Record numbers expected to attend Umeå life science events in Stockholm

Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is hosting two events in Stockholm later this week. Both the Meet Umeå Life Science and the Biotech Umeå Investment Day are expected to attract record numbers of participants.

“These events are a great way for us to connect life science companies from the Västerbotten region with national and international experts and investors. And this year a record number of participants have registered for the events, which feels amazing,“ says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator.

UBI helps researchers commercialize their ideas so that they can potentially benefit society as a whole in the form of, for example, new drugs, diagnostics or medical technology. On 29-30th January UBI will host two events in Stockholm in which some 15 life science companies from Västerbotten will get the opportunity to meet investors and industry experts.

“Many of our companies are looking to attract capital investment and may also need to bring in different experts who can act, for example, as board members or external CEOs. Or maybe they’re hoping to find someone who is highly experienced in the industry to bounce ideas off of,” says Jennie Ekbeck.

Meet Umeå Life Science will be held on the evening of Wednesday 29th January, when companies from Västerbotten will get to meet and mingle with around 50 experts from different disciplines.

“This year a record number of experts will be attending. It is incredible that so many are interested in our companies and want to help build the next generation of life science companies with us,” says Jennie Ekbeck.

During the event early stage tech investor Anette Nordvall will share her experiences of investing in startup tech companies.

Biotech Umeå Investment Day will be held throughout Thursday 30th January, when approximately 25 national and international investors will meet companies from Västerbotten. Investors and companies have already decided who they want to conduct partnering meetings with. The goal is that these discussions will lead to future business deals and investments.

“Developing a life science concept is extremely capital intensive, so it is always necessary to invite outside investors. Our investor day has proven to be very important in this regard,” says Jennie Ekbeck.

She believes Biotech Umeå Investment Day is a valuable training exercise for Västerbotten companies, as they get to practice introducing themselves to potential investors and build up their networks.

“Last year companies linked to UBI attracted 57M SEK in capital: an increase of seven million (14%) on the previous year. The fact that companies in the Västerbotten region are attracting more and more capital is very encouraging for the entire industry.”

She continues:

“The reason we stage these events in Stockholm is because the Västerbotten region currently has a lack of experienced life science experts. The biotech industry here is still in its early stages of development and so the necessary expertise is not always available. It is important, therefore, for us to open the door to the rest of Sweden and the world. We also love collaborations of all kinds, because we know it’s when we work together that we can become the very best at what we do!”

For more information, please contact:

Jennie Ekbeck
CEO, Umeå Biotech Incubator
+46 90-15 49 77
jennie.ekbeck@ubi.se