We track 46 organisations in this sector across 6+ countries.
46 entries.
Azafaros is a clinical-stage biotech company developing oral therapies for rare genetic metabolic disorders, including lysosomal diseases. Its lead development strategy focuses on compounds designed to cross the blood-brain barrier and address severe neurological progression in underserved pediatric conditions.
Europe's leading partnering event for early-stage life-sciences innovation and technology transfer, in its 15th edition at Parc Chanot in Marseille. Built around one-on-one partnering meetings, it is ideal for biotech and medtech founders seeking licensing deals, academic collaborations, and early investors.
One of Europe's largest biotech partnering events, in its 13th edition and run by industry association AseBio, known for its high volume of one-to-one investor and company meetings. Essential for biotech and life-sciences founders raising capital or seeking pharma and research partners.
BSV Ventures (formerly Baltic Sandbox Ventures) is an early-stage VC firm focused on deep tech, life sciences, and dual-use technologies across the Baltic region, with offices in Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland. It was founded in 2018 and offers both an incubation program and direct investment, writing pre-seed cheques up to €125,000 and seed cheques up to €400,000. In 2024 the firm closed a €15 million fund backed by NATO Innovation Fund and the Lithuanian national development institution ILTE. It has made over 27 investments.
Founded in 2015 as the National Innovation Fund (Fondo Nazionale Innovazione) and wholly owned by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, CDP Venture Capital SGR is the largest venture capital operator in Italy and one of the biggest in Europe, deploying capital through a family of direct and fund-of-funds vehicles with a combined target allocation of over €3.3 billion in its 2024–2028 business plan. It operates across the full lifecycle — from seed (Italia Venture I/II) through growth (Large Ventures, target €700 million) and ecosystem development (VenturItaly II FoF, target €700 million) — covering deep tech, life sciences, digital transition, and sustainability. The portfolio spans 246+ companies, with notable names including Everli and Arduino; its fund-of-funds arms back virtually every significant Italian VC manager. As a state-backed anchor LP and direct co-investor, CDP acts as the cornerstone of the national innovation ecosystem.
Emma Johnson is Senior Principal at M Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, one of the world's leading science and technology companies. Based in the Netherlands, M Ventures invests globally in life sciences, healthcare, and biotechnology, and Emma focuses on identifying and supporting early- to mid-stage biotech companies across Europe and beyond. She is an active participant in the European life science VC ecosystem.
Ester Sklarsky is Principal at Sound Bioventures, a Nordic life science venture capital firm specializing in early-stage biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medtech companies in Scandinavia and the broader European region. She is an active investor and participant in the Nordic life science investment community. Sound Bioventures is one of the leading dedicated life science VCs focused on the Nordic ecosystem.
Eyrir Sprotar is the seed and early-stage venture fund managed by Eyrir Invest, a Reykjavik-based international investment company with a 25-year track record. The fund, launched in 2012 and formalized in 2015, backs promising Icelandic ventures targeting international markets, with typical investment sizes around €3 million. Eyrir Invest is best known as a major long-term shareholder in Marel, the global food processing equipment manufacturer.
Forbion is a leading European life sciences venture capital firm headquartered in Naarden, Netherlands, managing approximately €5 billion across multiple fund strategies covering all stages of biopharmaceutical drug development. The firm has a team of over 30 investment professionals and a track record of more than 130 investments across 11 funds, resulting in numerous approved therapies and successful public exits. Its newest funds—Forbion Growth Opportunities III (€1.2 billion) and Forbion Ventures VII (€890 million)—represent its largest capital raise to date.
GenePlanet was founded in 2008 by Marko Bitenc and Nina Šterk and is the leading European provider of preventive genetic tests, including non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), cancer screening, and lifestyle DNA tests. The company cooperates with more than 500 clinics, hospitals, and insurance firms worldwide and markets its products under brands including NutriFit. In July 2023 GenePlanet closed a €20 million Series B round led by BlackPeak Capital, bringing total funding to approximately $34 million. It was ranked among the 1,000 fastest-growing companies in Europe by the Financial Times.
