On the back of the MediWales Connects conference, our CEO Richard Hall made his way to the London Biotechnology Show for the first time — and left with plenty to reflect on.
We weren’t quite sure what to expect from the event, but were pleasantly surprised by the diversity of exhibitors and the energy around innovation — particularly from the early-stage companies making waves in the sector.
Start-Up Showcase: The Star of the Show
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the Start-Up Showcase, opened by Renos Savva, who set the tone for an inspiring session that celebrated the ambition and challenges of founders in biotech.
The showcase included:
Fireside chats exploring “What makes a startup?”, “What it takes to be a founder”, and “Do you have what it takes to be a great founder?”
A stream of Dragon’s Den-style 8-minute pitches from start-ups, complete with quick-fire Q&A from a judging panel in front of a packed room.
It was also encouraging to see Discovery Park highlighting how they’re helping high-growth start-ups scale — offering everything from mentoring and lab space to investment-readiness support.
Insight from Experience: The Entrepreneurial Academic
One of the standout talks came from Professor Stephen Hart, Professor of Molecular Genetics at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health. He shared his personal journey as an entrepreneurial academic — including the lessons learned from scaling, exiting, and launching ventures repeatedly. A valuable insight into the reality of academic-to-industry transitions.
A Day of Reconnection
As with many events this season, the day offered a great opportunity to reconnect with friends across the health tech and biotech landscape:
Richard J Hebdon of LifeArc
Anil Vaidya and Nehal Thakore
John Edwards of Guardtech Group — for the third time in two weeks!
Innovation with Purpose
Amid all the pitching and networking, sustainability remained a key talking point — with many start-ups embedding it as a core part of their value proposition, not just a compliance consideration.
For us at Pd-m, this alignment between innovation and sustainability is always energising to see — and crucial for building biotech solutions that are fit for the future.