News Archives - BioFIT

Driving innovation and entrepreneurship: discover France Digitale

Connecting startups, investors and innovation stakeholders is key to building tomorrow’s technology champions. France Digitale is Europe’s largest startup association, bringing together more than 2,000 startups, incubators, accelerators and investors, including venture capital firms and business angels. Founded in 2012, the association works to strengthen the European innovation ecosystem and amplify the voice of those shaping the future through technology.

Through its network and initiatives, France Digitale helps entrepreneurs, investors and innovators connect, collaborate and grow. The association also plays an active role in representing the interests of the startup ecosystem and facilitating dialogue with public decision-makers.

Recently, France Digitale and EY released the 2026 French Innovation Ecosystem Barometer. After several challenging half-year periods, the latest indicators show a renewed momentum for the French startup ecosystem, with nearly 18,000 startups, 530,000 direct jobs and €4.58 billion raised during the first half of 2026.

“In practical terms, France Digitale connects us to a network of excellence that broadens our knowledge and builds our network through events, direct links with key players and privileged access to public decision-makers. Behind this well-oiled machine is a team that combines professionalism, responsiveness and a constant focus on our objectives. In short, it is a partnership that delivers real added value.”

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille ans start your next partnership.

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BioFIT 2026 Pitch Sessions: What do this year’s applications reveal about early-stage innovation?

News / Valentine Delabie

From emerging biotech ventures to academic research projects, applications received for the BioFIT 2026 Start-up Slams and Research & Licensing Partnerships reflect the international reach of the event, its early-stage focus and the diversity of innovations represented.

With 52 applications received across the Start-up Slams and Research & Licensing Partnerships, BioFIT 2026 offers an insight into the profiles and innovations represented in this year’s submissions.

The figures, based on applications received rather than projects ultimately selected to pitch, highlight three key characteristics: international participation, a strong focus on early-stage innovation and close links with academic research.

Start-up Slams: A strong international and academic dimension

The 31 applications received from 14 countries for the Start-up Slams reflect the international dimension of BioFIT, with 61% submitted from outside France.
Academic research also features prominently: 58% of applications have an identified academic origin, illustrating the presence of research-derived innovations among the start-ups applying to pitch.
In terms of funding stages, 71% of applicants are seeking Pre-seed or Seed funding, with the following breakdown:

• 23% Pre-seed
• 48% Seed
• 29% Series A

These figures reflect the strong representation of early-stage companies among the applications received.

Oncology, infectious diseases and cross-cutting technologies among the leading fields

The Start-up Slams applications cover a broad range of therapeutic areas and technologies, with several fields particularly represented:

• 23% Oncology
• 19% Infectious diseases and vaccines
• 16% Cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases
• 16% Cross-cutting technologies

Together, these categories illustrate the diversity of therapeutic and technological fields represented in this year’s applications.

Research & Licensing Partnerships: Early-stage research at the forefront

The Research & Licensing Partnerships category also attracted applications from a wide range of countries.
Among the 21 applications received from 11 countries, 86% were submitted from outside France.
Academic institutions are particularly well represented, with 67% of projects submitted directly by universities or research organisations.
The applications also show a strong concentration of projects at the earlier stages of development:

• 10 applications (48%) at the Early Innovation stage
• 10 applications (48%) at the Translational Development stage
• 1 application (5%) at the Clinical-ready Assets stage

Overall, 20 of the 21 projects are at the Early Innovation or Translational Development stage, while 71% of the technologies have a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 3 or 4.
These figures reflect the strong representation of early-stage academic research among the applications received.

A diverse range of therapeutic areas

The Research & Licensing Partnerships applications span several therapeutic fields, with oncology, infectious diseases and vaccines, and neurology and central nervous system disorders each accounting for 14% of submissions.
Other areas represented include rare diseases, ophthalmology, respiratory diseases, dermatology and women’s health.
This range of therapeutic areas illustrates the diversity of research projects submitted to the 2026 edition.

Three key insights from the BioFIT 2026 applications

Taken together, the applications received for these two Pitch Session categories highlight three characteristics of this year’s submissions.

