Speakers:
Want to attend this session? Register here
Speakers: Robin Pumo (Venture Capital Associate, Turenne Group), Peter Haasjes (Director, Nextgen Ventures), Constant Beroulle (VC Investor HealthTech, Newfund), Christian Goergen (Partner, Catalpa Ventures), Katleen Vandersmissen (Managing Partner, HERAN Partners)
Moderator: Lars Ottevanger (Director Life Sciences, F.Institute)
€150 million raised. What will convince these investors to back your company?
Our panelists have collectively raised €150 million and are ready to invest. Having convinced their own investors to commit capital in a difficult market, where will they place their bets—and what will they expect from entrepreneurs? This panel brings together HealthTech fund managers to debate how the demands of their backers shape investment decisions. Does a tougher fundraising environment encourage bold investments in differentiated innovation, or favor companies with clearer, faster paths to returns? How much room is there for scientific ambition when investors face pressure to deliver?
For entrepreneurs, this is a chance to understand what happens on the other side of the negotiating table: what these newly raised funds are looking for, what makes a company compelling, and where investors disagree. Expect a candid debate about who gets funded, who gets passed over, and why.
Guided visit
Guided visit of Bruges: Side streets, great stories about great ladies (very limited space available, registered attendees will receive a meeting point)
Group Christmas Market Visit
Speaker: Nicolas Bouchet (Investment Manager, HealthTech Hub Copenhagen)
Speakers: Erik Janssen (Head of Global Digital Care Transformation, UCB BioPharma), Victor Decrion (Managing Partner, Lauxera Capital Partners)
Moderated by Olivier Van Raemdonck (Partner, CRESCO)
Welcome Speech
Keynote
Panel: Exploring Corporate Venture Capital M&A
Coffee break
Powered by Arnold & Siedsma
Speakers:
Exploring how investors, innovators, public actors and social-profit organizations can jointly accelerate high-impact cancer solutions
Coffee break
Networking, partnering, exhibition visit
Shannon Lentz (Crowell & Moring), Claire Verschelde (ICOSA), Anne DeGheest (Medstars)
Isabelle Francois (MEDVIA), Rik Van den Hende (BAN Flanders), Sofie Bekaert (KBF)
Powered by Flanders Investment & Trade
Powered by ICOSA
Museum Speelklok (Steenweg 6 3511 JP Utrecht)
Speakers: Mercedes Tuin (Partner, HERAN Partners), Ward Servaes (Co-Founder & CPO, MoveUp/Cascador)
Speaker: Joris Govers (Investment Manager, CbusineZ)
Welcome coffee
Welcome Speech
Keynote: Catch me if you can: the race to build the next HealthTech unicorn
Keynote: Who is your payer? Turning healthtech innovation into revenue-generating solutions
Panel: To be announced
Coffee break
Networking lunch
Coffee break
In 2026 alone, HIS alumni have raised €180 million together. A strong pitch gets you in the door. What happens next decides whether you get funded: the follow-up meetings, due diligence, negotiating terms and turning an investor conversation into a lasting partnership. Three founders who pitched at the HealthTech Investor Summit come back to share what happened after they left the stage. What did investors really want to see? What would they prepare differently? And how did the relationship with their investors change once the deal was signed? It’s practical, first-hand insight for this year’s pitching companies, and a candid look for investors at what makes a founder–investor partnership work after the term sheet.
Speakers: Hendrik Vercammen (Co-Founder & CEO, Sightera Biosciences), Benoît Larrat (Co-founder & CEO, TheraSonic), Leo Smit (CEO, Hy2Care)
Fireside chat: To be announced
Closing reception and award ceremony