Venture Investment & Partnering (VIP) Forums bring investors and strategic partners to Seattle for a showcase of the most promising life science companies and research opportunities in Washington.
VIP Forums are the Pacific Northwest’s most exclusive partnering and networking event that connects the brightest minds in life sciences. From cutting-edge startups to world-renowned researchers, meet the people and technologies shaping the future of health.
Why Invest In Washington?
Washington has a robust life sciences ecosystem, including world-renowned research institutions. Investment in Washington’s life sciences sector continues to grow:
- Ranked a top 10 life sciences cluster in the US
- Life science acquisition capital of the world 2023-2025: 7 deals totaling $60B
- Leading research institution: University of Washington, Fred Hutch, Allen Institute, Benaroya Research Institute, Allen Institute
- Home to three Nobel Prize recipients in just two years – Dr. David Baker of the Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington (2024, Chemistry); Nary Brunkow of the Institute for Systems Biology; and Fred Ramsdell of Sonoma Biotherapeutics (2025, Physiology or Medicine)
- Consistently a top hub for NIH funding: 2025 – $1.26B, 2024 – $1.2B, 2023 – $1.2B, 2022 – $1.4B
- Expertise in cell & gene therapy, oncology, anti-body drug conjugates, ultrasound, global health, and more
- Washington’s major differentiators: Global health leadership, quality of life, pioneering spirit, fast-growing region, and home to 50% of all Al engineers.
Sponsorship & Deliverables – $8k
VIP partners receive:
- Two-day, fully coordinated visit to Seattle.
- Tailored 1:1 meetings with top startups, researchers, and investors aligned with your priorities.
- 2-hour plenary session with networking reception.
- Invite-only private dinner (optional).
Upcoming Events:
Join us for a high-impact Venture Investor & Partnering (VIP) Forum with Daiichi Sankyo, a global pharmaceutical leader with roots in Japan and operations spanning more than 30 countries. With over 120 years of scientific expertise, Daiichi Sankyo combines a rich legacy of innovation with a robust pipeline of promising new medicines. The company is committed to improving patient outcomes through both innovative and generic medicines, as well as cutting-edge approaches to drug discovery and delivery. This mission is powered by the knowledge, dedication, and creativity of its 19,000+ employees worldwide.
The Daiichi Sankyo VIP Forum is a unique two-part event designed for Washington state life science companies and researchers to learn, connect, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Participants will gain insight into Daiichi Sankyo’s areas of focus, investment approach, and partnering priorities, while engaging directly with a global industry leader.
October 27 – Educational Program & Networking
All companies and researchers are invited to join this first session, which features a concise, high-impact program followed by a networking reception with refreshments. Participants will have the chance to hear directly from Daiichi Sankyo, ask questions, and meet peers in the local life sciences community.
Agenda:
October 28 – Curated 1:1 Meetings
The second day offers an exclusive opportunity for selected researchers and founders whose work aligns with Daiichi Sankyo’s strategic goals to participate in individual meetings with the company. For more information, view the VIP Forum flyer here.
Application is closed – Notifications sent 9/14
This VIP Forum is your gateway to building relationships with one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical innovators. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and position your organization for future collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo.
Cost: Free for LSW Members
This event is exclusively for Life Science Washington members from life science companies and research institutions only and is not for service providers. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact Elizabeth Cross Nichol, Program & Grants Manager, at elizabeth@lifesciencewa.org.
Presenters:
Takahiro “Taka” Nagayama, Ph.D. is heading Research Institute San Diego in Daiichi Sankyo. He joined Daiichi Sankyo in 2000, then seasoned as a research leader at Daiichi Sankyo with a career spanning via studying abroad in Johns Hopkins, he progressed to Senior Director roles in Cardiovascular Metabolics in 2013 and Cell Therapy in 2016, transitioned to Business Development as Senior Director in 2021. After baking to Research function, he engaged the establishment of Research Institute Boston in 2024, and the establishment of Research Institute San Diego in 2025 and now leading the open innovation activities in the West coast.
Wataru Tomisato, Ph.D., is Head of Open Innovation Group at Daiichi Sankyo, leading global scouting and partnerships for research-stage open innovation, with a particular focus on expanding the company’s network across Asia and Oceania. He also leads the Research Institutes Planning Office, coordinating and integrating Daiichi Sankyo’s globally deployed Research Institutes. He assumed his current role in 2024, following three years with the Global Business Development team in New Jersey, where he was instrumental in Search and Evaluation in oncology. With over 20 years at Daiichi Sankyo, he brings deep expertise in drug discovery across oncology, autoimmune diseases, and cell therapy.
Shiv Krishnan joined Daiichi Sankyo in August 2022. He leads the Early-stage Search & Evaluation function within Global Business Development and is a member of the Global Business Development Leadership Team. With its focus on enabling technologies, the Early-stage Search & Evaluation team works closely with Daiichi-Sankyo’s Research, Development and Manufacturing functions.
Prior to joining Daiichi Sankyo, Dr. Krishnan led External Innovation at Lonza BioR&D. In this capacity he led a global team of scouts identifying and evaluating manufacturing technologies for a spectrum of biological modalities from protein-based therapeutics to cell-based therapies, with a particular focus on future disruptive approaches. Dr. Krishnan received his BSc in Zoology from American College, Madurai, India and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Université de Technologie de Compiegne, France.
