Logo for LaunchBio Program: Larger than Life ScienceLogo for LaunchBio Program: Larger than Life Science

Building a strong network for life science innovators

RTP Advantage
  • October 9, 2025
  • 4 - 7pm ET
Elevate Discovery, 5151 McCrimmon Pkwy Suite 250 Morrisville, NC

The RTP Advantage

Resources and regional capital shaping the future of biotech innovation

Program

Program

RTP is buzzing with resources for biotech startups—but knowing what’s out there and when to tap into it can make all the difference. On October 9th, Jaap Schut of CEO 4E Innovation Consulting will walk through a practical ecosystem map to help founders connect with the right advisors and funding at the right time. Plus, a fireside chat with Cape Fear BioCapital,  Ten63 Therapeutics and Inceptor Bio will spotlight a new NC-focused venture model that’s backing local life science companies and speeding their journey from concept to commercialization.

Agenda

4:00 – 4:30 pm: Registration & Welcome Reception
Check‑in, name badges, networking.


4:30 – 5:00 pm: Mapping the Biotech Ecosystem: Navigating Resources in RTP and Beyond
Jaap Schut, PhD, CEO of 4E Innovation Consulting


5:00 – 6:00 pm: Fireside Chat – Fueling Regional Growth with Cape Fear BioCapital

  • Dave Ousterout, PhD, Founder and General Partner of Cape Fear BioCapital
  • Marcel Frankel, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Ten63 Therapeutics
  • Abe Maingi, Chief Business Officer of Inceptor Bio


6:00 – 7:00 pm: Networking Reception & Taste of Innovation showcase

Session 1

Mapping the Biotech Ecosystem: Navigating Resources in RTP and Beyond

The Research Triangle Park is packed with resources for biotech startups, but do you know what’s available, and more importantly, when to use them? In this session, we’ll outline a practical ecosystem map that reveals how to navigate RTP’s innovation landscape. From funding resources to expert advisors, you’ll leave with new resources that will help accelerate your startup.

Speaker

  • Jaap Schut, PhD, CEO 4E Innovation Consulting

    Jaap Schut, PhD, CEO 4E Innovation Consulting

    Dr. Jaap Schut is the CEO and Founder of 4E Innovation Consulting, specializing in material science and innovation strategy. With over 23 years of experience spanning global consulting, corporate innovation, new product development, materials research, and higher education, he works with startups, growth-stage ventures, and established companies to accelerate innovation and market success. He is actively engaged in innovation ecosystems across North Carolina, the East Coast, and internationally, where he shares his expertise to support founders and entrepreneurs in navigating resources and bringing impactful technologies to market.

session 2

Fueling Regional Growth: A Fireside Chat with Cape Fear BioCapital

A new source of capital has arrived in the Research Triangle Park, and it’s solely focused on local life science startups. Cape Fear BioCapital is a venture capital firm focused on making seed-stage investments in life sciences therapeutic companies based in NC. In this fireside chat, we’ll hear from the fund partner, Dave Ousterout, Cape Fear portfolio company Ten63 Therapeutics ,and local company Inceptor Bio about how this hyper-local model strengthens our innovation ecosystem, what they look for in founders, and how their approach is helping startups accelerate from concept to commercialization.

Speakers

  • Dave Ousterout

    Dave Ousterout, PhD, Founder and General Partner of Cape Fear BioCapital

    Dave is a founder and General Partner of Cape Fear BioCapital, a seed VC focused on investing in and building therapeutics startups in North Carolina. He has 15+ years experience as a founder, scientist, and executive creating and advising life sciences companies in the Research Triangle area, and is a co-founder and former CSO of Locus Bio, a venture-backed biotech spun out of NCSU & Duke with over $150m raised.

  • Marcel Frenkel

    Marcel Frenkel, PhD, CEO and Co-founder of Ten63 Therapeutics

    Marcel Frenkel, PhD, is the co-founder and CEO of Ten63 Therapeutics, Inspired by the loss of his mother to pancreatic cancer, Marcel set out to change the future of cancer treatment by bringing together top scientists and engineers at Ten63. He earned his PhD in biochemistry from Duke University, contributing to innovative computational drug and protein approaches for targeting undruggable cancer proteins like KRas, and collaborated with the NIH on the design of novel antibodies targeting HIV.

  • Abe Maingi

    Abe Maingi, Chief Business Officer of Inceptor Bio

    Abe Maingi is Chief Business Officer at Inceptor Bio. Prior to his current role, he spent seven years at Kineticos Life Sciences, an award-winning life sciences advisory firm, serving in roles of increasing responsibility. He is a partner in the Kineticos Disruptor Fund and serves as a board observer for Promaxo, a medical technology company that develops and commercializes customer-centric MRI systems and MRI-based technologies. He serves as Adjunct Faculty at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Abe received his BA in Business Administration from Campbell University.

Partners

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