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Capital Gains Series

Insights into Venture Capital Funding for Founders

Program

Your growing enterprise is ready to start raising money. The moment has arrived to dispel the intimidation and enigma surrounding venture capital funding, but the question remains: where does one begin? How do you avoid headaches? What essential elements are required to position yourself for success?

In this comprehensive and informative four-part series, life science startup founders will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to attract venture capital funding. Our knowledgeable investor speakers will impart their expertise, offering targeted feedback and valuable guidance. This series holds immense value for early-stage life science entrepreneurs, aiding them in navigating the intricate landscape of venture capital to enhance their likelihood of securing funding for bringing their innovations to the market.


Xontogeny is a life sciences VC/accelerator that collaborates with entrepreneurs, scientific founders and first-time CEOs to drive the successful development of their technologies to enable new treatment options for patients with serious disease.

Capital Gains is made possible thanks to the generous support of BioLabs, enabling awesome one bench at a time.


MEETING SCHEDULE:

October 26, November 8, 16, 29.








Overview

What to Expect

Virtual meetings every two weeks will provide practical insights and guidance on the following topics:

  • Building a strong foundation to attract investment
    • Leveraging the data you have and how it’s compelling to investors
    • Corporate structure from the ground up—tips and guidance
    • High-level patent strategy and license of IP—the right time to approach a law firm
  • Creating a compelling pitch and presentation
    • Crafting a captivating narrative with essential components
    • Introducing milestone-based value creation and pitch adaptation
    • Macromarket considerations for building out milestones
  • The Right Fit: How to identify and approach the right investors for your company
    • Investment sizes and macromarket considerations
    • Pros and cons of check size and how to choose the right type of investors
    • SAB/CAB/board of directors/management and optimal structuring
  • Negotiating right-sized deals and building strong investor relationships
    • Introduction to negotiating deal terms and valuation
    • Aligning expectations on partnership and active participation
    • Managing to success—the ins and outs of program development
    • Exit strategies tips and tricks

 



Speakers

  • Chris Garabedian, CEO & Founder, Xontogeny,

    Chris Garabedian, CEO, Xontogeny

    Chris Garabedian founded Xontogeny in June of 2016 to support multiple promising technologies from early development through clinical proof of concept. In 2017, Chris joined Perceptive Advisors to develop their Venture Fund strategy and launched the Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund in 2018 to support early-stage companies seeded and incubated at Xontogeny and other ventures. Chris served as the President and CEO of Sarepta Therapeutics from 2011 to 2015, overseeing the turnaround of a company that is now a commercial-stage leader in the genetic technology space after leading the development of the company’s Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy program.

  • Heather Petty

    Heather Antioquia, Director, Program Development, Xontogeny

    Heather currently serves as Director of Program Development where she collaborates cross-functionally to construct strategic initiatives and priorities across the portfolio. These activities span design and optimization of early preclinical through clinical development, identifying and building upon existing KOL and vendor relationships, and maintaining competitive landscapes. Heather has been with Xontogeny since it was founded in 2016, starting as an Associate with the investment team to support the build out of the company’s due diligence process before moving to portfolio-related activities in 2021.

  • Fred Callori

    Fred Callori, EVP, Corporate Development, Xontogeny

    Fred Callori serves as EVP, Corporate Development and started at Xontogeny in September 2017 as SVP, Corporate Development. Fred’s responsibilities include due diligence, deal structuring and negotiation, company formation, and the operational oversight and management of Xontogeny’s seed investments. He provides corporate governance, transactional and strategic advice to Xontogeny’s portfolio of companies and serves on several portfolio company boards.  In 2018, Fred joined the Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund to help manage and oversee fund investments in portfolio companies, including continued investments in companies seeded and incubated at Xontogeny.

  • Gianna Hoffman

    Gianna Hoffman-Luca, PhD, Principal, Xontogeny

    Gianna joined Xontogeny in 2019 and focuses on private biotech company investments. Gianna also joined Perceptive in 2023 to help support the firm’s venture fund strategy, including continued investments in companies seeded and incubated at Xontogeny. Previously, Gianna built the competitive intelligence capabilities for gene therapy company Solid Biosciences and began her industry career as a patent agent with Choate, Hall & Stewart, LLP., servicing pharma and academic clients. Gianna earned her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan Medical School and completed her M.S. and B.S. degrees at the University of California, Santa Cruz in Chemistry.

  • Katherine Ruf

    Katherine Ruf, VP Legal, Xontogeny

    Katherine joined Xontogeny in 2022 as VP, Legal. As a member of the Xontogeny team, she also provides legal support to Xontogeny and Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund portfolio companies. Katherine joined Xontogeny from Charlesbank Capital Partners, where she was responsible for legal matters related to investment activity, fundraising, and portfolio company support. She began her career as an associate in the private equity group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Katherine received a B.A. from Georgetown University, and a J.D. from University of Michigan.

The details

10/26/23: Meeting #1 – Building a Strong Foundation to Attract Investment

Many scientists acknowledge the potential of a technology, but they often reach a juncture where they are uncertain about effectively utilizing the generated data to expedite development and attract investment. Participants will gain access to resources and acquire skills to lay a strong foundation for advancing their innovative technologies.

Agenda

  • Leveraging Existing Data and How to Make it Compelling
  • Corporate Structure From the Ground Up
  • Overview of Patent Strategy and Licensing of IP

 


11/8/23: Meeting #2 – Creating a Compelling Pitch and Presentation

An impactful pitch and presentation are vital to secure funding, forge partnerships, and foster collaborations within the life science industry. In this interactive session, seasoned VC’s from Xontogeny will demonstrate how to effectively communicate a company’s value, market potential, and competitive advantage. Gain priceless insights on crafting impactful pitches that deeply resonate with investors, increasing your chances of securing a follow-up meeting.

Agenda

  • Weaving a Potent Narrative
  • Milestone-based Value Creation and Pitch Adaptation
  • Macromarket Consideration

 


11/16/23: Meeting #3 – The Right Fit: How to identify and approach the right investors

It’s crucial to approach fundraising strategically and carefully consider funding sources in the context of milestones for your program. What type of funding and how much is best for your program? Who should you seek funding from venture capitalists, angel investors, private equity firms, or others? When is the right time to raise these funds? Learn how in this session.

Agenda

  • Investment sizes and macromarket considerations
  • Optimizing funding allocation and choosing the ideal investor
  • SAB/CAB/board of directors/management and optimal structuring

 


11/29/23: Meeting #4 – Negotiating right-sized deals and building strong investor relationships

Negotiating deal terms and valuation is an important part of raising capital for life science startups. Learn how to evaluate different types of funding and partnership opportunities, understand key deal terms, and negotiate valuation. Furthermore, acquire insights into cultivating and sustaining robust investor relationships, effectively managing expectations, and practicing clear communication while steering your program towards success.

Agenda

  • Negotiating Deal Terms and Valuation
  • Aligning Expectations on Partnership & Active Participation
  • Program Development and Managing to Success
  • Defining Success Through Exit Strategies
  • Practice and Feedback

 

Partners