Editor’s note: Joan Siefert Rose is CEO of LaunchBio.

DURHAM – LaunchBio, a nonprofit organization that identifies, counsels, and supports high-growth, high-impact life science and biotechnology companies, will host a forum with investment professionals representing eight national nonprofit disease foundations to discuss their investment philosophies, explain their fund and deal structures, and describe how they are using deep scientific knowledge to validate early stage technologies and syndicate with other investors.

The program, called Invest in Cures, is scheduled for Thursday, November 1 from 4-7 p.m. at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, one of the presenting partners for the forum. North Carolina Biosciences Organization (NCBIO), BioLabs North Carolina, and the Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED) also are joining LaunchBio as presenting partners for this event.

Nonprofit foundations increasingly are making investments in life science companies to accelerate the pace of commercialization of technologies that may provide new therapies and cures for patients. No longer solely focused on making grants to researchers, disease foundations are creating a range of investment vehicles to achieve their missions.

“We are interested in new sources of capital for early stage life science companies, and see non-traditional investors, such as these foundations, as an important addition to the network,” says Joan Siefert Rose, CEO of LaunchBio. “As disease foundations start venture arms and add investment professionals to their teams, the organizations hosting this forum want to make sure they are meeting other investors and learning about promising companies in North Carolina. Our expectation is that they will find good opportunities here, and return frequently,” she says.

The confirmed speakers for the forum are:

  • Mark Allegretta, PhD
    VP, Commercial Research
    National Multiple Sclerosis Society
  • Jonathan Behr, PhD
    Managing Director
    T1D Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
  • Bob Crutchfield
    Managing Director
    BrightEdge Ventures Fund, American Cancer Society
  • Gerard Honig, PhD
    Manager, Translational Research
    IBD Ventures, Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation
  • Debra Miller
    President & CEO
    CureDuchenne Ventures
  • Chris Penland, PhD
    Vice President, Biopharma Programs
    Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Barbara Tate, PhD
    Venture Partner
    Dementia Discovery Fund
  • Ben Yerxa, PhD
    CEO
    Retinal Degeneration Fund, Foundation Fighting Blindness

The Invest in Cures forum is part of LaunchBio’s monthly gathering for the biotech community, Larger Than Life Science. Information and registration are available at https://www.launchbio.org/event/invest-in-cures.