Background

The Life Sciences Division was established to help address the problem of a broader investment thesis into the life sciences sector. We recognized a greater than usual asymmetry insofar as life sciences companies typically being starved of cash were unable to grow and develop their products, despite having a credible programme with promising biological data. Investors seeking good returns miss out on the great sector returns because without dedicated in house expertise they are unable to make these critical investment decisions that would require them to decipher data which may not be complete (despite de-risking the investment) and would thus not have the confidence to make go/no-go decisions on a broader range of investments into the sector.

From the investor perspective this lack of in house expertise has led to, either little diversification with high risk bets or no investment into the sector losing out on substantial growth, or instead taking too broad and generalist or excessive-diversification resulting in overall lower returns. Being unable to identify the companies that could not succeed or are lagging too far behind the technology curve, or a difficult regulatory pathway.

The Life Sciences Division business model is engrained on thinking ‘outside the box’ facilitating and channeling investment into life sciences companies. We work closely with global and innovative life sciences companies to help them access growth capital. We aim to provide the funding bridge allowing companies to walk across a chasm and embrace long-term capital and investors. This is evidenced by our support for the Immune Therapy (oncology) and Regenerative Medicine sectors a full decade before the market more generally came to realise the full potential of these exciting and highly disruptive fields.

The companies we work with have cutting edge technologies which will drive innovation in the future. We have a social interest in supporting reverse innovation in the life sciences sector, particularly where technologies are developed with cost in mind for the mass markets.  In addition, beyond human health we have a specific interest in the repurposing of human technologies to support animal health, agri-tech, and aqua-culture to create cross leveraged opportunities.

We have a particular focus on the convergence of tech related growth opportunities that form the basis of  the ‘4th Industrial revolution,’ involving big data, genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, digital medicine, wearable and implantable devices. As well as Biotech companies becoming value drivers in the fields of nano-technologies, personalised medicines, biologics, vaccines, stem cell and gene therapies (regenerative medicine), and diagnostics. With similar macro drivers behind agri-tech, animal health and aquaculture innovation we seek to re-purpose/re-profile disruptive human health technologies to better manage extreme limited physical pressures on livestock, crops, agricultural land and water resources.

Having conducted a thorough analysis of underlying drivers, such as the global ageing population, its effect on disease burden, the economic reality faced by many countries of rising budget deficits and an inability to provide adequate healthcare for its population. The environmental and social consequences of climate change requires immediate action to resolve long-term growing problems.We have focused on these areas as we believe this will have the greatest impact on long term sustainable business prospects where innovation and disruptive technologies can successfully prosper.

The Life Sciences Division is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority to provide Investment banking services and is deeply integrated with the life sciences ecosystem.

International
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Disruptive
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Private
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Institutional
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All the Directors at TLSD have deep industry and sector experience from the buy side, sell side, medical practice or direct from industry.

We have raised more than US$2bn in the past through primary placements in IPOs, Private and Secondary Placements in more than 30 companies over the last ten years. We have advised on MBOs, MBI’s, SPVs and M&A either on the sell side or the buy side with 3rd party capital.

Each of its Directors has more than 20 years of experience working with life science companies and in the financial services industry.

The Life Sciences Division with deep and broad sector expertise acts as an in-house specialist for its clients and aims to assist in making more informed decisions, without restricting the momentum for opportunities.

Most importantly on the downside, enabling risk mitigation by more easily identifying the companies at risk of early failure. This requires diligent information management, rational analysis and speed.