An international dimension: With 61% of Start-up Slams applications and 86% of Research & Licensing Partnerships applications originating from outside France, both categories attracted international participation.
A focus on early-stage innovation: Most Start-up Slams applicants are seeking Pre-seed or Seed funding, while the vast majority of Research & Licensing Partnerships submissions are at the Early Innovation or Translational Development stage.
Strong connections with academic research: Academic origins were identified for 58% of Start-up Slams applications, while 67% of Research & Licensing Partnerships projects were submitted directly by universities or research organisations.

These findings are consistent with BioFIT’s positioning at the intersection of academic research, early-stage innovation and industry collaboration.
Through its Pitch Sessions, BioFIT provides selected applicants with an opportunity to present their innovations to an international audience of life sciences professionals, including potential investors, industry partners and licensing experts.

The BioFIT 2026 Pitch Sessions will take place on December 10^th & 11^th, in Marseille, France.

Note: This analysis covers applications received for the Start-up Slams and Research & Licensing Partnerships categories only. It does not include Animal Health Presentations. The figures refer to applications received, not to the final selection of projects presenting at BioFIT 2026.

BioFIT 2026 Pitch Sessions: What do this year’s applications reveal about early-stage innovation? Read More »

Driving animal health innovation: Discover SIMV

News / Elina Rabeau

The French Association for the Animal Health Industry (SIMV) represents companies that design, manufacture and market veterinary medicines and diagnostic reagents for both companion and farm animals with the French market.

To enhance the competitiveness of its members, SIMV focuses on five core missions:

Federating stakeholders
Anticipating future challenges
Representing its members’ interests
Advising with expert guidance
Training for continued excellence

“At BioFIT, we host R&D Dating for Animal Health and Innovation 2026: a dedicated space where researchers, veterinarians, start-ups, public authorities and industry meet. We believe progress in animal health depends on responsible innovation, prevention and practical collaboration. By connecting knowledge with real-world needs, SIMV helps our ecosystem anticipate challenges while keeping animal welfare and appropriate care in view.“

Three adjectives representing our values: Collaborative · Science-led · Responsible

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

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Advancing preventive health through innovation: Discover the Centre for Nutraceuticals

News / Elina Rabeau

“The Centre for Nutraceuticals is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the area of nutraceuticals, supplements, and preventive health. The Centre seeks to act as a catalyst for improving health and wellbeing guided by research and innovation, and be a trustworthy source of credible information.
Our core expertise is distinctive, with our specialisations cutting across disciplines that span from public health to formulation science, nanotechnology and personalised nutrition. Our work is diverse and ranges from new molecule screening and preclinical research to novel formulation design and supplement new product development with validation studies via uniquely designed clinical trials. The Centre has helped developed the UK’s leading iron supplement product as well as a range of sports supplements for international footballers Mathieu Flamini and Mesut Ozil.
We have a diverse portfolio of partnerships, with engagements with national governments and trade bodies to sector leading companies across the world in the areas of healthtech nutrition and innovation.”

Three adjectives representing Centre for Nutraceuticals’ values: Distinctive, Innovative, Collaborative

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Advancing preventive health through innovation: Discover the Centre for Nutraceuticals Read More »

Meet LallianSe: Connecting the right people to accelerate healthcare innovation

News / Elina Rabeau

LallianSe was created more than a decade ago based on the reality that despite French scientific and technological excellence, the number of medical innovations that reach patients was dramatically low. Not because science or technology is not efficient, but rather because some key factors are missing.

As Catalyst in life sciences, our role is to trigger decisions and accelerate their execution, to turn science into health products and significant value. We spark the right conversations, between the adequate stakeholders, at the appropriate time.

Our tailor-made journeys build trusted spaces for CEOs ans investors, where governance aligns to decide and act, together. Through an agile and deeply engaged approach, we work alongside them, by combining operational excellence, fractionnal executives, and sparring partners to navigate through growth, governance and fundraising.

Since inception, we have supported more than 100 organizations by mobilizing a community of 60+ embarked Experts. LallianSe thus offers a new form of 360° stewardship: engaged without being fiwed, operational without being in-house.

