LOOKING BACK ON OIS RETINA 2023
The American Society of Retina Specialists Annual Meeting (ASRS) swapped coasts from NYC last summer to Seattle this July. The OIS Retina Innovation Summit preceded the ASRS meeting with participation from ExSight and our retina portfolio companies.
Dr. Rahhal reprised his role as co-chair, kicking off the day with an overview of Hot Topics in the Retina Space. The challenging capital markets were front of mind for many of the 350 participants, including 50% startup executives, 20% industry executives, 15% finance/investment professionals, and 15% retina surgeons. ONL Therapeutics CEO David Esposito provided some perspective, “I know it’s tough to raise funds now, but it’s always tough.”
Mr. Esposito joined a panel moderated by ExSight partner James Murray, focusing on Early-stage Relationships Between Venture Investors & Startup CEOs. Firas and David discussed the history of ExSight’s investment in ONL, with a specific focus on how companies can leverage their relationships with their VC backers to optimize for success. Re-Vana CEO Michael O’Rourke and Lori-Ann Christie, a principal at Re-Vana’s Series A lead investor Visionary Ventures, provided insights into how investors can help add additional perspectives and skillsets to small companies.
Michael O’Rourke presented Re-Vana separately during the Spotlight on Innovation Showcase, while Valitor co-founder and CSO, Wesley Jackson, Ph.D., presented during the Innovation Showcase.
Firas also led a panel discussion, Reverse Pitch by Strategics. The novel panel topic shed much-needed light on what strategic partners look for in companies and the resources they bring to the table.
OIS Retina 2023 was another success. Congratulations to Craig, Maureen, and the team at OIS, as well as Firas and his co-chairs, Dr. Maria Berrocal and Dr. Pravin Dugel for convening an excellent group of innovators, clinicians and investors in Seattle. We highlight a few ExSight-related videos below but encourage you to check each presentation out YouTube.