BIO Investor Forum 2026

## TEE Take

**BIO** Investor Forum is where biotech meets institutional capital — and unlike **JPM Healthcare** in January, the ratio of presenting companies to investors is manageable. For tough tech investors who are biotech-curious, this is the best on-ramp: two days, 200 companies, and a one-on-one meeting system that actually works. Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing companies are the bridge between biotech and the hard-tech thesis.

The "tough tech" of biotech lives in biomanufacturing, engineered organisms for industrial applications, and the instruments and tools that make biological R&D faster. These companies share more DNA (figuratively) with robotics and advanced manufacturing than with traditional pharma.

## Insider Tip

Request one-on-one meetings with companies three weeks before the event — the most sought-after companies fill their dance cards early. Focus on the "platform technology" presenters rather than the single-asset clinical-stage companies. Platform companies have more optionality and their technical moats are more evaluable from a tough tech lens. Ask about unit economics on their manufacturing process — it's the quickest way to separate the real from the aspirational.

## What to Expect

Two days of company presentations (15 minutes each), fireside chats with institutional investors, and a one-on-one meeting marketplace. Expect 200+ presenting companies across therapeutics, diagnostics, synthetic biology, and biomanufacturing. The audience is 60% investors (VC, crossover, public market), 40% companies and service providers.

## Who Should Attend

Investors evaluating the biotech-adjacent tough tech opportunity. Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing founders seeking Series B+ capital. Tough tech investors who want to understand how the biotech funding model works — it's the most mature deep tech capital ecosystem and offers useful structural precedents.