Umeå Biotech Incubator is co-organising international investor meeting

Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) is one of the hosts of the Swedish Life Science Investor Meeting (24-25th November), a digital event that will bring biotech companies and potential international investors together.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused untold problems for businesses, but one advantage it has given life science companies is the opportunity to meet international investors who may not have necessarily visited Sweden otherwise. Thanks to digital technology we can now reach out further than ever before”, says Jennie Ekbeck, CEO of Umeå Biotech Incubator.

For the past eleven years UBI has organised an event at Grand Hôtel, where investors got to meet life science companies from the Västerbotten county in northern Sweden.

The 2021 event has had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, so now UBI is co-organising the Swedish Life Science Investor Meeting at the end of November.

“It is expensive and takes a long time to develop life science business ideas, such as new drugs and medical technology. Companies need capital in order to take their ideas forward so they don’t just remain concepts in a University but can ultimately help improve society. Our life science companies have an important role to play in saving lives and benefiting humanity”, says Jennie Ekbeck.

A total of 120 participants from nine different countries have already registered for the event - 80 life science companies and 40 investors. Ten of the companies are from Västerbotten.

“This is a so-called ‘book and meet’ event without any formal programme. Participants can see who else is participating and then book meetings with companies they want to meet. We hope this will generate lots of new contacts and collaboration opportunities,” says Pia Keyser, who is a business coach at UBI and responsible for coordinating the event on behalf of the incubator.

Jennie Ekbeck believes there are positive consequences for companies willing to embrace digital solutions as a result of the pandemic.

“I’ve experienced that both myself and UBI have had even more opportunity to influence our industry. Now we spend time on what is important rather than spending time traveling. It is quick and easy to create digital meetings within Sweden and internationally, which is extremely important for our industry in the future,” she says, and continues:

“In addition to meetings with investors, it is also important that companies here in Umeå get in touch with other life science companies to exchange experiences and encourage each other to grow. Pay it forward is a model we really like and live by”.

For further information, please contact:

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