BIO Asia–Taiwan brings together global and local biotech firms to pitch for investor attention

2025/07/14 Press release
 
 
BIO Asia–Taiwan brings together global and local biotech firms to pitch for investor attention
Taiwan emerges as a key hub for biotech investment in Asia
15 July, 2025
BIO Asia–Taiwan 2025, opening July 23rd in Taipei, Taiwan, will host a repeat of last year's popular and successful Investment Forum. The event promises to attract not only leading Taiwanese biotech firms, but also international biotech venture capitalists and startups assembling in Taiwan specifically to seek investment and partnerships. The forum will also host representatives from Taiwan’s well-funded information and communication technology (ICT) sector, family office managers, and nearly 50 domestic and international VC firms, setting up an unmatched opportunity for investors in this sector.
 
According to Audrey Tseng, Executive Director of forum organizer the Taiwan Bio Industry Organization (Taiwan BIO), although the global biotech investment climate has cooled, at least according to the recent sluggish S&P Biotech Index, Taiwan’s biotech fundraising scene is nonetheless thriving. In the past two years, Taiwan has seen a record number of IPOs; in 2024, 15 biotech companies went public across Taiwan’s stock exchanges and emerging markets, raising a total of NT$14.55 billion (around US$68). In the first half of 2025 alone, five firms have gone public, with more expected later in the year. For biotech companies seeking funding or institutional investors hunting for opportunities, Taiwan has become a critical stop.
 
Global VCs, pharma executives, and startups converge in Taiwan to explore partnerships
In recent years, biotech investors have become increasingly focused on risk control and careful target selection. Tseng noted that this year’s forum has attracted startups already under the gaze of top-tier global VCs such as Illumina Ventures, Syncona, VMS Group, and Vivo Capital, greatly enriching the lineup. Many of the pitching companies are already backed by international VCs or have listed on Nasdaq or Taiwan’s stock markets, with mid- to late-stage pipelines, making them especially attractive to institutional investors. Included are innovative startups in cutting-edge areas such as mRNA, iPSCs, and ADC, showcasing technologies with high growth potential. By attending pitch sessions and engaging face-to-face with global VCs, both local and international investors and biotech firms are expected to forge meaningful connections.
 
Jo Shen, Vice Chair of Taiwan BIO, noted that the highlight of the forum this year is the presence of top executives from global pharmaceutical companies. One such figure is Dr. Gene Lay, founder of PharMingen and BioLegend (both later acquired by major firms), who is returning to Taiwan representing his current company Revvity and will speak at the investment forum about his serial entrepreneurship journey. Another keynote speaker is Dr. John Tsai, partner at Syncona and former global head of drug development at Novartis, who will share insights on clinical development, licensing, and exit strategies.
 
Also featured will be Dr. Jenny Hsiung from AbbVie, who oversees business development and M&A; Dr. Chung-Ming Hsieh from Gilead Sciences, VP of protein therapeutics development; Dr. Hsin-Pei Shih from Novo Nordisk, head of rare disease R&D and assessment. Another attraction will be a global investment roundtable hosted by Dr. Gur Roshwalb, formerly with Israel’s largest biotech investment fund. Panelists include Charles Lin, from Illumina Ventures (USA); Aval Chen from VMS Group (Hong Kong); Yoon Paek from LOTTE Holdings Healthcare & Biopharmaceutical CVC (South Korea). They all maintain active ties with Taiwan and global biotech communities and will discuss worldwide investment trends, offering Taiwanese companies valuable insights into fundraising, product development, and business expansion.
 
US-China trade tensions and biosecurity laws open new opportunities for CDMO in Taiwan
Recent US-China trade tensions and the proposed US Biosecurity Law have disrupted the Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) landscape. With concerns of further decoupling, uncertainties loom over biotech development and production globally. Dr. Jo Shen, with her deep understanding of international drug development needs and the shifting CDMO market, believes this presents a major opportunity for Taiwan’s biotech industry, particularly in CDMO. The US Biosecurity Law could significantly boost Taiwan’s CDMO sector by driving global demand, she suggested. Taiwan already has a solid global CDMO foundation, with over 25 years in small molecules and over 10 years in biologics. Taiwanese CDMOs meet stringent EU/US GMP and quality standards, offer cost advantages comparable to India, and have a rich talent pool. The missing piece is large-scale international marketing to raise Taiwan’s profile. To address this, the Taiwan Bio Industry Organization launched the Taiwan CDMO Alliance earlier this year. Sixteen top-tier CDMO firms joined forces to hire local market experts and aggressively pursue clients in major US biotech hubs. The alliance also organizes international delegations and investment forums to boost Taiwan’s brand recognition and global competitiveness.
 
Private Capital Ready to Fuel Taiwan’s Biotech Surge
Tseng emphasized that in this global biotech funding freeze, Taiwan presents a golden opportunity for private capital to step in, especially to support companies with advanced technologies, late-stage pipelines, and clinical data. Taiwan’s ICT sector, through corporate venture capital (CVC) arms and family offices, has already begun investing in biotech. With strong financial backing, they are well placed to zero in on high-quality global investment targets. In this context, the BIO Asia–Taiwan stands out as a premier platform for biotech investment and cross-border collaboration.
 
 
https://bioasiataiwan.com/
Media contact:
Taiwan Bio Industry Organization (Taiwan BIO)
Daisy Tsai daisy@taiwanbio.org.tw  02- 2783-6028 #14
Dave Silver | dave@taiwanbio.org.tw 0931051009