state’s leading economic development organizations. Together, Canfield and Barker will address the importance of the bioscience industry and how private and public initiatives will help us further expand our global impact.

Fundraising is a fulltime job and we have stories from founders/CEOs regarding their personal journey to securing funding. Plus, biosciences investors will share how they evaluate bioscience opportunities. If you are currently seeking capital or preparing to fundraise, attend this session to gain insights on how to get your mind right for the work ahead.

Angel investors are investing in bioscience and providing necessary early-stage seed capital. But, understanding the role of angel investors and how to prepare for an angel investor are key. Hear directly from bioscience angel investors on how they evaluate opportunities and what information they want and need.

So, you’re ready to make your first pitch. Have you considered your investor relations strategy and communications plan? With over 20 years of investor relations experience, Stephanie Carrington will share best practices and guide you through preparing to raise your first institutional round.

This 2-part session will describe the advancement of drug and gene delivery technologies that can help overcome limitations of getting an active pharmaceutical agent in the body at the right place, at the right dose, at the right time. It will highlight the efforts of local companies and university scientists to increase efficacy of new drugs while limiting potential side effects, all while manipulating delivery systems at the nanoscale.

Part II: Avanti Polar Lipids will showcase their ability to use lipids to manufacture liposomes and nanoparticles that can protect very fragile drugs and DNA sequences from degradation, ensuring the cargo arrives at the site in the body where they need to perform.

A scientist from Alabama State University will share how she harnesses the power of genetic modification of adenovirus, a virus that causes the common cold, to create vaccines for infectious diseases such as HIV or Zika virus.

Innovation is the driving force of economic growth. In essence, innovation is an idea, a light bulb moment, and entrepreneurship is the act of commercializing an idea into a reality. This session will focus on those light bulb moments and the steps that immediately follow taking a life science innovation to the next level. We will explore why those light bulb moments and the early-stages of life science innovation and entrepreneurship are critical. We will highlight the hurdles and biases that accompany the stages of a developmental journey entrepreneurs often face. We will discuss why these issues are a serious innovation bottleneck and propose solutions on how to correct course, with particular emphasis how biotech centers - particularly those that are burgeoning in the southern U.S., like Alabama, can improve early-stage life science ideation, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This session will also summarize why generating light bulb moments and providing the right resources for commercializing them is essential for creating a knowledge and technology economy and the relevance of this for the future of STEM in the southern U.S.

Alabama is a premier place to start and grow in bioscience. Our business friendly atmosphere and incredible quality of life combined with a thriving entrepreneurial and startup environment set the stage for business success. Meet the thought leaders behind Alabama’s thriving incubator and accelerator programs during this panel discussion about resources, mentor programs, startup funds and more.

Alabama's university technology transfer offices are key drivers of biotechnology startups in our state. Technology transfer offices identify university-generated innovations, obtain intellectual property, and license them to private enterprise. Meet our technology transfer leaders to learn more about the opportunities available and how to engage a university in a licensing conversation.

Discovery and invention are rapidly advancing new knowledge but, this is not the same as innovation. Innovation is translating that new knowledge from lab to life. Innovation is hard. Less than 5% of funded research actually makes this leap. But innovation is also at the center of creative disruption that is transforming the economic landscape. We can either lead this economic transformation or be dragged by it begrudgingly. If you are interested in the former, this session is for you.

We're closing out our conference with an inspirational message from the 18th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin’s life work percolates hard topics on health disparity, preventative health, and policy that advocates for underrepresented communities. During her closing keynote address she will take us on a journey of where we came from and where we’re going as Alabama researchers, scientists, and bioscience business leaders continue to urgently respond to the most challenging environment, equity, and health problems.