What Advanced Therapies and BioTrinity 2025 Revealed About Winning Investor Attention

Hello 👋 🤓

I've been out and about at two London conferences this month; Advanced Therapies and BioTrinity, where I saw up close how some companies attract investors while others get overlooked.

Economic uncertainty is making investors more cautious. They’re evaluating more companies but funding fewer deals. In this environment, one thing was clear: telling a compelling story and maintaining visibility is a key factor in determining whether investors remember you when opportunities arise.

1. Storytelling separates the funded from the forgotten

At both conferences, the importance of clear communication was evident. While innovative science remains fundamental, the most engaging presentations were those where companies could translate their complex science into meaningful narratives about market opportunity, differentiation from competitors, and potential impact. As one investor said during Advanced Therapies’ ‘Ask the Investors’ session, “talking science is a no, I want to understand the business opportunity and scaleability.”

2. The presentation slide conundrum

I noticed an interesting divide in presentation approaches. One CEO shared his unconventional strategy with me: "I deliberately pack slides with so much detail that the audience has no choice but to listen to what I'm saying!" While this made me chuckle, I noticed the most engaged (least fidgety) audiences were with presenters who did the opposite, using clean and simple slides that complemented their verbal delivery rather than competed with it.

The reality is that investors are scanning, so clarity and conviction often win out. When your slides create cognitive overload, you're asking investors to work too hard to understand your value.

3. The LinkedIn challenge holding companies back

Almost every CEO or founder I spoke with acknowledged LinkedIn's importance for investor visibility, yet few were leveraging it effectively. The barriers mentioned:

"I know I should be more active, but I'm not sure what to post"

“We don't have the time”

"Who would be interested in my perspective anyway?" (classic imposter syndrome)

"I just hate the platform, I prefer to pick up the phone and speak to people"

“We know we should be doing more but we don't have the money to invest”

What's unfortunate is that these hesitations are keeping many promising companies out of sight and mind exactly when visibility matters most.

4. Sustained presence turns "no" into "yes"

Perhaps the most powerful insight from these conferences is that investor relationships aren't built in a single meeting but cultivated through consistent visibility over time. 

Investors, whether pharma venture funds or investment firms' situations can change overnight. A deal may fall through or fund priorities shift, which means that suddenly that investor has a window or opportunity to look at alternative companies. Being on their radar over time can increase the likelihood of your company getting a call.

The bottom line: In the current funding environment, you can't afford to be invisible. Receiving a "no" from an investor or partner is sometimes just a "not yet." Maintaining consistent visibility—through thought leadership, media coverage, and LinkedIn, keeps you on their radar until timing or circumstances align.

If you're interested in raising your profile with industry partners and investors, I'd be happy to have a chat about how we can support you and your company. Feel free to get in touch here.

Warm regards,

Chris
Founder
Make Business Social
Strategic Communications | PR & Media | LinkedIn

I help life sciences leaders cut through the noise, humanise their science, and secure the visibility and investment they need to scale innovation.