Tech Council Ventures Signs on as Venture Capital Innovation Lead Partner of SciTech Scity’s Healthcare Innovation Engine
New Jersey’s Liberty Science Center Wins World Economic Forum 2025 Public-Private Collaboration Honor
Tech Council Ventures Signs Memorandum with KOSA, TechUnited:NJ to Support Korean AI Startups’ US Expansion
Tech Council Ventures Proud to Mentor the Next Wave at Endless Frontier Labs
Venture Forward spotlights Tech Council Ventures' Jossy R. Harrington for Hispanic Heritage Month
Governor Murphy Signs Package of Bills to Support Innovative Businesses in New Jersey
Tech Council Ventures featured four companies that are making waves in their industries
Networked Capital at Work: Tech Council Ventures' Impact on Companies and Investors
BioNJ Announces Strategic Collaboration with Tech Council Ventures to Boost Life Sciences Innovation
Pitching for Funding, Princeton Faculty Showcase their Discoveries to Investors
2024 NJFC Trade Relations Conference
Tech Council Ventures LLC Announces Advisory Relationship with Transformative Solutions, LLC
Jim Gunton joins NJEDA Incubator Advisory Board
NJ BIZ Spotlights Tech Council Ventures in "VC providers keep funds flowing in NJ."
VC providers keep funds flowing in NJ
It’s been a tough year for life sciences startups. According to a report issued by Evaluate Ltd., which provides commercial intelligence and predictive analytics for the pharmaceutical industry and their advisors, “While Big Pharma valuations ‘regained their mojo’ toward the end of last year, the outlook remains bleak for smaller scale drug developers.” And an Ernst & Young report released in May warned about a possible pullback in overall venture capital funding, noting that, “While VC investment in Q1 2023 improved by 37% over Q4 2022 – rising to $44.1 billion compared to $32.3 billion for Q4 2022 – recent bank failures and a weaker economic environment have dampened the overall outlook for the remainder of 2023.”
Still, some New Jersey-based venture capital funds are optimistic about opportunities in the early-stage segment.
With some $130 million of assets under management, the fund invests in seed and Series A financings across biotech and other industries throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Holdings include a minority stake in Epibone, a Jersey City-based company that aims to use bone marrow stem cells to help individuals regenerate their cartilage and other skeletal cells, and a seed-stage position in Regenosine, a Princeton-based enterprise that’s developing and commercializing injectable musculoskeletal regenerative therapies for osteoarthritis.
“Before we take a stake in a company, we evaluate whether its value proposition appears to be clinically successful — how will their product make a difference, and does the science work?” Gunton said. “We also consider the management team and their clinical and capital experience: Will the team be able to raise the capital necessary to sustain the company during the years before it starts to generate revenue? It’s always somewhat of a gamble, because there are no guarantees, but we also consider proxies, including the company’s clinical trial successes and failures.”
During his three decades in the VC space, “The fundamentals remain – like a good management team that can assemble a lending syndicate – but some investing aspects are changing,” observed Gunton. “From 2000 to 2010, VC providers typically had eight- to 12-year exit strategies. But from 2013 to 2020 that dropped to a three- to five-year period. Now, though, gestations are taking longer, thanks primarily to reduced valuations and more cash constraints, and shifting drug reimbursement.”
Artificial intelligence is also impacting the VC space. “As an investor, it can be difficult to disentangle drug discovery and clinical trial documentations,” Gunton explained. “So, we can use AI to help dig down into the records, and even read images to uncover patterns. Currently, Tech Council Ventures is using AI to find and assess investment opportunities; and we anticipate increasing our use of AI in the future. We’re also investing in companies that leverage AI, like Xevant. This can open up a new chapter for investors.”
Strong fundamentals
Despite some challenges, the momentum has also not slowed appreciably at New Jersey-based investment firms like Syridex Bio, according to Managing Partner Squire Servance.
“It is a difficult environment to raise money, given the volatility and the tendency of sources to temporarily hold their capital,” observed Servance. He launched the impact-driven, life sciences-focused venture creation and private equity firm – which invests in therapies that address the needs of underserved communities – in November 2022. “But we’re continuing to talk to institutions and raise capital. Plus, we’re getting deal flow from our strong standing industry relationships.”
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) announced that Emily Melton, Managing Partner at Threshold Ventures, will serve as the 2022-2023 Chair of the NVCA Board of Directors.
“This is a critical moment for the United States as we continue building back after two pandemic years,” said NVCA President and CEO Bobby Franklin. “I am very excited to have Emily lead the board during this important time. She knows what it takes for entrepreneurs and investors to build great companies, and she has a true gift in communicating these priorities with policymakers.”
“As Board Chair, I will push for laws, regulations, and policies that support investors and entrepreneurs tackling our most pressing societal challenges,” said Melton. “From immigration reform to the climate crisis, the U.S. must remain the most attractive place in the world to build new companies. This will undoubtedly create more American jobs along with services and products that will benefit all of society.”
