In-person session
Ten venture-backed startups will travel from South Korea to Cambridge to share the latest advances and disruptive applications in the life sciences sector. During the event, each startup will have an opportunity to pitch local Boston area experts and the Venture Cafe community for feedback. Come to learn, share your feedback, and make valuable connections with fellow entrepreneurs from Asia. Each startup will host a demo during the Café for expanded connection time. And if you are not familiar with our community, we will also have Korean culture for you to experience.
Spencer Nam, Managing Partner, Kensington SV Global
Spencer is a Managing Partner at KSV Global. Since opening SV Investment’s US office in early 2017, Spencer has led SV Investment’s US activities and formation of KSV Global. Spencer brings more than 20 years of financial and strategic advisory experiences primarily in the U.S. health care industry. Prior to joining SVUS, Spencer worked as a senior research fellow at the Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation where he researched disruptive innovation models in the health care industry. Prior to his tenure at the Christensen Institute, Spencer spent 10 years as a licensed securities analyst for several Wall Street investment banks where he had research coverage on publicly traded companies in medical devices, diagnostics, and life science tools companies.
Ted Jeong, Managing Partner, Kensington SV Global
Ted joined KSV as a Managing Partner with more than 20 years of experience as a venture capitalist and a financial executive. At Hyundai Venture Investment Corporation, Ted operated two of the first health care venture capital funds in Korea, where he was responsible for more than 51 investments in health technology, ICT and clean technology. Ted realized attractive returns from 31 portfolio companies via IPOs, secondary sales, and acquisitions. More recently, as a CFO of Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, an NYSE-listed biotechnology company, Ted completed equity financings totaling more than $150 million. Ted was also responsible for forming strategic alliances and executing license deals in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Chris Kim, Managing Partner, Novatio Ventures
Chris Kim Ph.D. MBA is an investor and an entrepreneur. He serves as the managing partner of NovatioVentures, an early-stage focused investment firm in life sciences. He also serves as the managing partner of the Korea-Seoul Life Science Fund which he co-founded. Previously, Chris was an operations executive for the BioMarker Development group at Novartis where he also held a corporate development role. Chris is a board member of Bridge Biotherapeutics where he helped Bridge close a €1.1 billion licensing deal for its lung fibrosis drug candidate. He also serves on the board of CytoReason, an AI biotech company. Chris is academically trained in biology and business.
Derek Yoon, Managing Partner, Aju IB Investment
Mr. Yoon is Managing Partner at Aju IB Investment, one of the leading venture capital firms in Korea. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Yoon oversees Aju IB’s international investments with a focus on U.S. based life science companies and early-stage start-ups with novel science. Mr. Yoon also leads multiple cross-border strategic partnerships by leveraging his relationship with top-tier pharmaceutical companies in Korea. Currently, he is involved in multiple overseas venture capital fundraising projects by interacting with Korean governmental institutional funds as well as various private investors in Asia. Additionally, Mr. Yoon is a board member of Trefoil Therapeutics, and a board observer at several private biotechnology companies. Prior to joining Aju IB Investment, he spent more than fifteen years in alternative (VC/PE) investments and healthcare corporate banking where he took numerous responsibilities in portfolio management, deal structuring, and fundraising.
Benjamin Brand, Global Partnering Strategy Consultant, KOTRA
Benjamin Brand has spent nearly a decade of his professional work experience with Korean firms. Prior to joining KOTRA in 2015, he lived in South Korea for three years and was a consultant for a variety of firms, including SK Innovation, and focused on international trade and strategic partnerships. Since joining KOTRA, he has managed their GP program and develops strategic global partnerships between Fortune 500 companies and Korean SME’s for global sourcing and procurement. He is also the Head of Medical GP, which connects US-based pharmaceutical and medtech companies with Korean counterparts and implements R&D partnership programs that provide grant funding from the Korean government. Lastly, he is an adviser to the Korean governments’ various startup initiatives and assists Korean companies in their expansion into the US market.
As a series B funded startup, we are developing optimized RNA sequences and RNA delivery technology that deliver mRNA or microRNA regulators effectively and safely. Delivering multiple mRNAs at once into the cytoplasm can mimic multi-protein complexes that function as epigenetic enzymes. Delivered microRNA regulators can control multiple protein function impaired diseases like neurodegenerative disease. Moreover, unlike DNA-targeting therapeutics like gene therapy, which may insert into chromosome permanently, RNA-based therapeutics can be temporary and this leads to reducing the risk of irreversible cellular DNA changes which may induce tumorigenesis.
Red Submarine has supported the development and commercialization of various types of modules required for function implementation in the IoT market as a manufacturer of sensor-based modules. Dr.Fish is a multi-functions health care assistant device. The functions of each device (especially for healthcare) were designed to be utilized as needed based on optimized module technology. It is possible to make up for the shortcomings of wearable devices and to envision business models linked to home care, nursing and insurance products.
THE.WAVE.TALK is a startup established in 2016 based on an original technology transferred from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). Our new Laser technology can detect micro-substances such as microplastics and invisible bacteria inside liquids quickly and easily. Combined with deep learning, our technology aims to classify and identify certain types of bacteria in hospitals and/or factory settings. Regarding AST (Antibiotic Susceptibility Test), we can get results quickly, thus we can give an infected patient a quick and accurate prescription of antibiotics.
OTOPLANE is an innovator in the healthcare and diagnosis industry, developing a PCT molecular and immunoassay diagnostic platform embedded in a bio application-specific CMOS sensor device. Optane’s core technologies are the integration of CMOS sensors with the fluorescent optical and thermal control systems in order to detect target genes or antigen-antibody reaction.
INTIN, a Philips Healthcare Challenge Runner-up, is a digital healthcare company that develops and manufactures certified self-diagnostic medical devices. The main device, OVIEW-M, is a smart sperm test device that can check the count and activity status of one’s sperm via a smartphone application. More importantly, the device helps save the time and money of visiting a hospital for a sperm checkup. INTIN has attracted over $30 million in investments.
iMediSync Inc. develops software that supports the diagnosis of dementia by analyzing EEG in less than 5 minutes called iSyncBrain. This risk-assessment software can both be provided to the patient in receiving EEG, and also by a doctor when considering diagnosis and treatment. The company has collected healthy subjects’ EEG for 8 years and developed an algorithm using AI technology. In the software, the patient’s EEG is uploaded to a cloud platform and then visualized to brain mapping. Major quantitative EEG indices, such as absolute band power, relative band power, spectra, abnormal peak information, band power ratio, asymmetry, coherence, and source-level networks are provided through iSyncBrain.
MediConnect Health conditions aren’t being identified quickly enough as it’s not possible to have a doctor in every home. MediConnect performs this role. We diagnose health problems before the patient is aware of them, using depth sensor and camera data as inputs to AI algorithms. An all-in-one health service then notifies doctors when urgent issues are detected, helping patients to live longer, happier lives.
Molpaxbio develops AI-based digital pathology. We’re actually doing a gene diagnosis and detecting gene mutations directly in pathological images without chemical experiments.
Providing Software as a service through abdominal CT-based automatic segmentation (ROI (region of interest) extraction) by AI technology. Volume measurement and mass visualization in a very short time and professional-level accuracy. By reading and analyzing existing CT scans with artificial intelligence, doctors, patients, and caregivers can more easily recognize the progress and treatment of diseases. In addition, based on the data produced by the AI platform and confirmation system by specialists, a more accurate CLARIFICATION of drug efficacy can be achieved.
