European Neurotech Investing & Partnering Summit to take place in Helsinki

The inaugural European Neurotech Investing & Partnering Summit takes place in Helsinki this week. It features keynotes on the state of the European neurotech industry, investor analysis, as well as company and research project presentations on next generation treatments emerging in the EU for unmet needs of brain and nervous system disorders like Alzheimer's, addiction, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson's, Huntington's, stroke and more.

Neurotechnology is a fast growing industry encompassing 500 companies worldwide, generating over €100 billion annual revenues. While over 2 billion people are afflicted with brain-related illnesses, only a small portion of them are currently receiving effective treatment.  Advances in drugs, devices and diagnostics are coming quickly, however.

The Summit, taking place in September 7-8, 2011 at the Marina Congress Center, is aimed at companies, investors, entrepreneurs and partners of the neurotech industry. The event will give the participants an opportunity to find out about emerging products, discuss challenges, and discovery cutting-edge translational research. Most importantly the event serves as an opportunity for companies and researchers come together with investors.

"The conference opens up networking opportunities and catalyzes new investments and partnerships. We have hosted a successful conference for 6 years in the US and felt the time was right to bring together the stakeholders in Europe. As a testament to the growing opportunities in the space, many of the top European investors are participating including Aescap, Deutsche Bank, Early Bird Ventures, HealthCap, Index Ventures, Novo Ventures, Rothschild Investment Partners, Roche Ventures, and TVM Capital," says Casey Lynch Managing Director of NeuroInsights

NeuroInsights, the world-leading neurotech market authority, co-hosts the conference with the Neurotechnology Industry Organization, a trade association of over 100 leading companies, venture capital firms, patient advocacy groups, and research institutes. Local partners include Greater Helsinki Promotion, University of Helsinki, CNS.fi, International VC Zone, the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Aalto Center for Entrepreneurship and Cerebricon.

The region that becomes the next neurotech hub will be rewarded by high-quality jobs, investment capital and potential economic growth. In Europe, the race is still wide open. The Neurotechnology Industry Organization has already listed Helsinki as one of the 5 European places to watch, and Helsinki is in the top 20 of neurotech regions worldwide.

"We were very pleased to be hosting the first European Neurotech Investing & Partnering Summit in Helsinki," says CEO Tatu Laurila from Greater Helsinki Promotion, one of the local partners of the summit. "Cutting-edge research and development is already done in Helsinki, and hosting the biggest event of the industry gives our researchers and entrepreneurs an excellent opportunity to network with the rest of the industry and investors."