“At LallianSe, we believe that the right conversation, with the adequate person, at the appropriate time impacts the company’s journey. This is our why, and what drives our work, showing our engagement and work within the healthcare ecosystem. We are delighted to partner with MedFIT and BioFIT once again and look forward to creating new conversations.“

LallianSe’s values: Excellence, Agility, Engagement

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Meet LallianSe: Connecting the right people to accelerate healthcare innovation Read More »

Meet Carnot France Futur Élevage: Connecting research and industry for sustainable livestock farming

News / Elina Rabeau

Carnot France Futur Elevage is a french public research network, certified by the french ministry of research, that provides R&D competences to livestock farming sector businesses, including animal health, genetic selection, aminal nutrition, socio-economic changes in the livestock industry, and livestock farming practices.

The main objectif of Carnot France Futur Elevage is to develop public-private partnership in order to support innovations for tomorrow’s sustainable breeding.

“France Futur Élevage offers companies, professional organizations and actors in the livestock sector a multidisciplinary, integrated research and innovation offering, from the laboratory to the farm. The integration of three technical institutes into our Carnot enable us to offer companies research projects ranging from TRL 3 to 7 ! ” Fanny Wacquet, manager Carnot France Futur Elevage

Carnot France Futur Elevage in three words: Innovation, adaptability, collaboration

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Meet Carnot France Futur Élevage: Connecting research and industry for sustainable livestock farming Read More »

Discover Medicen, the healthcare competitiveness cluster of the Paris Region

News / Elina Rabeau

Medicen Paris Region is the healthcare competitiveness cluster of the Paris Region. We bring together more than 400 healthcare innovation stakeholders, ranging from start-ups and SMEs to large corporations, as well as researchers, clinicians, investors, and public institutions. Our ambition is to act as a trusted third party, helping healthcare innovators accelerate the development, growth, and successful implementation of their projects.

“Our mission is to help innovators save time, connect with the right partners, and maximize their chances of success.”

Three adjectives representing our values :

Committed: dedicated to supporting innovators and healthcare stakeholders.
Collaborative: convinced that innovation thrives through collective intelligence and partnerships.
Expertise: we support and guide innovative healthcare entrepreneurs on a daily basis.

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Discover Medicen, the healthcare competitiveness cluster of the Paris Region Read More »

From BioFIT meetings to a veterinary licensing partnership: the story of Can-Fite BioPharma & Vetbiolix

News / Valentine Delabie

Sometimes, a single meeting can lead to a partnership with long-term scientific and commercial impact.

That is exactly what happened when Can-Fite BioPharma participated in BioFIT. Discussions initiated during the event led directly to a veterinary licensing partnership with Vetbiolix for Piclidenoson, the company’s drug candidate being developed for the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs and cats.

The agreement, estimated at $325 million in potential royalty revenues, demonstrates how meaningful connections made during a partnering event can evolve into major business opportunities.

From partnering meetings to a strategic licensing agreement

BioFIT brings together pharmaceutical and biotech companies, technology transfer professionals, research organisations and investors with one common objective: creating new partnerships that accelerate innovation.

For Can-Fite BioPharma, those discussions resulted in a concrete licensing agreement with Vetbiolix, enabling the company to expand the development of Piclidenoson into the veterinary market.

As Dr. Sari Fishman, VP of Business Development at Can-Fite BioPharma, explains:

“Our previous participation at BioFIT led directly to our successful partnership with Vetbiolix for Piclidenoson for the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs and cats.”

Returning to BioFIT to build the next partnership

The story did not end with this first success.

Building on the partnership with Vetbiolix, Can-Fite returned to BioFIT 2025 to explore new veterinary collaboration opportunities for Namodenoson, its Phase III anti-cancer drug candidate, with the ambition of expanding its veterinary pipeline.

This illustrates another key strength of BioFIT: participants don’t simply attend once. Many return year after year because each edition offers new opportunities to connect with potential partners, explore new markets and advance their business development objectives.

Where future partnerships begin

Every year, BioFIT brings together key decision-makers from across the Life Sciences ecosystem to facilitate research collaborations, licensing agreements, investment opportunities and strategic partnerships.

The story of Can-Fite BioPharma and Vetbiolix is another example of how a conversation initiated at BioFIT can evolve into a partnership with lasting impact.

Whether you are looking for a licensing partner, a research collaboration, an investor or new business opportunities, BioFIT provides the environment to meet the right people and turn conversations into concrete outcomes.

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10th and 11th in Marseille and start your next partnership.