The 26th edition of One Nucleus's flagship London life-science networking conference, themed around maximising returns from life-science innovation. For a biotech or life-science founder it is a focused day of partnering and investor networking within the UK life-sciences cluster.
Gunilla Osswald is CEO of BioArctic AB, a Swedish biotechnology company focused on neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. BioArctic co-developed lecanemab, marketed as Leqembi, a groundbreaking amyloid-targeting antibody therapy approved for early Alzheimer's disease in partnership with Eisai. She is one of the most prominent biotech executives in the Nordic region, leading a company that achieved a major therapeutic milestone.
HealthCap is one of Europe's largest dedicated life science venture capital firms, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 1997, the firm invests in biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies across the Nordic region and internationally. HealthCap has backed numerous successful life science companies over more than two decades and manages multiple funds with a strong track record in European biotech.
Hemab is a clinical-stage biotech company developing prophylactic therapies for severe bleeding and thrombotic disorders. Founded by biotech operators with Novo Nordisk roots, the company engineers antibody-based treatments aimed at preventing episodes before they occur in underserved rare-disease populations.
High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF) is Germany’s public-private seed investor. In 2022 it launched HTGF IV with about EUR 493m, backed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, KfW Capital, and 45 corporate LPs including BASF, Bayer, Bosch, and SAP. HTGF focuses on high-tech, industrial tech, chemistry, and life sciences and is a cornerstone early-stage fund in Germany.
Industrifonden is one of the Nordics' longest-established venture capital firms, an evergreen fund based in Stockholm that invests in early-stage Nordic technology and life-science companies. Founded in 1979, it takes a long-term, evergreen approach, recycling returns into new investments and backing deep-tech, industrial and health startups.
Founded in 2007, Innogest Capital is a Turin and Milan-based early-stage VC managing over EUR 150M across funds focused on technology and life sciences. The firm invests EUR 0.5-5M at Series A in digital platforms, IoT, healthcare, and industrial tech. Notable portfolio companies include Genenta Science (IPO on Nasdaq), Musement (acquired by TUI), and Pharmacell. Innogest is one of Italy's pioneer independent VC firms with deep networks in the Piedmont and Lombardy tech ecosystems.
IST cube is an early-stage, deep-tech venture capital firm and incubator connected to the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) near Vienna. It invests seed capital in science-based startups, particularly in artificial intelligence, life sciences and other frontier technologies, and supports founders spinning research out of academia into companies.
Jessica Martinsson is Director General and CEO of SwedenBIO, Sweden's national trade association for the life science sector representing biotech, pharmaceutical, and medtech companies. She leads the organization that owns and produces Nordic Life Science Days, the largest partnering event in the Nordic life science industry. She advocates for Swedish life science competitiveness and innovation policy at national and EU levels.
Kevin Dalgaard is Senior Principal at Lundbeckfonden BioCapital, the venture capital investment arm of the Lundbeck Foundation, one of Denmark's largest private foundations dedicated to advancing research in brain and neurological diseases. He evaluates and manages life science investments across the Nordic and global biotech ecosystems. Lundbeckfonden BioCapital is a key and highly respected institutional investor in the Scandinavian life science community.
Kristina Ekberg is Partner at HealthCap, one of Europe's largest dedicated life science venture capital firms, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. She focuses on biotech and pharmaceutical investments in the Nordic region and beyond. HealthCap has been one of the most active life science investors in Scandinavia for more than two decades, managing multiple funds with a strong track record of exits.
Scientist and entrepreneur working at the intersection of AI and drug discovery, focused on using computational methods to rescue and repurpose previously failed drug candidates. She is an announced speaker at the 2026 TEDAI Vienna conference on AI and drug discovery.
Maha Radhakrishnan, MD, is Executive Partner at Sofinnova Investments, one of Europe's leading dedicated life science venture capital firms. A physician-scientist by training, she brings deep expertise in biopharmaceuticals and drug development to evaluating and supporting therapeutic companies across oncology, rare diseases, and CNS disorders. She is a prominent investor and speaker in the European and global biotech ecosystem.
