BioTools Innovator Live 2024
The goal of the BioTools Innovator webinar series is to provide the life science tools ecosystem and our portfolio companies with guidance from experts in areas that are specific to the strategic needs outlined in our discussions and surveys.
Our virtual webinars consist of panelists addressing key questions supplied in advance by the BioTools Innovator Accelerator, as well as a general discussion on the topic within the context of the evolving life sciences tools ecosystem. Our webinars are live-streamed on our YouTube Channel and LinkedIn, and are available for viewing on this page.
2024 Webinar Schedule
*All webinars start at 9 AM PT unless otherwise noted. Webinars will be posted here, or may also be viewed on the BioTools Innovator LinkedIn page.
2024 Webinar Schedule
Perfecting Your Pitch Video
Co-founder and CEO of ImmersiveTouch, where we are reducing the standard 7-10 day 3D planning delivery down to just minutes. We are a pioneer in VR simulated surgical planning; the next dimension in personalized healthcare. ImmersiveTouch is highly differentiated with a large hospital base and patent portfolio. I’m responsible for running all facets of the business and have a proven executive management track record driving growth and innovation in healthcare. I am driven to improve healthcare economics and patient outcomes. I am an accomplished speaker, and a contributor to publications such as Forbes and Business Insider. Under my leadership ImmersiveTouch was awarded Best Video and Top 4 Finalist by MedTech Innovator, won the Center for Advancing Innovation Global Health Innovation Challenge; awarded Best Simulation Company in North America by Frost & Sullivan; listed in the 34 Virtual Reality Companies to Know by Built In; featured in Healthcare Tech Outlook ‘s Top 10 Medical Imaging Solutions Providers; named one of The 7 Virtual Reality Companies to Innovate Healthcare by Medical Design and Outsourcing; listed as one of The 9 Healthcare Companies Making Innovations in Virtual Reality by Touchstone Research; selected as one of the Top 10 Startups by HealthBox; and awarded Top Simulation Company by MedTech Outlook.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University, Mike went on to become a Nuclear Refueling Engineer for the Department of Defense’s submarine program.
Then, he and his wife relocated from Seattle, WA to San Diego, CA where he took an engineering position with Invetech, a Danaher company, and his wife, Dr. Leah Gordon, attended medical school.
While with Invetech, Mike worked as a senior mechanical engineer on a variety of projects supporting the development of diagnostic instruments, medical devices, cell and gene therapies, consumer products, and automation systems.
He currently operates his own consulting company, Michael Gordon, Inc, which specializes in the conceptualization, development and integration of novel technologies and biological workflows in the immuno-oncology/immunotherapy space.
I am the CEO and co-founder of Oxford Endovascular Ltd, a spinout from Oxford University.
The company is developing a revolutionary medical device to cure brain aneurysms; a life-threatening disease affecting 1 in 50 persons in a strongly growing market valued over $1 billion. In 2017 it won ‘Best Med-Tech Start-Up’ at the Oxford Bio Network awards, 1st place at the BioTrinity ‘Perfect Pitch’ competition, and an award at the ‘European Health Catapult’ finals.
I have nearly 30 years growing international businesses in large corporations & start-ups.
Experienced in strategic planning, execution, team building, gaining regulatory approvals & fundraising including winning a prestigious Horizon 2020 SME instrument grant amongst several others.
I mentor budding entrepreneurs, am a panelist at industry conferences and sit on the ‘Medfit’ steering committee in Paris, France.
Leadership pods and how to make the most of your mentorship
Curious by nature, I am constantly looking for challenges. I am the CEO and co-founder of Limula. We are located in Lausanne, Switzerland, and we develop a platform for closed and automated manufacturing of cell therapies.
Before launching Limula, I was a personal advisor to EPFL President Martin Vetterli. I graduated from the University of Oxford with a DPhil (PhD) in Chemical Biology – I am a skilled scientist, with a broad practical and theoretical background in chemistry, biotechnology and immunology.
Over the past 5 years, I have raised over CHF 10 Mio in non-dilutive funding for a series of innovative projects. I am particularly interested in cutting edge (bio)technologies, their societal impact, and how open innovation/science practices can catalyse the translation of R&D results.
