【Event Report】1st Shonan Health Innovation Conference (SHIC) Event Report 16 Japanese and Korean Startups and 16 U.S. VC/CVC Companies Participated

Event Report

Dec 18, 2024
iPark Institute Co., Ltd.

1st Shonan Health Innovation Conference (SHIC)
Event Report
16 Japanese and Korean Startups and 16 U.S. VC/CVC Companies Participated

“From Now On, We’re Opening the Black Box of Asian Innovations!”

iPark Institute Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture; President: Toshio Fujimoto; hereinafter known as “iPark Institute”) held the first Shonan Health Innovation Conference (hereinafter known as “SHIC”) on December 4 (Wednesday) in Boston, U.S. Large-scale funding is essential for start-ups to conduct research and development at a rapid pace. SHIC was held to connect startups from Japan and other Asian countries with the venture capital (“VC”) and corporate venture capital (“CVC”) communities in the U.S. Twelve promising startups from Japan and four from Korea, as well as 16 U.S. VC and CVC firms with a strong track record, participated in SHIC.

Conducting Individual Matching Sessions
Promising Startups from Japan and Korea Promote Their Research to Leading U.S. VCs

At each interview booth, nervous startups and serious-looking VCs sat around the table and talked passionately with each other, projecting the startups’ presentation materials on the monitors.
After the matching session, one of the participating startups commented, “VCs in my country tend to talk about business aspects such as IPO timing and business plans, but the US VCs I met with this time had a solid understanding of technology and asked questions that delved into its potential. I was very motivated.”

In the Sessions by Leaders of the U.S. Startups
There are Tips for Building Relationships between Asian Startups and the U.S. Investors

The event also featured keynote speeches by pharmaceutical executives and top entrepreneurs on “Changes in the Startup and Investment Environment in Japan,” roundtable discussions, and pitches by selected Japanese and Korean startups. The event’s highlight was a roundtable discussion featuring Dr. Andrew Plump, President of Takeda R&D, and two prominent leaders from U.S. startups, Dr. Michael Mendelsohn of Cardurion Pharmaceuticals and Dr. Daniel Kemp of Shinobi Therapeutics. Both companies have research groups in “Japan” and conduct clinical and business development in the U.S., thereby trying to “take innovations from Japan and bring them to the world.”
The session proceeded in a relaxed atmosphere from start to finish, with participants nodding
their heads in agreement as both speakers shared their experiences and know-how. The session was very meaningful as it provided hints on how to build relationships between Asian startups and U.S. investors.

Shonan Health Innovation Conference (SHIC) Overview
[Date] Wednesday, December 4, 2024
[Location] Boston, U.S.A.
[Organizer] iPark Institute Co., Ltd.
[Participating companies]

– 12 Japanese bio-venture companies
C4U Corporation
xFOREST Therapeutics Co., Ltd
Rege Nephro Co., Ltd.
Chordia Therapeutics Inc.
Orizuru Therapeutics, Inc.
Toregem BioPharma, Co., Ltd
Red Arrow Therapeutics, Inc.
Periotherapia Co., Ltd.
CiRA T-CiRA Newco
TAGCyx Biotechnologies Inc.
Heartseed Inc
Ciconia Bioventures Inc.

– 4 Korean bio-venture companies
YouthBioGlobal
Re-code
YIPSCELL
CEFOBio

– 16 VC/CVC companies
All Terrain Partners
AN Venture Partners
Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation
Astellas Venture Management
Curie.Bio
Chugai Venture Fund
Eli Lilly and Company
EQT Partners
Fast Track Initiative
Flagship Pioneering
Mass Medical Angels
RA Capital Management
Takeda Ventures
MP Healthcare
Fortunatus Capital
Ono Venture Investment

[Program]
Morning: Individual matching between selected Japanese and Korean startups and US VCs
Afternoon: Keynote speech explaining the investment environment in Asia
Speakers (in order of presentation)
Hirokazu Shimoda, Director, Biochemical Industry Division, Commercial Service Group, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
Hideyuki Takahashi, Deputy Director, JETRO NEW YORKOffice
Andrew Plump, MD, PhD
President, Research & Development, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited.
Michael E. Mendelsohn, MD
Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Cardurion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Daniel Kemp, PhD
Chief Executive Officer, Shinobi Therapeutics Inc.
Evening: Reception

[Sponsor]
KJR Management
Mitsubishi Corporation
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
Incubate Coalition Japan

[Supported by]
JETRO NEW YORK
Consulate-General of Japan in Boston
Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

 

About iPark Institute Co., Ltd.
iPark Institute Co., Ltd. was established in 2023 with Industrial & Infrastructure Fund Investment Corporation (IIF), Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda), and Mitsubishi Corporation as major shareholders. It took over the management of Shonan Health Innovation Park (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture) in 2023, which Takeda has been responsible for since 2018. For more information about our company, please click here.

About Shonan Health Innovation Park (Shonan iPark)
Shonan iPark is Japan’s first pharmaceutical-initiated science park, created by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in April 2018 by opening its own research laboratories to the outside world. Currently operated by iPark Institute Co., Ltd. independent of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the park aims to become a place where industry, government, and academia from a wide range of industries and sizes can come together to accelerate health innovation. Currently, the ecosystem is comprised of not only pharmaceutical companies, but also companies and organizations in nextgeneration medicine, cellular agriculture, AI, and government, with approximately 190 companies and more than 2,500 people (as of December 2024).

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For the latest information on tenants and member companies at Shonan iPark, click here.

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For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact:
iPark Institute Co., Ltd., Communications
Attn: Sugita, Tsukahara
Mail: iPi.PR@shonan-ipark.com