During an in person event on the 26th of November 2024 in Berlin, Johnson & Johnson Innovation will present its external collaboration model and meet innovative emerging companies and start-ups, as well as researchers, academics and organisations based in the broader region and active in the Pharmaceutical and MedTech sectors.
The event, organized in collaboration with the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), will take place in person at the Rahel Hirsch Center for Translational Medicine, the site of their Clinical Incubator.
Johnson & Johnson Innovation works across the Pharmaceutical and MedTech sectors to accelerate early-stage, transformational solutions by catalysing the best ideas, wherever they are in the world. Our goal is to help life science and health technology innovations thrive through collaboration and partnership within the global ecosystem, so that together we can change the trajectory of human health.
Prabhu Velusami | Senior Director, Early Innovation Partnering, Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Groundbreaking science, adequate funding, IP protection and a stellar team are all key ingredients in starting up a healthcare company. However, collaboration with a large corporate partner may also be critical to successfully bring your innovation to patients. Such a partnership or collaboration may bring you access to expertise, resources and networks that are otherwise hard to tap into. In this session, our team will share insights on how they evaluate opportunities, and discuss the steps involved in striking a deal and building a partnership or collaboration. We’ll explore how startups might set themselves up for success in early business development and become partner-ready faster.
Garima leads efforts in clinical de-risking, incubation, and acceleration of early-stage companies in Advanced Personalized Therapies. Before BIH, she was Associate Director of Partnerships and Development at LabCentral, a top incubator in Cambridge, USA, where she drove revenue growth, strategic alliances, and championed diversity in biotech. Garima holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from NortheasternUniversity and a Master's in Project Management. Her career spans entrepreneurial roles at Bayer Pharmaceuticals and STEMCELL Technologies, and she co-founded Therapeutic Innovations, a startup focused on affordable healthcare tech for low- and middle-income countries.
Prabhu is Senior Director for Johnson & Johnson Innovation and is located in the Innovation Centre in London. He leads the identification and sourcing of early stage transformative innovation, and the subsequent shaping and execution of transactions opportunities for Johnson & Johnson, focussing on Neurosciences, Specialty Ophthalmology and Data sciences/Digital Health. Prabhu is a former ophthalmic surgeon and prior to joining Johnson & Johnson Innovation was an Associate Director at the Boston Consulting Group where he focussed on life sciences and digital, data and analytics to drive growth and new business models. Prabhu holds an MA in Biomedical Sciences from Cambridge University, an MBBS Clinical Medical degree from University College London and is a member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (MRCOphth) with a post-graduate qualification in Ophthalmology.
Elena is responsible for delivering on the goals and objectives for JLABS in EMEA. Her responsibilities include external engagement, innovation sourcing, company onboarding, portfolio management, operational excellence and educational programming in collaboration with the team responsible for the site and the region. She has extensive experience working with start-up companies and helping them de-risk, co-create and scale up their value proposition and supporting them in their commercialization. She is a passionate people leader providing mentorship and coaching to entrepreneurs as well as young talent in J&J. She holds a BS and MS in Food Science & Technology from the Technical University Munich.
Nerida is the Regional Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, EMEA, located at the Innovation Centre in London, UK. In this role, Nerida oversees the EMEA portfolio of collaborations, co-investments (JJDC), and company incubations (JLABS) to construct, prioritize and advance early external innovation opportunities for Johnson & Johnson. With her team in EMEA, she identifies and accelerates science and technology outside the company in areas of strategic value to medical technology and innovative medicines, exploring new models to support external R&D collaboration and grow early-stage innovation networks. Before joining Johnson & Johnson in 2015, Nerida was Director for Business Development & Licensing and Executive Team member at Vernalis PLC, a UK biotech company with US commercial activities, responsible for transactions from evaluation through negotiation to closing.