A strong team player and avid networker, I combine my interpersonal, analytical and communication skills to build successful projects. I rapidly adapt and easily function in complex, diverse and dynamic environments. I am organised, detail-oriented, independent and entrepreneurial, with a strong ability to multi-task. My impeccable work ethic, commitment and loyalty to my colleagues make me a trusted partner.Curious by nature, I am constantly looking for challenges. I am the CEO and co-founder of Limula. We are located in Lausanne, Switzerland, and we develop a platform for closed and automated manufacturing of cell therapies. Before launching Limula, I was a personal advisor to EPFL President Martin Vetterli. I graduated from the University of Oxford with a DPhil (PhD) in Chemical Biology – I am a skilled scientist, with a broad practical and theoretical background in chemistry, biotechnology and immunology. Over the past 5 years, I have raised over CHF 10 Mio in non-dilutive funding for a series of innovative projects. I am particularly interested in cutting edge (bio)technologies, their societal impact, and how open innovation/science practices can catalyse the translation of R&D results. A strong team player and avid networker, I combine my interpersonal, analytical and communication skills to build successful projects. I rapidly adapt and easily function in complex, diverse and dynamic environments. I am organised, detail-oriented, independent and entrepreneurial, with a strong ability to multi-task. My impeccable work ethic, commitment and loyalty to my colleagues make me a trusted partner.
Mason developed the DynaCHIP technology for his PhD dissertation at the Georgia Institute of Technology under Andrei G. Fedorov. During his postdoc, Mason served as the entrepreneurial and technical lead for the project, securing Biolocity and Georgia Research Alliance funding to support the development of the technology. Mason formally cofounded Andson Biotech with Andrei just before it was backed by the well-known accelerator, Ycombinator, for their Winter 2022 batch. Under Mason’s leadership, Andson was selected into Merck Pharmaceutical’s inaugural accelerator program, the Merck Digital Sciences Studio (2022-2023), as well as the prestigious BioTools Innovator program (2023), where Andson was selected as a top 4 finalist. Mason has served as a consultant on projects ranging from artificial intelligence cancer diagnosis to resonance-based diagnostics sensors. Before starting his PhD, Mason worked in hands on roles that have benefitted him tremendously as an engineer including a position at a sheet metal/frame shop and as a design engineer for a pharmaceutical packaging company.
Pricing Strategy
Accomplished business leader in life science industry with a track record of steady career progression and increasing general management responsibility. Six Sigma Black Belt with analytical problem-solving and a broad commercial perspective. Skilled in leading teams, managing change, and driving innovation.
I have worked for over twenty years in the life sciences industry in both operational and strategic roles. The market fundamentals are still attractive, yet turbulent. I bring flexible, strategic thinking to the table and a commitment to getting things done. I support business growth by helping to answer the recurring questions of where to play and how to win. On the tactical side, I make sure that the marketing and sell story is differentiated from competitors and compelling to customers.
During strategy development, I facilitate team alignment on the overall business direction and priorities. After the strategy work is done, then comes the tricky part: execution. As a team we look for opportunities, both organic and inorganic, to implement the strategy. This may include developing an investment plan, starting a new marketing initiative or executing a strategic partnership.
I am recognized for leadership in marketing and business development. Through practice and learning from my own mistakes, I have become a more attentive listener, better aware of my impact on others and adept at attracting and retaining talented people. In my opinion success in the life sciences market requires an understanding and mastery of the science, true credibility with customers and the courage to take risks on people and ideas.
I am interested in executive level opportunities where I can leverage my competencies, values and technical expertise.
Market Research and Analysis; Go-To-Market Strategies
Joined established boutique life sciences market research firm to build out its strategy consulting service offering. Support all aspects of consulting from lead generation, project pitching and negotiation, research and analysis, project management and presentation development.
Managing Partner, i5 BioPartners, National Governor At Human Rights Campaign.
Accomplished commercialization leader in the cell and gene therapy industry with a PhD in molecular medicine and a passion that lies at the intersection of science, business, and innovation. As a scientist turned commercial leader, I apply my strategic and scientific acumen to solve problems across functions of organizations and excel at taking that strategy and turning it into actionable plans and initiatives brought to realization.
Non-Dillutive Funding
Matt Gardner leads CBRE’s Advisory Life Sciences practice in the U.S., including occupier and investor leasing as well as sales. A veteran of more than 30 years in the technology and life sciences sectors, Mr. Gardner works with CBRE professionals across U.S. life sciences hubs and emerging markets to advise clients on their real estate needs. He is based in Northern California.
Before joining CBRE in March 2022, Mr. Gardner served as CEO and co-founder of the California Biomanufacturing Center. Mr. Gardner previously served as CEO of the life sciences cluster organizations BayBio and MarylandBio, supporting hundreds of growing life sciences companies in the process.
In addition, Mr. Gardner has served as chair and a member of boards including Seeding Labs, a Boston nonprofit dedicated to building science capacity around the world; the Exploratorium, a science museum in Northern California; and at Johns Hopkins University. For more than a decade, Mr. Gardner produced the NPR show Biotech Nation. He has contributed to publications including the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, Startup Magazine, and Medtech Insight.
