Rice Alliance Hosts 7th Annual Life Science Technology Venture Forum

The Rice Alliance Life Science Venture Forum will showcase 35-40 of the most promising life science technology start-up companies. Speakers will include leading venture capitalists, investors, and the world’s foremost experts in life science research and commercialization. Attendees will learn how life science technology will change our lives and shape the future of business. National venture capitalists and attendees will review companies and their cutting-edge research at the annual forum during the elevator pitch competition, networking breaks, a company showcase and reception. More than 400 attendees participated in 2007.

Additional information about Life Science Venture Forum:

    
• Learn about new life science commercial applications from 35-40 companies
    
• Gain insights from some of the nation's most prominent venture Capitalists in the life sciences
    
• The Top Ten "Most Promising" life science companies will be recognized at the close of the forum

In addition, emerging life science technology companies from all aspects of the industry will showcase their technologies at the forum. The company showcase is a section of the forum that will allow participants and guest a more in depth look at each company participating in the forum.

Opening Keynote Speaker: 9:15 – 9:45 AM

George W. Cole, President and CEO
Encysive Pharmaceuticals

George Cole was the CEO of Encysive Pharmaceuticals prior to the company’s acquisition by Pfizer earlier this year. He took over that role in July 2007 and led the company through a restructuring and the process of exploring strategic alternatives. Prior to that, he had been the COO at Encysive since November 2005 and managed the build-up of the European and Canadian subsidiaries and the launch of Thelin® in those markets. Thelin is an endothelin receptor antagonist for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension, an orphan disease.

Cole received his MBA from the University of Evansville and his B.S. in Pharmacy from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He previously served on the boards of the National Pharmaceutical Council and the Health Institute of New Jersey.

Afternoon Keynote Speaker: 1:15 – 1:45 PM

Bryant Fong, Managing Director
Burrill & Company

Bryant Fong joined Burrill & Company in 1998 and has been focused on sourcing, evaluating and investing in biotechnology companies through the Burrill Life Sciences Capital Funds, which combined total almost $1 billion for investments in the life sciences. He has been involved in over 25 venture capital financings including recent investments in Galapagos (GLPG), SCYNEXIS, Catalyst Biosciences, Pharmasset (VRUS), Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Logical Therapeutics, TRF Pharma, and Nora Pharmaceuticals. Fong currently serves on the boards of directors for Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, Odyssey Thera, TRF Pharma, Nora Pharmaceuticals, and Logical Therapeutics (observer).

Prior to joining Burrill & Company, Fong held positions as a biochemist and molecular biologist with two early stage biotechnology companies located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mr. Fong’s aggregate research experiences include recombinant protein expression in yeast, development of linear artificial chromosomes, and catalytic RNA technology. Fong earned his bachelors degree with distinction and honors in Molecular and Cell Biology- Biochemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

Closing Keynote Speaker: 4:00 – 4:30 PM

Srinivas Akkaraju, M.D., Ph. D, Managing Director
Panorama Capital, LLC

Dr. Srinivas Akkaraju is a Managing Director of Panorama Capital, a private equity firm founded by the former venture capital investment team of J.P. Morgan Partners, LLC, a private equity division of J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.  Dr. Akkaraju focuses primarily on life sciences investments at Panorama Capital. Prior to August 1, 2006, he was a Partner for J.P. Morgan Partners. From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Akkaraju was in Business and Corporate Development at Genentech, most recently as Senior Manager responsible for worldwide partnering activities, in-licensing of therapeutics, and out-licensing of development projects. In addition to his business development role, Dr. Akkaraju also served as a Project Team Leader for one of Genentech’s clinical development products. During this time, he also was a founding member of BioStreet, an online marketplace for biotech opportunities.

Dr. Akkaraju holds B.A. degrees in both Biochemistry and Computer Science from Rice University and an M.D. and Ph.D. in Immunology from Stanford University. Dr. Akkaraju currently serves on the board of directors of Barrier Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:BTRX), Phenomix Corporation, PIramed Limited, Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SGEN), and Pharmos Corporation (NASD: PARS).

When:
Thursday May 15, 2008
8:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Where:
Rice University
McNair Hall Jones Graduate School
6100 Main Street
Houston, TX 77005-2932

The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship (Rice Alliance) is Rice University's flagship initiative devoted to the support of technology entrepreneurship.  The Rice Alliance is a strategic alliance among the Brown School of Engineering, the Jones Graduate School of Management, and the Wiess School of Natural Sciences

Since its inception in late-1999, the Rice Alliance has assisted in the launch of over 210 new technology companies, which have raised more than $300 million in early stage funding.  Of these, approximately twenty companies have been launched based on technology developed by Rice faculty and researchers and licensed from the Rice Office of Technology Transfer.

In October, 2007 the Rice Alliance was recognized as the leading university entrepreneurship center in the United States for the creation of successful new enterprises by the National Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (NCEC). The mission of the Rice Alliance is to support the creation of technology-based companies and the commercialization of new technologies.  The Rice Alliance provides entrepreneurs with a collaborative network and forum for support, education, and exchange of ideas.  It offers entrepreneurs access to the human and financial capital needed for success.
For more information about the Rice Alliance, visit www.alliance.rice.edu.