From BioFIT meetings to a veterinary licensing partnership: the story of Can-Fite BioPharma & Vetbiolix Read More »

From a BioFIT meeting to an international genome-editing collaboration: the story of AlgenScribe, Max Delbrück Center and Ascenion

News / Valentine Delabie

Sometimes, a single meeting is enough to spark a collaboration with lasting scientific impact.

That is exactly what happened when French biotech company AlgenScribe met representatives from Max Delbrück Center (MDC) and technology transfer specialist Ascenion during BioFIT 2023 in Marseille. What started as conversations at Europe’s leading partnering event for life sciences has since evolved into an international collaboration bringing together complementary expertise in genome editing.

A partnership built on complementary expertise

The collaboration, officially formalised in July 2024, combines AlgenScribe’s genome-editing technology with complementary innovations developed at the Max Delbrück Center, supported by Ascenion’s technology transfer expertise.

Together, the partners aim to accelerate research and contribute to the development of future cell therapies for genetically determined diseases.

BioFIT as the starting point

While partnerships often take months to develop, they usually begin with one essential ingredient: the right introduction.
For this collaboration, that first connection happened during BioFIT.

Dr. Sigrid Scheek, Technology Manager at Ascenion, recalls:

“We are delighted that we were able to initiate this cooperation at the French partnering event BioFIT in Marseille.”

For AlgenScribe, BioFIT also opened the door to new international opportunities.

As CEO Frédéric Zampatti explains:

“BioFIT enabled us to connect with numerous stakeholders and establish two scientific collaborations, including our first international partnership with the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin.”

Turning meetings into collaborations

Every year, BioFIT brings together technology transfer offices, research organisations, biotech and pharma companies, investors and innovation stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.

The objective is simple: create the conditions for meaningful discussions that can evolve into research collaborations, licensing agreements, investment opportunities and strategic partnerships.

The collaboration between AlgenScribe, Max Delbrück Center and Ascenion illustrates how a conversation initiated during the event can develop into a project with long-term scientific and medical ambitions.

Meet your future partners at BioFIT 2026

BioFIT returns on December 10th and 11th, 2026 in Marseille, co-organised with MedFIT.

Whether you are seeking research collaborations, licensing opportunities, investors or strategic partners, BioFIT provides a dedicated environment to meet the people who can help move your innovation forward.

From a BioFIT meeting to an international genome-editing collaboration: the story of AlgenScribe, Max Delbrück Center and Ascenion Read More »

GENFIT’s continued support strengthens the BioFIT community

News / Valentine Delabie

GENFIT is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of patients with rare, life-threatening liver diseases whose medical needs remain largely unmet. GENFIT is a pioneer in liver disease research and development with a rich history and a solid scientific heritage spanning more than two decades. Today, GENFIT has built up a diversified and rapidly expanding R&D portfolio of programs at various stages of development. The Company focuses on Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (ACLF). Its ACLF franchise includes four assets under development. Other assets target other life-threatening disease indications such as cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and Urea Cycle Disorders (UCD)/Organic Acidemias (OA).

Join key BioFIT 2025 sponsors such as GENFIT to take advantage of the following opportunities:

Identify your organisation with the main partnering event in Europe dedicated to technology transfer, academia-industry collaborations, early-stage innovations and seed investment in Life Sciences
Highlight your interest in early-stage innovation
Present your ideas and technologies to key innovation players in Life Sciences
Enhance your visibility on an international scale and be recognised as a key innovative player
Demonstrate your expertise using specific communication tools

For more information about the sponsorship opportunities, visit the dedicated site page

GENFIT’s continued support strengthens the BioFIT community Read More »

News

Start-up Slams: A strong international and academic dimension

Oncology, infectious diseases and cross-cutting technologies among the leading fields

Research & Licensing Partnerships: Early-stage research at the forefront

A diverse range of therapeutic areas

Three key insights from the BioFIT 2026 applications

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

Join BioFIT 2026 on December 10ᵗʰ and 11ᵗʰ in Marseille and start your next partnership.

From partnering meetings to a strategic licensing agreement

Returning to BioFIT to build the next partnership

Where future partnerships begin

A partnership built on complementary expertise

BioFIT as the starting point

Turning meetings into collaborations

Meet your future partners at BioFIT 2026

Before you leave…