Welcome To 2027 CABS Investor Forum

2027 CABS Investor Forum | JPM Healthcare Conference Week

Join us in person for the 2027 CABS Investor Forum during JPM Healthcare Conference week for a day of insightful discussions, industry perspectives, and valuable networking opportunities across the life sciences and biotechnology ecosystem.

About CABS

CABS is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, dedicated to advancing the life sciences and biotechnology industries through education, collaboration, and networking.

About the Investor Forum

Held in conjunction with the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, the annual CABS Investor Forum has been a signature event for more than 16 years, bringing together leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and innovators to exchange ideas and explore opportunities shaping the future of life sciences.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2027
• Time: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
• Format: Hybrid (In-person and Virtual)

Featured Program

The forum will feature a keynote presentation and two thought-provoking panel discussions exploring key trends and opportunities in the global life sciences industry:

• Beyond Borders, Beyond Deals: The Future of Global Biopharma Partnerships
• AI in Life Sciences: Where Is the Value — Technology, Platforms, or Assets?

Join us for an engaging day of expert insights, meaningful conversations, and connections with leaders across the life sciences investment and innovation community.

Partial list of confirmed speakers

Franck Le Deu, MBA

Managing Partner KerZheng Ventures, Venture Partner Aulis Capital and Sr Partner Emeritus McKinsey.

Franck Le Deu is founder and managing partner of KerZheng Ventures, where he builds strategic bridges in biopharma between the East and the West. He also serves as Venture Partner at Aulis Capital, an early-stage VC fund focused on seeding and nurturing biotechs that capitalize on China-West collaborations. He is senior partner emeritus at McKinsey & Company, having led the China Life Sciences practice and co-led the Asia Life Sciences practice.

A recognized thought leader, he authors a quarterly guest column for BioCentury, including “China biopharma still faces a long road to globalization”, “Europe’s narrow path between the US and China in biopharma”, “ In support of a multipolar p “China biopharma - enter the Oktagon” (BioCentury, 2025), “Vision 2028: How China could impact the global biopharma industry” (McKinsey, 2022), He curates a blog on the China biopharma market on LinkedIn.

Franck is a frequent speaker at major conferences such as the PhRMA forum, CHIC, BioCentury China Summit, BioEquity Europe, and Goldman Sachs Asia forum. He serves on the organizing committee of the BioCentury-BayHelix China Summit since 2014, and is a member of BayHelix since 2014.

A French citizen, he holds an MBA from Kellogg and an MM from AUDENCIA.

Weian Zhao, PhD

Founder and CEO of Aureka Biotechnologies

Dr. Weian Zhao is the founder and CEO of Aureka Biotechnologies. Aureka aims to transform the unsustainable pharmaceutical industry by digitalizing therapeutic discovery through generative AI and high-throughput biology. Dr. Zhao is a serial entrepreneur and a leader in immunotherapeutic discovery technologies and has co-authored approx. 100 articles in respected journals, including Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communications and PNAS. Dr. Zhao has received numerous awards, including MIT’s Technology Review TR35 Award, NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and UCI Innovator of the Year. Dr. Zhao was trained as a bioengineer and pharmaceutical scientist at Harvard Medical School, MIT, and McMaster University.

Startup Pitch Opportunities

Selected startups will also have the opportunity to pitch their companies to an audience of investors and life sciences industry leaders. Pitching opportunities are limited, so interested startups are encouraged to reach out early to learn more.

Contacrt us at: CABS_BCD@cabsweb.org

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in partnering with us? For sponsorship inquiries, please contact fundraising@cabsweb.org

Media Passes

For complimentary media pass inquiries, please contact CABS_BCD@cabsweb.org

We look forward to welcoming you to the 2027 CABS Investor Forum!