PRESS RELEASE
Boston New Technology and VietChallenge Partner to Launch Boston Life Sciences Showcase
Boston, MA - September 14, 2022
Boston continues its dominance in life sciences research and development. More than 1,000 life sciences companies call the Greater Boston area home, accounting for approximately 3% of all employment in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Boston is also home to world-renowned research institutions and hospitals, among them Harvard University, MIT, Mass General Brigham, McLean Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Beyond this, Boston’s venture community continues to support Boston as a go-to market for emerging growth companies in the life sciences.
Boston New Technology and VietChallenge, two Boston-based non-profit accelerators and networking organizations, with the support of a team of world-class sponsors such as global law firm Morrison & Foerster, have partnered to launch Boston Life Sciences Showcase (BLSS). BLSS will provide an environment to foster networking activities among key stakeholders in the Boston-based life sciences ecosystem while promoting diversity and inclusion in the Boston life sciences community.
BLSS will host quarterly business showcasing and networking events for Boston life sciences companies, and investors in the life sciences space. These two hour events will be comprised of a “Company Showcase” that will highlight four life sciences startups at various stages of development – from early stage, to companies that have secured initial rounds of financing, to companies looking for exit opportunities. A panel of industry experts, such as venture capital and private equity investors, biotech and pharma executives, bankers, and lawyers, will provide feedback and suggestions to each company as part of the Company Showcase.
Boston Life Sciences Showcase is sponsored by Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage. “We are delighted to partner with the Boston Life Sciences Showcase to provide a forum for entrepreneurs to connect with the investment community,” said Matthew Karlyn, a Partner in Morrison Foerster’s Boston office and Chair of Morrison Foerster’s Life Sciences Licensing + Transactions Practice. “As a future-focused firm we are always looking for ways to connect the dots – and people – involved in life sciences to help bring groundbreaking ideas to market.”
“Boston New Technology is thrilled about the collaboration with VietChallenge. We believe that with the first-time-ever showcasing format, which is inclusive of companies in different stages of development and key stakeholders in this space, Boston Life Sciences Showcase will soon become an indispensable part of the Boston life sciences community.” Jason Kraus, President of Boston New Technology.
“We view the collaboration with Boston New Technology as an important step for VietChallenge. We will bring to the Boston life sciences community our experience helping entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds in cutting edge technologies find access to international funding. Our experience in startup acceleration, mentorship and funding combined with Boston New Technology’s vast network and local expertise will support the success and impact of the program.” Mai Zymaris, President of VietChallenge.
BLSS’s first quarterly showcase and networking event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, October 13, 2022 at the Boston office of Morrison Foerster. The sign-up link for the event can be found here. For more information, please visit the official website of BLSS at www.bostonlifesciencesshowcase.com or contact us via email at contact@bostonlifesciencesshowcase.com.
About Us
Boston New Technology is a not-for-profit, community-organized technology, startup and business working group with more than 50k+ members across 15 meetup groups in Boston and beyond. With more than 200 life sciences and technology showcase events during the past 10 years, Boston New Technology has become part of the Boston life sciences and technology fabric.
VietChallenge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Boston, USA. Founded in 2015, VietChallenge has attracted over 800+ global startups from 20+ countries to compete in its flagship startup pitching competitions. $300,000+ in cash has been awarded with no strings attached. Since its inception, VietChallenge has helped raise $60M+ for its contestants and connected them with a global network of experts, mentors, and prominent entrepreneurs across all industries.
About our Sponsor
Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster was recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s 2021 and 2022 A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia-Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer
representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.