Innovation Talks 2021: Exploring the Intersection of Venture Capital and Life Sciences

## “Venture Capital and Life Sciences” – Open Lecture by Filippo Giordano, Domenico Nesci, and Ciro Spedaliere

Welcome to the fourth edition of Universal Talks of Lumber University, aimed at discussing innovation and technology in sustainability and the future of business society with experts and opinion leaders. In this event, “Venture Capital and Life Sciences,” we have the pleasure of hosting Filippo Giordano and Domenico Nesci, professors at Università LUMSA, along with Ciro Spedaliere, partner Claris Ventures.

As part of the Innovation Talks 2021, this lecture is organized by the Department of Law Economics Politics and Modern Languages and the Master’s degree in Management and Finance in partnership with the Association of Alumni Lumsa. For more information about this event, visit [www.lumsa.it](http://www.lumsa.it).

## Keywords/Tags
[venture capital, life sciences, biotech, innovation, technology, sustainability, business, society, LUMSA University]

## What is Biotech and Venture Capital?
Venture capital and biotech are the focus of today’s discussion. In this lecture, we will explore the concept of biotech, which refers to innovative companies developing highly innovative drugs for curing incurable diseases. Biotech emerged in the 70s when the revolutionary biotech industry changed the face of the pharmaceutical industry. The two fundamental characters of this revolution were Herbert Boyer, a biochemist at the University of California, and Robert Swanson, a venture capitalist.

Boyer developed a revolutionary technology, the recombinant DNA, which is a combination of DNA from multiple sources, such as human, bacterial, and animal. In this way, bacteria and animal cells became factories for the production of human proteins. Swanson convinced Boyer to create a company, which became Genentech, one of the most successful biotech companies in history.

This lecture features Ciro Spedaliere, the co-founder of Claris Venture, the first Italian operator of venture capital solely focused on investment in biotech startups. Ciro brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from his ten years of serving as a management position in four other venture capital firms.

## About the Speakers
Filippo Giordano and Domenico Nesci are professors at Università LUMSA, and Ciro Spedaliere is a partner at Claris Ventures.

## Additional Information
For more information about biotech, venture capital, and innovation, visit [www.lumsa.it](http://www.lumsa.it).

Open lecture with
– Filippo Giordano, Professor at Università LUMSA
– Domenico Nesci, Professor at Università LUMSA
– Ciro Spedaliere, Partner Claris Ventures

«Venture Capital and Life Sciences» is an event organized by Università LUMSA (LUMSA University) as part of Innovation Talks 2021. Check www.lumsa.it for more.