Welcome to the BIO Mid-America VentureForum
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- The Midwest’s largest annual event showcasing bioscience and medical device product and platform companies from across the country
- A collaboration between eight state life science associations and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
- A place where venture capitalists, start-up bioscience and medical device entrepreneurs, and other industry participants can
- meet and explore funding and investment opportunities and other business partnerships;
- participate in workshops highlighting trends in the financial markets and life science companies;
- network with the bioscience and medical device industry’s most prominent CEOs and venture capitalists.
History
In 2003, BIO and a collection of state associations launched the Mid-America VentureForum in Chicago, IL, to bring together the various bioscience start-ups, investors and other industry participants scattered throughout the Midwest. Attendance was almost 400 – twice the original estimate. This event was further distinguished by support from the Midwest Healthcare Investment Network (MHIN) and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).
In 2004, drawing on the success of the inaugural event, the conference was held in St. Louis, Missouri. BIO reached out to the venture capital community to draw even more attention to the Midwest bioscience market. There was a 25% overall increase in VC attendees. Most significant was the increase in the East and West-Coast VCs. Presenting companies collectively secured over $89 million in funding in the past year.
The 2005 Mid-America VentureForum continued to gain momentum, attracting more venture capitalists from outside the Midwest than ever before. Click here for a list of venture capitalists firms and life science companies that attended last year's event.
2006 Conference
This year’s event, co-hosted by Omeris, is expected to draw in over 500 attendees from all ends of the industry spectrum, from venture capitalists, to research analysts, to many of the most promising entrepreneurs in the industry. Specifically, BIO is anticipating an increased presence of angel investors, as well as medical device companies and venture capitalists from across the U.S. and Canada.
A wide range of attendees will be present, including CEOs of bioscience and medtech companies, angel investors, corporate investors, venture capitalists, university researchers, and investment bankers.
The conference will feature workshops designed to educate attendees on industry trends in the financial markets and challenges faced by bioscience and medtech companies. The conference facilitates networking and relationship building amongst emerging companies in the industry, investors, and other attendees. Investors will have the opportunity to gain a new perspective on competitive companies, first-hand.
Attendees
Attendees include bioscience and medical device CEOs, CFOs, business development teams, angel investors, corporate investors, VCs, and investment bankers.
In addition to bringing together private start-ups from the region and investors from around the country, the conference also attracts a national audience of researchers, academic institutions, and senior executives from leading pharmaceutical, medical technology, and agricultural companies to participate in the various workshops, plenary sessions and keynote speeches.