Malta Life Sciences Park (MLSP) is a 13,500 sqm facility in San Gwann providing laboratories, offices, meeting rooms, and shared infrastructure to life sciences, biotechnology, and healthcare IT companies at all stages from startup to established enterprise. Built with EU regional development funds and opened in 2015, it serves as the national focal point for R&D in the life sciences sector and is co-located near the University of Malta and the main government hospital.
Malta Venture Capital (MVC) is a €10 million government-backed equity fund launched in 2024 and managed from offices in Sliema, under the auspices of Malta Government Investments. It co-invests alongside private investors in early-stage, high-growth digital and technology-driven businesses, with each eligible startup able to receive up to €500,000 in equity. Target sectors include video game development, fintech, e-sports, life sciences, agritech, AI, and green energy. Since launch MVC has invested in five companies and assembled a network of 30 accredited co-investors.
Niklas Blomberg is Executive Director of the Innovative Health Initiative (IHI), a major public-private partnership joint undertaking established by the European Union and EFPIA with approximately €2 billion in funding for health research and innovation. He oversees one of Europe's most significant health R&D programmes, bridging academia, industry, regulators, and patient organisations. He is a key figure in European health innovation policy and ecosystem building.
Norway Health Tech is Norway's largest and leading health technology cluster, bringing together more than 350 member organizations including companies, investors, healthcare providers, municipalities, and research institutions. Founded to drive growth in the health industry and accelerate innovation, the organization operates offices in Oslo, Bergen, and Stavanger. It organizes the annual Healthtech Festival series held across Norway and runs major public-private partnership initiatives such as Health2B at Oslo Science Park and the Nordic Health Connect project. The cluster also leads efforts in health technology for defence and emergency preparedness.
NovaUCD is the innovation and startup incubator of University College Dublin (UCD), one of Ireland’s premier research universities. Established in 2003 on UCD’s Belfield campus, NovaUCD provides a supportive environment for knowledge-intensive startups, particularly those arising from university research in life sciences, engineering, and ICT. The center offers modern incubation facilities, including lab space, prototype workshops, and offices set in a historic Georgian building refurbished for innovation. NovaUCD runs a 9-month VentureLaunch accelerator program to help researchers and students validate business ideas, build teams, and refine commercialization strategy. Startups benefit from UCD’s resources – access to faculty experts, graduate talent, and sometimes use of specialized equipment (for biotech, etc.). Over nearly two decades, NovaUCD has supported 450+ companies. Alumni include Evolution (Bio) – a UCD bioinformatics spin-out acquired by Evotec, Logentries (cloud logging, acquired by Rapid7 for $68M), and Equinome (equine genomics, acquired by Plusvital). These successes underscore NovaUCD’s strength in turning academic excellence into enterprise. A hallmark is its focus on knowledge transfer: NovaUCD works closely with UCD’s tech transfer office, so startups often license university patents or software as a basis. The incubator also facilitates seed funding through networks like Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN) and University Bridge Fund (a college-focused VC). The Irish government and Enterprise Ireland are key backers, aligning NovaUCD with national goals to foster high-tech industry. The incubator has expanded physically too – in 2022, it opened “AgTech UCD” on UCD’s Lyons farm for agri-tech startups, reflecting an effort to specialize. NovaUCD contributes hugely to Dublin’s startup scene, connecting academic founders with industry mentors and investors. Each year it hosts the UCD VentureLaunch Competition awarding cash prizes to the most promising spin-outs. Notably, NovaUCD companies have raised over €760M in capital and created thousands of jobs in Ireland. By offering an “on-campus home” for entrepreneurs, NovaUCD helps ensure that Ireland’s top research doesn’t just stay on paper, but translates into impactful businesses – from lifesaving medical devices to groundbreaking software – driving innovation and economic growth.
