Women in Biotech - Canary Wharf: beyond the pitch and building investor relationships 

^{How we boost entry-level diversity up to the senior level}

Stepping into the beautifully air-conditioned offices of EY at 25 Churchill Place felt like a symbolic relief from the summer heat. Co-hosted with Canary Wharf Group and supported by HSBC Innovation Banking, our recent Women in Biotech evening brought together over 100 industry leaders to tackle a persistent challenge: building investor relationships, navigating structural bias, and securing capital. 

The physical ecosystem in the Wharf is expanding fast, with 40 healthcare companies already within walking distance. The deal momentum is there, too. We celebrated stellar community wins, including Myricx Bio’s acquisition by Novartis, IMU Biosciences raising £53 million and Cytosurf securing £83 million. I was delighted to catch up with Julie Mead, COO/CFO of Myricx, over a drink to congratulate her on their phenomenal achievement. 

But while the science is world-class, the underlying funding statistics tell a much heavier story. 

Measuring progress against the stats 

Our data shows that while women make up over 50% of entry-level talent in biotech, representation drops aggressively at the senior tier. To bridge this gap, BIA launched its mentoring programme, now entering its fifth cohort this autumn, which boasts a proven track record, with 60% of past mentees progressing into more senior roles. Similarly, our She Steers board-readiness initiative, developed alongside AstraZeneca, Deloitte and Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, is explicitly designed to equip senior women to claim non-executive and board seats, completely debunking the old recruiter excuse that board-ready female talent cannot be found. (Please reach out to Kate or Sam if you would like to join Cohort 5).

The pressing urgency of this work was underscored by the panel's look at the funding ecosystem. Panellist Lucy Singah shared a stark metric from her own active VC database: out of roughly 120 venture funds, only 10% of investor contacts were women. Matt McCann added that according to the latest Investing in Women Code report, women still hold just 27% of decision-making roles within UK venture funds. When the people deploying the capital lack diversity, it naturally perpetuates an exclusive network, reinforcing why active interventions are so vital to moving the needle. 

Realities from the front line 

The panel discussion brought together an exceptional group of perspectives from across the ecosystem, featuring Lucy Singah (CFO, Resolution Therapeutics), Melissa Strange (CFO, EnteroBiotix), and Matt McCann (Head of BioCapital Network at SEC & Head of Portfolio at Zinc VC), expertly moderated by Helena Fraser (VP of Life Sciences & Healthcare, HSBC Innovation Banking). 

Together, they dove into the practical mechanics of fundraising: 

Own your domain 

Lucy emphasised the power of authenticity and transparency:

I own the financial model and the cash runway. If I don't know an answer in the room, I am straightforward about it, and I ensure we follow up immediately with the exact data.

Target your outreach 

Matt McCann advised moving away from generic VC inboxes. Research individual partners with exact academic or deal backgrounds matching your asset. 

Put rejections to work 

If an investor turns you down, ask who else in their network is actively investing in your clinical stage. 

The panel also stressed the importance of protecting personal boundaries. Lucy shared how she explicitly postponed a proposed investor meeting because it fell on her children’s sports day, moving it seamlessly to the following Monday without missing a beat. 

Building on this, Melissa Strange emphasised that leadership means modelling this flexibility from the top down.

By maintaining strict control over her own diary and openly supporting her team members when they need to attend school nativities or handle family responsibilities, leaders can help junior staff shed the guilt of balancing a high-stakes career with a full family life. 

Looking forward 

Thank you to EY, Canary Wharf Group and HSBC Innovation Banking. See you at our next event!