11th Life Science Pitch Day at the IZB: Connecting Startups with Capital, Expertise and Industry Networks

Twelve selected start-ups and project teams presented their approaches to addressing diseases with high medical need

Martinsried near Munich, July 06, 2026– The Innovation and Start-up Center for Biotechnology (IZB), together with High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and with the support of Leaps by Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and MEDICE – The Health Family, hosted the 11th Life Science Pitch Day at the IZB. The well-established format once again brought together promising early-stage life science companies with leading investors and decision-makers from the pharmaceutical and venture capital sectors.

Christian Gnam, Managing Director of IZB, opened the event by welcoming the guests and providing insights into current developments at the Martinsried start-up center. Together with the co-organizers Dr. Angelika Vlachou, HTGF, and Sebastian Kreuz, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and Klaus Mueller, MEDICE – The Health Family, he introduced the programme and underlined the importance of connecting young companies with experienced financing and industry partners to help turn promising scientific approaches into viable companies and new solutions for diseases with high unmet medical need. The sessions were moderated by Christian Kannemeier, HTGF.

During the event, twelve selected start-ups and project teams presented their approaches to addressing important challenges in medicine and healthcare. Their pitches provided a concise overview of the technologies, development strategies and business models behind the next generation of life science innovation.

“The Life Science Pitch Day shows how much scientific and entrepreneurial potential there is in the life sciences sector. For start-ups, direct exchange with investors and industry experts is essential, especially in the early stages of company building. At the IZB, we provide a platform where excellent research, entrepreneurial ambition and strong networks come together. I would like to thank HTGF and our long-standing partners for their continued commitment to this successful format,” commented Christian Gnam, Managing Director of IZB.

“The path from scientific discovery to a successful life science company requires more than capital. It also depends on strategic guidance, a clear understanding of medical need and access to experienced partners. The Life Science Pitch Day brings these elements together in a very focused and productive format, giving start-ups the opportunity to test their story with a highly relevant audience and build connections that can support their next steps,” said Sebastian Kreuz, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund.

“The Life Science Pitch Day has developed into a highly relevant platform for early-stage companies that are ready to engage with investors, industry partners and experienced entrepreneurs. This year’s start-ups demonstrated how strong the pipeline of innovative ideas in life sciences continues to be, from novel therapeutic approaches to enabling technologies. Together with IZB and our partners, we are committed to supporting these teams at a stage where the right network can make a decisive difference,” explained Christian Kannemeier, HTGF.

“The Life Science Pitch Day creates valuable early dialogue between young life science companies and experienced partners. MEDICE – The Health Family is pleased to support a format that helps promising teams further develop their ideas with a clear focus on medical need and potential patient benefit,” added Klaus Mueller, MEDICE – The Health Family.

The following project teams presented their innovative research at the 11th Munich Life Science Pitch Day:

1. Allothera, Klaas Yperman: Working on a new non-opioid approach to treating neuropathic pain by targeting the source of touch-evoked pain without broad central suppression.
2. Alondras Therapeutics, Dr. Hans-Georg Lerchen and Dr. Ulrike Rauh: Advancing long half-life small molecule drug conjugates designed to deliver targeted therapies for aggressive cancers and other diseases.
3. Barriera Therapeutics, Joppe Nieuwenhuis: Focusing on new small-molecule therapies for multiple renal indications, with a lead program in Alport Syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disorder.
4. CheckBrain Therapeutics, Dr. Hans-Christian Krumholz: Pursuing a new therapeutic approach for acute stroke that aims to protect the brain from stroke-related damage.
5. EpiBlok, Prof. Regine Heilbronn: Bringing forward a gene therapy approach for patients with drug-refractory focal epilepsy.
6. EpiCure, Dr. Matthias Heiß: Creating next-generation epigenetic cancer therapies for high-risk AML and MDS patients with limited treatment options.
7. EpiTher, Dr. Heiko Manninga: Addressing drug-resistant epilepsy with a new CNS drug discovery platform aimed at overcoming treatment resistance.
8. NeutroGen Therapeutics, Dr. Borko Amulic: Offering a potential new transfusion therapy to support patients with severe treatment-induced neutropenia.
9. Nerai Bioscience, Kim Marquart: Scaling CRISPR-based therapies for rare genetic diseases through reusable precision base editing platforms.
10. Phialogics, Dr. Natalia Novac: Engineering next-generation biologics that aim to rebalance the immune system in acute and chronic inflammatory diseases.
11. Refoxy Pharma, Dr. Victor Bustos: Developing therapies for age-related diseases, starting with fibrotic disorders, by targeting mechanisms linked to healthy ageing.
12. Umlaut.Bio, Karsten Fischer: Opening a new therapeutic approach based on tRNA biology to address dysregulated signaling in cancer and autoimmune diseases.