Melton is preceded by Michael Brown, General Partner at Battery Ventures. Brown successfully led NVCA and its members during the pandemic and set up the VC community to help lead the recovery.
“Michael’s strong leadership and creative thinking guided us through a new administration and shifting legislative agendas,” said Franklin. “His commitment to the values that define NVCA helped advance pro-startup policies that diversified and expanded the greater venture capital ecosystem at a time when we witnessed unprecedented investments in tomorrow’s economy.”
NVCA also announced the appointment of seven new directors to its board who will serve four-year terms from 2022-2026:
- Gavin Christensen, Managing Partner, Kickstart Fund
- Beezer Clarkson, Partner, Sapphire Ventures
- Kirsten Green, Partner, Forerunner Ventures
- Nnamdi Okike, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, 645 Ventures
- Deena Shakir, Partner, Lux Capital
- Steve Socolof, Managing Partner, Tech Council Ventures
- Adam Valkin, Managing Director, General Catalyst
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The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) empowers the next generation of American companies that will fuel the economy of tomorrow. As the voice of the U.S. venture capital and startup community, NVCA advocates for public policy that supports the American entrepreneurial ecosystem. Serving the venture community as the preeminent trade association, NVCA arms the venture community for success, serving as the leading resource for venture capital data, practical education, peer-led initiatives, and networking. For more information about the NVCA, please visit www.nvca.org.
Portfolio company CareAlign featured in Penn Medicine Press Release
Study: Care Orchestration System Developed at Penn Medicine Widely Adopted, Easy to Use
To learn more about CareAlign, visit their website at: https://carealign.ai
EpiBone CEO Nina Tandon in Netflix Series "Human: the World Within - React" Episode
Portfolio company EpiBone CEO and co-founder Dr. Nina Marie Tandon is featured in Netflix DocuSeries “Human: the World Within“. Watch the first episode, “React” on Netflix.
“React” – Through the eyes of a boxer, a first responder and a man with a bionic hand, see how the brain and its vast nervous system turn information into action.
Nina Marie Tandon is an American biomedical engineer. She is the CEO and co-founder of EpiBone, a Tech Council Ventures portfolio company.
Dr. Tandon bridges the realms of business and science, with 10 years of experience in tissue engineering and more than eight in bioreactor design. She completed two advanced degrees at Columbia University: a Ph.D. and postdoc in stem cells and tissue engineering and an Executive MBA in healthcare entrepreneurship. Named one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company, she is also a TED Senior Fellow and MIT & McKinsey alum. Nina enjoys yoga, rock climbing, surfing, and growing a strong business while growing strong bone. Her TED Talk on personalized medicine has been viewed more than a million times.
Learn more about EpiBone at: https://www.epibone.com.
Bristol Myers Squibb & Tech Council Ventures 2021 HLTH Reception
Bristol Myers Squibb and Tech Council Ventures hosted a rooftop reception in Boston after attending HLTH 2021.
A beautiful evening of networking with payers, providers, employers, investors, startups, life sciences, policymakers and innovation leaders gathered and discussed promising opportunities to create health’s future.
A beautiful evening of networking with payers, providers, employers, investors, startups, life sciences, policymakers and innovation leaders gathered and discussed promising opportunities to create health’s future.
Tech Council Ventures at Propelify Innovation Festival 2021
Tech Council Ventures is proud to sponsor the 2021 Propelify Innovation Festival! Propelify 2021 – Maxwell Park Place in Hoboken, NJ (12th St & Sinatra Dr. N) October 6th from 9am-8pm
Founders, Investors, Technologists, Industry Influencers, C-Suite of Tech related Fortune 500, Enterprise Professionals, CEOs, CTOs, CIOs, VCs, Angels, Brands, Marketers, Agencies, Community Development Managers, Developers, Designers, Sales Professionals, Business Developers united for a day of networking, inspiration, innovation & entrepreneurship.
Congratulations to startups BabySafe and GeoGreens! $50K BetterWellness Challenge Winners! The BetterWellness program was brought to you by RWJBarnabas Health and TechUnited. The BetterWellness Challenge addresses and improves community wellness and/or clinical cancer treatment.
See you next year! Save the date for Propelify 2022, Oct 6!
TechUnited:BetterPlanet Challenge Semi-Finals
A BetterPlanet Experience in partnership with PSEG
The second annual TechUnited:BetterPlanet Challenge will award one final winner a $50K prize and finalists exposure, press, and mentorship. The Semi-Finals will narrow down the Semi-Finalists to three Finalists who will get to pitch on stage at TechUnited’s largest event of the year: the Propelify Innovation Festival.
This year’s Challenge focuses on the most innovative solution that promotes electrified transportation in an equitable and efficient way, and is a part of the TechUnited & PSEG BetterPlanet program.
Join us virtually, Thursday September 16th at 12PM ET to hear from leaders & innovators focusing on the future of transportation. This virtual webinar is open to all: media, investors, startups, students, and enterprises!
Register and join September 16, 2021 at 12PM ET
https://techunited.co/techunitedbetterplanet-challenge-semi-finals-2/
Speakers and Challenge Judges
