Building a financing strategy beyond venture capital. Meet the #2 panel of the 5th Life Science Funding Forum
On December 9, 2026, the CQIB invites you to the Holiday Inn Laval for the 5th edition of the Life Sciences Financing Forum. Once again, the event brings together the people shaping the financing of health innovation in Quebec and across Canada.
Building a Financing Strategy Beyond Venture Capital
The second panel of the day will explore financing strategies that go beyond traditional venture capital. Moderated by Francis Desrochers, Co-founder of helloDarwin, this discussion will highlight alternative funding options and innovative approaches to help life sciences companies finance their growth and bring their ambitions to life.
Meet the moderator
Francis Desrochers s is the co-founder of helloDarwin, a Quebec-based company that has spent the past 10 years helping Canadian businesses fund their R&D and innovation projects through government grants and tax credits. A serial entrepreneur for more than 15 years, he also launched a campaign that won a Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions festival. He speaks regularly at conferences and on podcasts about government funding.
Meet the panelists
Shaan Gandhi leads strategic collaborations at Pfizer that expand the company’s commercial portfolio through innovative operational and financial structures. He previously headed strategic partnerships for Pfizer Ignite and held leadership and investment roles at Northpond Ventures and Longwood Fund, where he co-founded Pyxis Oncology. Holding an MD and a DPhil, he also sits on the boards of several biotechnology companies.
Jessica Miller is the founder of RocketBio. She invests with a patient, long-term approach in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and next-generation preclinical tools. She serves on the board of directors of VoxCell BioInnovation, which develops vascularized 3D-bioprinted tumor models for precision oncology, as well as on the strategic board of NETRI, a French company specializing in organ-on-chip systems. A graduate in materials engineering from the University of Toronto with a master’s degree in nanomaterials from Imperial College London, she combines scientific training with investment expertise.
Charles Xavier O. supports entrepreneurs and investors at Anges Québec in the fields of life sciences, medical technologies, biotechnology, cleantech and advanced manufacturing. He previously worked at the MEDTEQ+ INVEST fund, where he focused on venture capital investments in innovative health technologies.
Vincent Dodelet is an Innovation Advisor with the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP). He supports innovative Quebec companies in the development and financing of their projects. With a background in life sciences, he worked at Ecopia on a drug discovery platform.
Why attend ?
Entrepreneurs, investors and industry professionals: this discussion will give you a better understanding of where capital is heading, and what investors expect from the companies they fund.
It is also a unique opportunity to connect with these experts and build strategic relationships at the heart of the life sciences ecosystem.
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