More than 230 scientists, entrepreneurs and investors from the life sciences and health sector came together on 7 October for the sixth edition of Radboudumc Investment Day. At the Radboudumc Experience Center, they exchanged knowledge, explored investment opportunities, discovered promising innovations and, above all, made new connections.

The event was jointly organised by Radboudumc, Radboud University, Oost NL and Briskr, bringing together their networks and expertise around one shared ambition: helping promising research and innovation move forward towards real-world application and impact.

And that is exactly what makes Investment Day such a valuable event. Rather than simply bringing together a large audience, the focus is on bringing together the right people. Scientists with promising research meet entrepreneurs who know what it takes to bring an innovation to market, while investors can discover new technologies, ventures and opportunities at an early stage.

Throughout the day, this created an open and energetic atmosphere, with people genuinely interested in each other’s ideas, expertise and ambitions.

A look behind the scenes at TNO

The event opened with a keynote presentation by Hans Boumans, Director of TNO Ventures. He explained how TNO translates research findings from the laboratory into societal impact through spin-offs and collaboration with industry. According to him, such partnerships are essential, particularly for high-risk and capital-intensive innovations such as new medicines.

Without the involvement of venture capital investors, many valuable scientific discoveries would never be developed into products or therapies that can ultimately benefit patients.

That journey from research to impact was visible throughout Investment Day. Several innovative start-ups brought their technologies and products to the event, giving participants the opportunity to see and experience first-hand what these companies are developing. Together with the high-quality poster presentations, they showcased the breadth of innovation emerging from research, entrepreneurship and collaboration in the region and beyond.

Connections that can move innovation forward

As in previous years, the program was designed around interaction. Alongside the plenary programme and informative sessions, participants had ample opportunity for one-on-one meetings, which could be scheduled both before and during the event through a dedicated matchmaking platform.

But many valuable conversations also happened spontaneously: around the start-up innovations and posters, over coffee, during the networking reception and at the dinner that followed the programme.

This combination of structured matchmaking and informal encounters is an important part of Radboudumc Investment Day. A researcher may meet an entrepreneur who can help turn an idea into a viable proposition. A start-up may find an investor who understands its technology and ambitions. And an investor may discover promising science long before it reaches the market.

A carefully curated community

The event is specifically aimed at scientists, entrepreneurs and investors with a concrete investment or collaboration interest in life sciences and health.

This carefully curated mix is one of the event’s strengths. It creates a setting where conversations quickly move beyond introductions and towards the substance: the science, the innovation, the business case and what is needed to take the next step.

For researchers who are only beginning to explore the entrepreneurial potential of their work, those conversations can be particularly valuable.

“A whole new world has opened up for me,” said one early-career researcher. “I had been thinking about developing a product based on my research for some time, but the idea was still quite rough. Here, I was able to discuss it with several experienced people. That was incredibly valuable. There is so much expertise in one place. I now have a much better understanding of the steps I need to take, and there are a few more than I initially expected. At the same time, I now know where I can find support.”

It is precisely this kind of connection that Radboudumc, Radboud University, Oost NL and Briskr aim to facilitate: creating opportunities for researchers, entrepreneurs and investors to find each other and helping promising innovations take their next step towards impact.

Luchtbrug wins the ‘Martijn Kriens best poster Award’

The quality of this year’s poster presentations was particularly high, showing not only strong science, but also a clear ambition to translate research and ideas into solutions with practical value.

This year, the Luchtbrug team won the poster competition. Luchtbrug was established in 2010 by pediatric pulmonologist Peter Merkus with the goal of making asthma care for children more affordable, patient-friendly and accessible. Today, more than 20 hospitals across the Netherlands use Luchtbrug, which has since been expanded for use in other pulmonary conditions as well.

On behalf of the team, Jolt Roukema accepted the Martijn Kriens best poster Award, an incentive prize of €2,500 to support the further scaling and professionalisation of the initiative.

Submissions to the poster competition were assessed not only on their scientific merits, but also on their potential to develop into successful products with real-world impact, a fitting conclusion to a day dedicated to turning promising ideas, research and innovations into opportunities for the future.