McMaster Innovation Park Establishes North America Life Sciences Capital Markets Advisory Council
- Council will be Unique of its Kind in Canada
- Expertise of Council Members Spans All Stages of Financing for Life Sciences Innovation
- Council to Support Life Sciences SME's with a Growth Imperative
HAMILTON, ON, Nov. 2, 2021 /CNW/ - McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) today announced the establishment of the North America Life Sciences Capital Markets Advisory Council ("Council", or "the Council").
"Canada is prolific in the creation of intellectual property in life sciences, but too often that IP either never gets commercialized, or it leaves Canada just at the point when life sciences companies are poised to create value. The Council will work on a national stage to develop recommendations to address the capital constraints that limit the potential value creation and economic growth of life science ventures," Shattuck explained.
He continued, "the Purpose of the North America Life Sciences Capital Markets Advisory Council is to help identify, attract, grow and retain life sciences companies in Canada by bringing life sciences innovation together with the right sources of capital at the stage when that capital is needed, and in the quantum required. By engaging capital markets leaders, we aspire to better align Canada's diverse life sciences ecosystem and Canadian capital markets in ways that create economic and societal value."
"The Council seeks to enhance the connective tissue between life science innovation and domestic capital markets," commented Ty Shattuck, Chief Executive Officer of McMaster Innovation Park. He added, "The North America Life Sciences Capital Markets Advisory Council at MIP will be unique in Canada. It includes individuals and organizations highly experienced in financing activities that support life sciences innovation and scale-up, especially small and medium-sized enterprises with a growth imperative."
Inaugural members of the Council include,
- Ty Shattuck – Chief Executive Officer, MIP (Chair)
- Michael Wong – Associate, Flagship Pioneering
- Anne Woods, Managing Director, Life Science and Healthcare practice, Silicon Valley Bank
- Roger Tam, Vice President, Legal, Hoffmann-La Roche Limited
- Jesse Pearlstein - Vice President, BMO Capital Markets
- Alex Muggah – Director of SYNAPSE Consortium
- Nancy Harrison – Venture Partner, Amplitude
- David Gibbins – Venture Capital Advisor
- Matt Pittman – Managing Director, RBC Capital Markets
- Rob Cook – Senior Vice President Market Development, Canadian Securities Exchange
- Gordon Forstner – (Secretary)
- Cory Mulvihill, Lead Executive, Policy and Public Affairs, MaRS (Observer)
The Council represents expertise spanning the financing continuum, from venture capital to public markets as well as financing for highly specialized life sciences infrastructure.
"The goal is to connect innovators and capital, through the continuum that spans the needs of companies ranging from start ups to publicly listed corporations, in order to support growth, innovation and value creation in the life sciences," said Shattuck.
In Canada, where the life sciences industry is geographically dispersed, it is anticipated that the Council will play a role that supports the industry across Canada. The Council expects to identify gaps and areas for improvement for the Life Sciences from a capital markets perspective and provide recommendations to improve the ability to finance life sciences companies.
By leveraging their experience, knowledge, and networks to help advance growing companies, the members of the Council help to support life sciences companies as they scale up and seek access to growth capital. Through their respective networks, members also support awareness of the importance of life sciences innovation in Ontario, and in Canada, as well as the role of innovation parks such as MIP in the regional life sciences ecosystem.
About McMaster Innovation Park
McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) is Canada's premier research park based in the heart of southwestern Ontario and home to over one hundred companies in the Life Science, Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing and high-tech sectors. MIP's proven ability to support and grow mid-market / SME enterprises results in faster, more economically impactful, and lower risk investments for government and private investors alike.
SOURCE McMaster Innovation Park
McMaster Innovation Park: Gordon Forstner, Forstner Group Inc., C: 416-560-8056, [email protected]
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