PFR Ventures is the venture capital arm of the Polish Development Fund (Polski Fundusz Rozwoju), wholly owned by the Polish state, established in 2014 and based in Warsaw. The firm operates as the largest fund-of-funds manager in the Central and Eastern Europe region, managing over PLN 3 billion in assets across 80+ private VC funds that have collectively supported more than 900 startup investments. PFR Ventures co-invests alongside private LPs to leverage EU structural funds and catalyse private capital into the Polish venture ecosystem, backing early-stage through growth-stage funds in sectors including deep tech, SaaS, fintech, and life sciences. Its Innovate Poland programme launched in November 2025 with at least PLN 4 billion earmarked for the next investment cycle.
International healthtech and biotech conference hosted by Łukasiewicz – PORT, focused on cancer research, diagnostics, and therapy. Relevant for healthtech and biotech founders and researchers seeking R&D partners, clinical collaborators, and exposure to the Łukasiewicz innovation network.
ScanBalt (ScanBalt MTÜ) is a network organization founded around 2001 and headquartered in Tartu, Estonia, whose mission is to develop the Baltic Sea Region as a single test site for healthcare products and services across life sciences, health data, and precision medicine. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, ScanBalt serves as co-organizer of the Estonian HealthTech Week and connects innovators, researchers, and policymakers across the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Sofia Tech Park is Bulgaria's first state-owned science and technology park, incorporated in 2012 and officially opened in December 2015. It provides a business incubator supporting 40+ startups, 11 high-tech laboratories across ICT, life sciences, and clean energy, and the John Atanasoff Innovation Forum. The park hosts over 300 events annually and attracted more than 9 million BGN in company investment in 2023. It serves as a knowledge-economy hub for Bulgaria and the wider Balkan region.
Sound Bioventures is a Nordic life science venture capital firm investing in early-stage biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical technology companies in Scandinavia and the Baltic region. The firm focuses on science-driven innovation in therapeutics and diagnostics and is an active sponsor of the Nordic life science community. It served as Investor Dinner Sponsor at Nordic Life Science Days 2026.
Stina Wallmark is Investment Director for Life Sciences at Voima Ventures, a leading Finnish venture capital firm investing in deep technology and life sciences startups. She focuses on early-stage science-based companies in the Nordic and Baltic region. Voima Ventures is recognized as one of Finland's most active investors in transformative science-based innovation across health, biology, and materials.
SwedenBIO is Sweden's national trade and interest organization for the life science industry, representing biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medtech companies. Through its commercial arm SwedenBIO Service AB, it owns and produces Nordic Life Science Days (NLSDays), the largest Nordic partnering event for the life sciences sector. The organization advocates for Swedish life science competitiveness, innovation policy, and industry development at national and international levels.
A high-level partnering and investor conference connecting life-science innovators, investors, and industry across Switzerland, Austria, and the Nordics. For a biotech or healthtech founder it provides structured 1-to-1 partnering meetings with investors and pharma in a focused single-day format.
The startup event of the Nordics: the 14th edition of TechBBQ moves to Bella Center Copenhagen on 26-27 August 2026, gathering 10,000+ founders, investors and builders from 50+ countries across two days. Programming spans AI, life sciences and deep tech, a startup pitch competition and AI-powered matchmaking. Backed by the Danish Industry Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Realdania.
Technology Park Ljubljana (TP LJ) was established in 1995 and is one of the largest innovation ecosystems for the commercialisation of technology in South East Europe. It spans two locations with over 75,000 m² of workspace and hosts more than 300 companies and 1,500 employees, including notable Slovenian tech companies such as Cosylab and XLAB. The park provides incubation, mentoring, acceleration through its BALI programme, and networking for early-stage and growth-stage tech ventures. It is regarded as the foundational pillar of Slovenia's startup support infrastructure.
