It was another banner year for the Wilson Sonsini Entrepreneur & Investor Life Sciences Summit (E&I Summit), presented by BioUtah and the University of Utah Technology Licensing Office. The 2024 E&I Summit, held, March 14 at the Sheraton in Salt Lake City, provided a forum where Utah’s healthcare entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and the investment community come together to discuss the capital landscape and the in-novation journey from ideation to successful commercialization.

This year’s more than 350 registrants heard from distinguished speakers, including keynote speaker Monica DiCenso, with J.P. Morgan, who addressed current market conditions and the outlook ahead. Keynote speaker, Dave Perry, wowed the audience with his story of taking his startup, Urotronic from startup to exit in just eight years.

Panels featured an impressive line up of CEOs who have successfully built life sciences companies and national and local investors who shared their perspectives on fund-ing for the life sciences.

Nine companies participated in the popular Pitch Competition, each deserving recognition for their vision and novel technologies. With so many impressive presentations, the judges faced a difficult decision in naming a winner. Spire Therapeutics took first place while Bloom Surgical was named runner-up.

“This year’s E&I Summit showcased the culture of innovation that Utah’s life sciences community is becoming known for,” said Kelvyn Cullimore, president and CEO of Bi-oUtah. “In fact, Utah has received numerous accolades as one of the best states in the country for startups.”

Targeted tracks featured an array of industry experts, mentors and life sciences ven-ture capitalists who covered topics such as capital resources in Utah, avoiding hiring mistakes, and when to consider professional services.

The E&I Summit drew to a close with an epic day at Deer Valley. Ski enthusiasts took to the slopes while others joined us for a fabulous lunch on the mountain – over 100 total guests! It was a great way to continue conversations started at the conference.

A special thank you to Bruce Hunter and the University of Utah Technology Licensing Office. We also thank our title sponsor, Wilson Sonsini and our many generous spon-sors and exhibitors who made the Summit possible.

The E&I Summit is the go-to conference for Utah’s life sciences entrepreneurs and in-vestors. If you missed this year’s event, please visit the photo gallery and follow us on social media. And watch for summaries of key presentations in future newsletters.