A consolidated initiative for the ecosystem

In October 2017, Biocat co-organized the third edition of Health & Bio Team Dating, the only business speed-dating event in the sector, promoted by BStartup of Banc Sabadell with the collaboration of Biocat, CataloniaBio & HealthTech. The initiative aims to put scientific projects in contact with entrepreneurs, mentors and business development experts who could help them raise investment and bring their science to the market. More than 160 meetings were organized in the space of four hours.

Since its first edition, Health & Bio Team Dating has hosted more than 500 meetings in which some 180 scientists and management professionals have participated. 85% of participants in the previous editions of Health & Bio Team Dating have found strategic contacts and new business thanks to the initiative, and some teams have established stable collaborations: this is the case of Leukos Biotech and DNA Nutricoach.

2017 case study

Mariano Vázquez, co-founder of Elem Biotech, attended the third edition of Health & Bio Team Dating, in 2017. At that time Vázquez was still developing the business idea emerging from his research at Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC). He had an initial business plan prototype but was looking for a mentor who would bring a business vision to his scientific profile, as well as seed capital. During the 2017 edition of Health & Bio Team Dating he met with Genesis Biomed and caught the attention of its founder, José Luis Falcó, who joined the Elem Biotech project as a mentor and investor.

As a result of this meeting, Genesis Biomed became the first investor in the spin-off, which was formally established in summer 2018 with the entry of new investors. The company plans to hire personnel by the end of 2018, to complete the prototype and to close a series A round of funding before summer 2019.