On Thursday 14th of May, Dr Nat Hastings, CEO of Cellestial Health contributed to a panel discussion at the annual Bio Integrates conference by Life Sciences Integrates. The key theme of the event focussed on building bridges between key stakeholders in the biotech industry – innovators, investors, and patient groups.
The “Built to Compete” panel session asked a pertinent question: What does it take for a company to stand out in a competitive and challenging environment to attract the right investment and partnership opportunities?
Several key themes emphasised by Dr Hastings emerged:
✦ Scientific innovation is not enough – the team needs to demonstrate the commercialisation roadmap, complementary technical and soft skills, and understanding of the real world constraints
✦ Take selective risks – if the target is new, de-risk the modality, and vice versa. No need for differentiation for the sake of differentiation
✦ Look for varied sources of funding – certain charities offer not only grants but also strategic access to patient groups and samples
✦ And, importantly, do not chase investment trends if they do not make sense for the core company’s business model – trends will pass, and good companies will survive
Thank-you to Isabel Teare of Mills & Reeve for facilitating the discussion.
Read the full Industry Intelligence Report with expert insights here: https://lifescienceintegrates.com/bio-integrates-2026-industry-intelligence-report/