🌍 WorldUpstart Newsletter | Summer 2025
August 5, 2025
Insights, Updates & Opportunities from our Global Life Sciences & MedTech Innovation Hub
U.S. Market Gateway Accelerator Showcase Participants [Philadelphia]
🚀 WorldUpstart Updates
Going Global: Strategic Growth Insights for Life Sciences & MedTech Companies
We’re proud to announce that Karina Sotnik, Founder and CEO of WorldUpstart, is now a featured contributor to BioBuzz, where she shares actionable strategies for global expansion in the life sciences sector. Her debut article, Why Global? Why Now? Strategic Growth in the Life Sciences, lays out a compelling roadmap for international growth. Stay tuned for more expert commentary as Karina brings her global commercialization expertise to a broader audience.
Webinar Recap - Crafting the Perfect Pitch Deck: What U.S. Investors Really Want to See
On July 16, over 250 participants from 50+ countries joined our webinar to learn how to win investor trust.
WorldUpstart CEO, Karina Sotnik, presenting Crafting the Perfect Pitch Deck
Key takeaways:
Know your audience: East vs. West Coast investors think differently—tailor your pitch.
Structure matters: Clear numbers, a compelling story, and a sharp problem statement win attention.
Cultural fit counts: Align your approach with investor expectations for maximum impact.
Missed it? Watch for our next session announcement soon!
WorldUpstart at BIO 2025: Building Global Bridges
At this year’s BIO International Convention in Boston, we reconnected with alumni, forged global partnerships, and strengthened ties in our Philadelphia ecosystem.
🔬 Alumni Spotlight: Sagitta Biotech (Belgium), Math Biology (Italy), WPD Pharmaceuticals (Poland).
🌐 Global partnerships: Campus Berlin-Buch (Germany), FBRI Kobe & Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster (Japan), Health Italia (Italy), BSR Korea, and Innopolis (Korea).
🏙 Local impact: Collaborations with HiveBio, City of Philadelphia Commerce Department, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Governor Josh Shapiro and his team, who expressed strong support for international innovation in PA.
🌱 Introducing WorldUpstart Impacts: A Mission-Driven Nonprofit
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of WorldUpstart Impacts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports academic, research, and government institutions in accelerating innovation from lab to market.
"With WorldUpstart Impacts, we’re creating a new vehicle to translate innovation into tangible outcomes and regional impact." – Karina Sotnik
If you're interested in learning how you can support underrepresented founders, we hope you'll reach out and learn more at www.worldupstartimpacts.org.
🌟Client & Accelerator Alumni Highlights
Medmain's CEO, Osamu Iizuka, pictured with WorldUpstart's CEO, Karina Sotnik, and Managing Director, Stephanie Vogel
Medmain (Japan): Raised $3.3M (totaling $18M to date) to expand its AI-powered pathology platform. Medmain's CEO Osamu Iizuka, was recently in Philadelphia for the 11th Digital Pathology & AI Congress. 🔗 Read more »
MyNerva (Switzerland): Congratulations to Greta Preatoni for winning the American Diabetes Association Innovation Challenge 2025! 🔗 See pitch & post »
Diagnoly (France): secured 5,5 M€ funding led by XAnge and Newfund to revolutionize prenatal ultrasound. 🔗 LinkedIn update »
🎯 Opportunities for You
Pitch at PACT | Deadline: Aug 25! Apply now to present at the Mid-Atlantic Capital Conference (Oct 29–30, 2025). With over $8M raised by previous participants, this is your shot at investors. 🔗 Submit your pitch » and 🔗 Review criteria »
Accelerate Your U.S. Market Entry: Submit your application for the next WorldUpstart Accelerator cohort. Designed for international companies seeking to scale in the U.S., our program provides investor access, expert mentorship, and a strategic foothold in Philadelphia. 🔗 Apply now »
Byte51: Investor Intelligence at 60% Off. Get smarter investor intel for Life Sciences. Regularly $2,500/year—our community price: $998.50. 🔗Join here »
R2GConnect – A curated platform for HealthTech startups and investors. 🔗Join here »
👋 Stay Connected
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