WIB-San Francisco Bay Area: Women Founders Pitch Event

On June 18, 2025, Women In Bio San Francisco Bay Area hosted a pitch event for women founders in biotech. This event was designed to connect visionary women founders with key stakeholders in the biotech ecosystem. From a competitive pool of applicants, four finalists were selected to present their groundbreaking work: Milica Vukmirovic with Lasso Therapeutics, Althea Stillman with Seen Therapeutics, Pamela England with 153 Therapeutics, and Jennifer Cheng with PTM Therapeutics. Their pitches were meticulously evaluated by a panel of judges, including Susan Chen, Eddie Etoulkhy, Julian Homberger, Ekaterine Kortkhonjia, Leah Makley, Becky Pferdehit, and Katherine Williams. The judges assessed each company based on its innovation, market potential, team strength, scalability, and overall impact on the biotech field. The four impressive founders were awarded a range of valuable prizes, including legal services, personalized pitch coaching, expert corporate and strategy mentorship, and months of essential lab space. These prizes were made possible by the generous sponsorship of Bakar Labs, Cooley, Daybreak Labs, Greenberg Traurig, MBC Biolabs, and SVB.

The Founder Showcase successfully spotlighted the next generation of innovative, women-led biotech startups. The event highlighted early-stage founders who are driving breakthroughs in therapeutics and therapeutic platform technologies, offering investors and industry professionals a unique opportunity to discover bold, creative solutions poised to transform life sciences and healthcare. More than 80 attendees enjoyed an evening of innovative science and valuable networking. This event further solidified WIB’s dedication to empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering a collaborative ecosystem where talent, mentorship, and investment converge. A heartfelt thank you to a16z for generously providing the space for this event, allowing professionals to engage with pioneering companies, support women founders in life sciences, and explore the next wave of transformative innovation.

Submitted by Veronica Garcia