NEWS
2026年02月03日
How to Pitch to Investors
This webinar provides pre-company to seed-stage life science startups, as well as researchers preparing for venture creation, with practical perspectives and structural guidance to advance fundraising and investor engagement.
The session will focus on elements commonly found in investor-evaluated pitches, typical pitfalls that early-stage teams often encounter, and strategies for clearly connecting scientific value with market oppo
rtunity and business potential.
By addressing these themes, the webinar presents concrete approaches to bridging the gap between research and business in investor communication.
The webinar will be led by Karina Sotnik, Founder and CEO of WorldUp Start, who brings extensive experience across academic innovation, acceleration programs, startup commercialization, and investment advisory environments.
本ウェビナーでは、設立前〜シード期のライフサイエンス系スタートアップまたは設立前の研究者に向けた、資金調達と投資家
エンゲージメントを前進させるための実践的な考え方と構成要素を解説します。
本セッションでは、「投資家が評価するピッチに共通する要素」、「初期に陥りやすい典型的なピッチの落とし穴」、「科学的価値をどのように市場機会・事業性と結びつけて語るべきか」といった点を中心に、研究とビジネスの間にあるギャップを埋めるための具体的な戦略を提示します。
登壇するのは、アカデミア発イノベーション、アクセラレーション、事業化支援、投資助言の現場を横断してきたKarina Sotnikさん（Founder & CEO, WorldUp Start）です。
Webinar Overview
Date&Time: Thursday, Feb 12 | 8:00–9:00 AM (JST) / Wednesday, Feb 11 | 7:00–8:00 PM (EDT)
Format: Online (Zoom)
Fee: Free
Organization: BioLabs & iCONM in collaboration with BioLabs
Speaker
Karina Sotnik is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, and advisor with over a decade of experience creating entrepreneurial ecosystems through innovation programs with significant economic impact. She has extensive experience in academic innovation, incubation, acceleration and global soft-landing programs for startups, universities, and international organizations. After a decade working in senior positions in Silicon Valley, assisting US tech companies in global expansion, she moved to Philadelphia to start her own first company in 2003. Since then, she has held positions with the University of Pennsylvania and with the University City Science Center. At the former she launched and ran the AppItUP Challenge, a digital accelerator for novel mobile technologies resulting in creation of 19 new companies. At the latter, she oversaw Life Science commercialization program with 22 participating universities and built a cutting-edge MedTech accelerator focused on US market entry. In the course of the past decade, Karina also launched and developed WorldUpstart, a consulting firm applying her passion, unique skills, and deep experience to two missions: helping global companies in Healthcare enter the US market and helping academic institutions in the US and around the world build innovative commercialization programs. Karina served on the board of advisors for multiple companies, mentors startups, and is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Pennsylvania. She is an advisor to Nordic Tech Advocates Accelerator in Denmark and Finland and a mentor to a Founder Institute, Philadelphia and Serbia Chapters. Her other interests include poetry translation and language study. Karina lives in Philadelphia with her husband, two daughters and cats, named Pushkin and Zack.
Moderators
Laura Stevens, BioLabs Hiroshi Atsumi, iCONM with BioLabs
iCONM in collaboration with BioLabsについて
iCONM in collaboration with BioLabsは、羽田空港の対岸に位置する川崎市殿町キングスカイフロントにある「ナノ医療イノベーションセンター（iCONM）」内にある、ライフサイエンス分野のスタートアップを支援するインキュベーション施設です。日本の高い研究技術力に 対して、iCONMの研究支援環境と米国ボストンにあるバイオ領域のグローバルインキュベーター BioLabsの社会実装支援経験の強みをかけ合わせ、スタートアップを支援します。iCONM in collaboration with BioLabsでは、 370種類を超える、微細加工・化学合成・バイオ・動物実験系の共用機器を備えています。【入居者募集中・詳細はこちら】