This has been the year of the preclinical biotech cash out: So many early-stage, promising young startups have gone public earlier than ever before. Or they've sold to an opportunistic pharma, sometimes with a big-bucks bet that a platform or asset would be a big mover for its pipeline.
But plenty of biotechs remain private and independent, and once again we honor them with our Fierce 15 award, homing in on their hard work and cutting-edge research to stop disease in its tracks.
This year we’ve broadened our horizons, looking outside the U.S. and beyond cancer and rare diseases, to find companies in the fight against infectious disease, pain, neurodegenerative disease and more—including one company that hopes it can find a way to combat nearly all disease using a new model of cell biology.
Biotechs from Belgium, the U.K. and Spain—including one that has twice broken its life science VC raise record—are also on the winners’ list.
Funding rounds have stayed healthy, with series A hauls regularly hitting the $50 million-plus figure, and several hitting more than $100 million in funding and capital commitments.
Small, gutsy biotechs are still attracting venture capitalists, the public markets and Big Pharma suitors. Check through our 2019 winners’ list to see what the next generation of up-and-comers are working on.