Initiatives
Innovation Tiger
Asia Bio-Partnering Event: Bridging Startups, Academia, Pharma & Investors
Innovation Tiger 2025 will be held on September 30, 2025, at the Shonan iPark Auditorium.
This program is a partnering event that connects promising drug discovery startups and academia from across Asia—those with outstanding seeds and future potential—with globally active pharmaceutical companies and investors.
Selected researchers and startups , chosen through a competitive application process, will receive approximately two months of mentoring. They will then present their pitches at the Innovation Tiger 2025 event in September.
On the day of the event, more than seven pharmaceutical companies and investors will serve as judges. The top five presenters will receive prize money and be given priority invitations to participate in SHIC 2025 in Boston.
Schedule Leading Up to Innovation Tiger 2025
May 23 – July 18, 2025
Call for Pitch Presenters
Early July 2025
Document Screening
Mid July 2025
Final Selection of Pitch Presenters
Late July – September 2025
Mentoring Program
September 30, 2025
Innovation Tiger 2025 Event
Innovation Tiger 2025 – Event Overview
| Date: | Tuesday, September 30, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (tentative) |
| Venue: | Auditorium, Shonan iPark (2-26-1 Muraoka-Higashi, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan) |
Innovation Tiger 2025 – Call for Presenters
| Application Period: | May 23 – July 18, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Eligibility: | Startups and academic researchers based in Asia |
| Target Seeds: | Please refer to the details provided by each pharmaceutical company and venture capital firm serving as judges at the Innovation Tiger event on September 30 for information on the types of seeds they are seeking. |
| Finalists: | Approximately 10 to 15 teams will be selected (to be announced around mid-July). |
Mentoring for Selected Finalists
Industry experts—including business development professionals from pharmaceutical companies and former pharma executives—will serve as mentors, providing approximately two months of support. This mentoring will help finalists prepare for their presentations at Innovation Tiger 2025 on September 30, including business planning, pitch deck development, and presentation skills.
The mentoring program is also designed with a view toward partnering and pitching to international investors at SHIC 2025, which will be held in Boston in November.