Mr. Gardner previously served as a founding team member and mentor to life sciences startups including SageLegion, Cancer Commons, Cornerstone, and the Patent & License Exchange, among others. He is the author of numerous publications on the life sciences ecosystem, including “California Tool Works” and the award-winning series of BayBioIMPACT annual reports.
Anne has been running the in-house MedTech accelerator, MD Start, since she started at Sofinnova Partners as a partner in 2015.
She embodies the MD Start team’s hands-on approach: Anne is the founding and current CEO of both Gradient Denervation Technologies and Moon Surgical. She is a Board member of both SafeHeal and May Health — two companies where she was also founding CEO.
Prior to joining Sofinnova, Anne held several key positions at Mauna Kea Technologies, a Paris-based medical technology company with global presence, developing a disruptive “optical biopsy” technology. She was closely involved in multiple financing rounds, including the company’s initial public offering on the Paris Euronext, a highly successful operation and the largest public listing for the sector that year.
Anne is an active angel investor and an independent board member of FeetMe and Cardiologs Technologies, two Paris-based e-health startups. Cardiologs was purchased by Philips in 2021.
Coming to Terms - Negotiating Term Sheets, SAFE Notes & Cap Tables
Kathrin Adllkofer is the founder and COO of Cellbox Solutions GmbH, a company for professional cell logistic worldwide.
She has a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Federal Institute of technology, Zurich. Following her university career at the universities of Berlin, Harvard and Zurich she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute, San Diego, USA. In 2000 she moved to the industry space working in Business and Corporate Development of Evotec AG closing several service deals and strategic alliances with Pharma and Biotech companies. Before leading mei:do concepts GmbH, a health company , for two years she was CEO of Norgenta North German Life Science Agency GmbH, the cluster agency for Life Science of the states Free and Hanseatic town of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein . And before Norgenta she was leading MediGate GmbH, a Tec-transfer subsidiary of the University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg.
Martis is a developmental neuroscientist with a strong background in neuronal development and regeneration. He earned his Bachelor of Science from San Diego State University and began his industry career at Illumina as a research associate in the high-throughput genomics services laboratory. Martis then earned his PhD from the University of California San Diego, studying transcriptional networks that control adult neurogenesis and brain patterning using flatworms as the model organism. Prior to joining EpiCypher in 2015, Dr. Cowles was a Ruth L. Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Eva Anton’s laboratory at UNC Chapel Hill where he studied developmental signaling pathways that underlie cortical stem cell function in the developing mouse brain.
BioTools Marketing and Sales Strategies
Entrepreneurial minded scientist with interests in life science tools, platforms, and AI for genomics, cell and gene therapy, and synthetic bio.
Growth architect with 15 years of commercial experience and an unrelenting dedication to innovating, marketing, and selling solutions in the life science and diagnostics sectors. Unwavering commitment to delivering concrete results through translating strategies into tangible outcomes, leading successful change initiatives, and cultivating exceptional teams. Highly skilled at communication across all levels of the organization, building consensus, and inspiring strong followership aligned with the company’s goals.
Navigating Non-Dilutive Fundraising for Life Science Startups
Kathrin Adllkofer is the founder and COO of Cellbox Solutions GmbH, a company for professional cell logistic worldwide.
She has a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the Federal Institute of technology, Zurich. Following her university career at the universities of Berlin, Harvard and Zurich she completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute, San Diego, USA. In 2000 she moved to the industry space working in Business and Corporate Development of Evotec AG closing several service deals and strategic alliances with Pharma and Biotech companies. Before leading mei:do concepts GmbH, a health company , for two years she was CEO of Norgenta North German Life Science Agency GmbH, the cluster agency for Life Science of the states Free and Hanseatic town of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein . And before Norgenta she was leading MediGate GmbH, a Tec-transfer subsidiary of the University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg.
Martis is a developmental neuroscientist with a strong background in neuronal development and regeneration. He earned his Bachelor of Science from San Diego State University and began his industry career at Illumina as a research associate in the high-throughput genomics services laboratory. Martis then earned his PhD from the University of California San Diego, studying transcriptional networks that control adult neurogenesis and brain patterning using flatworms as the model organism. Prior to joining EpiCypher in 2015, Dr. Cowles was a Ruth L. Kirschstein postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Eva Anton’s laboratory at UNC Chapel Hill where he studied developmental signaling pathways that underlie cortical stem cell function in the developing mouse brain.