Uppsala Innovation Centre (UIC) is a leading Swedish incubator and accelerator, consistently ranked among Europe’s top public incubators. Founded in 1999 and located in Uppsala – a city known for its major university and pharma industry cluster – UIC supports startups from idea to growth, with a strong focus on life sciences, medtech, energy, and IT. It is a public-private partnership, co-owned by Uppsala municipality, Uppsala University, SLU (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences), and local industry. UIC offers a suite of programs: a pre-incubation phase for concept validation, a core incubation phase (up to 2 years) for business development and raising seed capital, and a accelerator phase for scaling up and internationalization. Uniquely, UIC doesn’t take equity but charges a modest fee – hence it’s seen as a neutral player with the startup’s interest at heart. Startups benefit from individualized coaching by experienced business advisors, free office and lab space, and connections to Uppsala’s rich network of experts (the city hosts big players like GE Healthcare, Pfizer, etc.). Access to lab facilities is a key advantage for biotech startups – UIC arranges subsidized lab rentals through partnerships with SLU and local science parks. Over 20+ years, UIC has nurtured over 1,000 companies. Alumni include OssDsign (innovative cranial implants, now publicly listed) and ScandiNova (pulsed power systems, a world leader in its niche). The incubator’s portfolio has also seen several acquisitions by international firms. UIC is particularly known for helping research-heavy projects with commercialization – many UIC startups are founded by professors or PhDs aiming to solve real-world problems with their inventions. They also run UIC “Business Lab” and “Startup Bootcamps” for very early-stage teams, including student entrepreneurs. UIC’s impact is evident: Uppsala punches above its weight in innovation metrics, and UIC has been recognized by UBI Global as a top-5 global incubator in 2019. By coupling Uppsala’s academic prowess with professional business guidance, Uppsala Innovation Centre continues to turn ideas “from lab to market,” driving regional growth and bringing science-based innovations to society.
Victor Decrion is Managing Partner at Lauxera Capital Partners, a European venture capital firm specializing in cardiovascular disease therapeutics and cardiometabolic drug development. He is a notable life science investor active in the European and Nordic biotech partnering ecosystem. Lauxera Capital is recognized for its focused thesis in cardiovascular innovation, an underserved area in European life science VC.
Decentralized city-wide startup festival across 50+ partner events over nine days with 10,000+ international attendees, 1,500+ startups, and active investor matchmaking. Most sessions free or low-cost; main-stage passes around EUR 200. Tracks span social impact, smart city, life sciences, and creative tech, a key CEE entry point for founders.
Vinnova is Sweden's innovation agency, responsible for fostering sustainable growth through research, development, and innovation. It distributes approximately SEK 3 billion annually in grants and co-funding to businesses, universities, research institutes, and public organizations across Sweden. Vinnova is a key government body enabling innovation in life sciences, digital health, and technology, and served as a Spotlight Panel Host at Nordic Life Science Days 2026.
Voima Ventures was founded in 2019 in Helsinki by Inka Mero, a serial entrepreneur and investor, and specialises exclusively in science-based deep tech spin-outs from universities and research institutions across the Nordics and Baltics. The firm raised its third fund of €90 million in 2023, bringing total assets above €100 million, and invests €200,000–€3 million at the earliest stages in biotech, quantum, AI, energy, climate, and life sciences. Over 70% of its 51 portfolio companies originate directly from academic labs, including Solar Foods. Voima is one of the few female-founded and female-led VC funds in the Nordics.
The World Health Summit is one of the world's leading strategic forums for global health, held annually in Berlin under the patronage of the German government. The event convenes senior leaders from politics, science, the private sector and civil society. For founders it is a high-level networking and policy stage relevant to digital health, medtech and life sciences ventures.
Foundation under Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin that organizes the annual World Health Summit, one of the world's leading strategic forums for global health. Held in Berlin under the patronage of the German government, it convenes leaders from politics, science, the private sector and civil society.
Zoë Johnson heads Gubra Ventures as Head of Ventures at Gubra, a Danish bioscience company focused on metabolic diseases and CNS disorders. Gubra Ventures is the investment and partnering arm of Gubra, providing capital and expertise to early-stage biotech companies aligned with Gubra's scientific areas. She is an active investor and connector in the Nordic and European life science ecosystem.