John Babcook is a co-founder and CEO of Evolved Therapeutics. Over the past 35 years he has developed novel antibody generation and antibody-drug conjugate platforms, leading to the establishment of multiple antibody-based companies in Canada. He co-found ImmGenics in 1998, which was acquired by Abgenix in 2000 and by Amgen in 2006, creating Amgen British Columbia. He founded Kairos Therapeutics, focused on ADCs in 2013 and led the merger acquisition with Zymeworks in 2016. He has participated in more than 100 therapeutic antibody-based programs, including several that have been approved by the FDA. John is the recipient of Life Sciences BC’s “Innovation and Achievement and Lifetime Achievement” Awards.
Jason Fontana is the co-founder and CEO of Wayfinder Biosciences, a biotechnology company developing a new class of orally available RNA-targeting medicines. He holds a PhD in Molecular Engineering from the University of Washington, where he worked on developing tools to modulate transcriptional systems using rationally designed guide RNAs in the laboratories of James Carothers and Jesse Zalatan. Previously, Jason obtained a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology from the University of Trento, where he worked in Sheref Mansy’s lab on engineering communication between artificial and natural cells.
Dr. John Mulligan is the Founder and CEO of Bonum Therapeutics. He is a scientist and executive with 30 years of experience in research management, drug discovery, technology innovation and company formation. He was the Founder and CEO of Good Therapeutics until it was acquired by Roche in 2022. Prior to Good he founded Glycostasis, where he invented a glucose-responsive insulin technology and sold the company to Eli Lilly. As the Director of Genomics at Darwin Molecular he pioneered a genetic approach to target discovery that yielded an osteoporosis drug target. Romosozumab, an antibody to this target, is approved in the US, Europe and Japan for the treatment of osteoporosis.
Past Events:
Johnson & Johnson is advancing transformative innovation across drug discovery, drug development, data science, and digital health to accelerate the delivery of breakthrough therapies. Our approach is grounded in deep biological insight and an appreciation of disease complexity, enabling the development of novel, differentiated medicines. We leverage broad expertise across modalities—including small molecules, multispecific antibodies, antibody–drug conjugates, cell therapies, and emerging platforms—to address unmet medical needs. Johnson & Johnson is also focused on building external partnerships to further advance therapeutic solutions.
The Johnson & Johnson VIP Forum, hosted by Life Science Washington, is a unique, two-part event designed for Washington state life science companies and researchers to learn, connect, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Participants will gain insight into Johnson & Johnson’s areas of focus, investment approach, and partnering priorities, while engaging directly with a global industry leader.
June 2 – Curated One-on-One Meetings These meetings offer an exclusive opportunity for selected researchers and founders whose work aligns with Johnson & Johnson’s strategic goals to participate in individualized discussions with the company. One-on-one meetings are open to applicants approved by Johnson & Johnson and are scheduled by appointment.
For those who applied, you will be notified by May 18, 2026.
For more information, view our VIP Forum flyer here.
June 2 (PM) – Plenary Session & Networking Reception
R&D in the Age of AI: Strategic Priorities and Collaborations Opportunities with J&J
All companies and researchers are invited to join this session, which features a concise, high-impact program followed by a networking reception with refreshments. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear directly from Johnson & Johnson, ask questions, and connect with peers across Washington’s life sciences community.
Agenda:
- 4:00 PM – Registration & Doors Open
- 4:30 PM – Welcome & Introduction
- 5:45 PM – Q&A
- 6:00 PM – Networking Reception
This VIP Forum is your gateway to building relationships with one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical innovators. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insight, expand your network, and position your organization for future collaboration with Johnson & Johnson.
Cost: Free for Life Science Washington members
Presenters:
Eka Kortkhonjia, Ph.D., M.S., is a Senior Director of Transactions at Johnson & Johnson, where she leads strategic partnering efforts aimed at advancing transformative innovation across the company’s priority therapeutic areas. In her role, she is responsible for evaluating external scientific opportunities and structuring strategic transactions that support the company’s long‑term R&D and portfolio objectives.
Sarah Lively is the Executive Director and Global Head of DPDS External Innovation at Johnson & Johnson. DPDS is the modality agnostic molecular invention engine at J&J Innovative medicines and Sarah leads her team in sourcing external innovation to help fuel that engine across all modalities and in close collaboration with J&J’s therapeutic area specialists.
Yeva Shan, Ph.D. is Director of External Innovation in R&D Data, Data Science & AI at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine. She leads efforts to identify and advance emerging AI- and data-driven innovations across biotech, academia, and the broader technology ecosystem. Her work focuses on predictive biology, generative AI–enabled science, and strategic partnerships that translate cutting-edge research into impactful applications for drug discovery and development.
Lesley Stolz is Head West North America, External Scientific Innovation at Johnson & Johnson. In this role, she leads identification, incubation, due diligence, negotiation, execution and on-boarding for high-impact partnerships and collaborations in. Lesley also oversees the region’s partnership portfolio and scientific engagements across West North America. She is also a member of the Immunology therapeutic area leadership team.
Contact Us
If you are interested in partnering with Life Science Washington for a VIP Forum contact Elizabeth Cross Nichol, Program & Grants Manager, at elizabeth@lifesciencewa.org.