14 Nordic startups to compete for prize at NLSDays

Audience at NLSDays 2024 in Malmö.

Fourteen promising life science companies from the Nordic region have been shortlisted to compete in the prestigious Nordic Stars pitch competition at Nordic Life Science Days in Gothenburg on October 13-14.

These small- and medium-sized private companies are deeply engaged in health, medicine, and life science research and development. Each company will have the opportunity to deliver a pitch, aiming to attract new investors and business partners through both their presentation and the conference’s partnering system.

In addition to potential investor interest, the competitors will vie for a prize of 10,000 EUR in cash and 2 full-access tickets to NLSDays 2026.

“I was really impressed by the breadth and quality of companies applying this year, spanning from across all the Nordic countries. It’s a great reminder of just how good and innovative the Nordic biotech ecosystem is”, commented Chloé Leprêtre, Head of Global R&D Search and Evaluation at Servier and a member of the jury, adding: ”I can already see a number of teams with exciting science and development potential and I’m looking forward to meeting them at NLSDays to dive deeper into their technologies, although I know that choosing the Nordic Star 2025 will be a real challenge !”

Jón Ingi Bergsteinsson, Founder & MP, LIFA Ventures and also a member of the jury, commented: ”It’s inspiring to see such a diverse group of innovative life science companies from across the Nordics applying to the Nordic Stars Pitch Competition. The breadth of technologies and the commitment to solving critical healthcare challenges truly highlight the strength and future potential of our regional ecosystem. While only a handful of MedTech companies advanced to the finals this year, it underlines the importance of initiatives like NLSDays that create visibility across the full life science spectrum. I strongly encourage more MedTech innovators and startups to take part in NLSDays.”

The Selected Companies

• Rab Diagnostics - Norway
• Loma Therapeutics - Denmark
• Acorai- Sweden
• PreTT ApS - Denmark
• Fepod Oy - Finland
• Vesper Bio - Denmark
• KLYV THERAPEUTICS - Norway
• AAX Biotech - Sweden
• Inverna therapeutics - Denmark
• Dermeco Oy - Finland
• Aqilion - Sweden
• Polku Therapeutics - Finland
• MucoLife Therapeutics - Sweden
• Serendo Therapeutics – Sweden

The Expert Jury

All applicants were rigorously assessed by an expert panel, which selected the 14 companies. The jury, which will also judge the pitches at the event, includes:

• Yun Yang, Investment Associate, Hadean Ventures
• Carl Kilander, Partner, HealthCap
• Emilia Carlqvist, Analyst, Innovestor Life Science
• Jón Bergsteinsson, Founder and MP, LIFA.VC
• Chloé Leprêtre, Head of Global R&D Search and Evaluation, Servier
• Dr. Marjo Puumalainen, International Director, SwedenBIO