Beyond Biotech - the podcast from Labiotech The state of biotech finance and fundraising in Q2 2025 with Baker McKenzie
Biotechnology has always been a dynamic domain, but the world of finance that provides the fuel for the fire is just as vibrant. Trying to predict where the market for biotech investment is heading is always risky but for experts like Baker McKenzie’s Roel Meers, understanding where the market is moving is where he eats.
I spoke to Roel this week to unpack just where biotech funding stands in Q2 2025, to get a feel for the sorts of M&As, IPOs, and licensing deals we should be looking for in the second half of the year. We also talk about some alternative financing options for innovators and early-stage firms.
01:09 Introducing Roel Meers
02:18 Corporate finance and the life sciences
04:53 Brussels, Europe, and beyond: Baker McKenzie’s global footprint
06:21 Navigating life science regulations and regulators
10:33 De-risking biotech investments in uncertain times
11:57 How investors are minimizing risk in 2025
13:35 Funding trends for biotechs in emerging hubs, including Benelux
15:58 The deal types that will dominate 2025
17:35 The therapeutic areas where deals are being done
19:16 Trends in biotech in Europe, in North America, and in the Asia-Pacific
20:36 Macroeconomics and biotechnology finance
22:54 De-risking deals by lowering upfronts, increasing milestones
26:38 What to consider when choosing alternative financing options
30:35 When should biotechs bring in outside finance experts
33:47 Looking beyond 2025 – what’s coming, and why
36:38 How European biotechs can position themselves for funding success
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