Anthony Mouchantaf (RBCx) and Peter van der Velden (Lumira VC) on Why Canadian LPs are starting to wake up to the Biotech Industry

Oct 7, 2021

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As we’ve seen from the last two years, BioTech holds immense promise for the future but brings along challenges as an investor into the space. Today we have a lively discussion with two sides of the BioTech investing world, Peter van der Velden, General Partner and Managing director of Lumira Ventures, and Anthony Mouchantaf, Director, Venture Capital at RBCx.

About Anthony Mouchantaf:As Director of Venture Capital with RBCx, Anthony works closely with partners across RBC on the bank’s venture investment strategy and leads the venture fund finance group. Prior to joining RBC Anthony was a VC-backed startup founder and a venture capital investor with OMERS Ventures, based out of the fund’s London and Toronto offices.

About Peter van der Velden:With 28 years of investment and operating experience, Peter has participated in building companies from start-up through to expansion in the life sciences, information technology, and consumer sectors. Peter’s experience includes: Founder of a boutique merchant bank focused on private IT-based companies, Head of Investment Banking for a boutique investment bank focused on the public IT-based companies, Partner in a buyout partnership targeting retail and consumer-centric businesses; Vice President Business Development for a venture capital-backed drug delivery company; and an Associate role at Canada’s then-largest venture capital firm. Peter started his working career with Canada’s largest independent vaccine manufacturer.

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In this episode we discuss:

03:32 Peter’s journey to becoming a BioTech investor

06:04 What the Canadian BioTech scene was like 10 years ago

07:36 How Anthony convinced the team at RBCx to take BioTech seriously

08:52 The pandemic’s role in convincing LPs to take BioTech seriously

11:33 Peter’s take on why institutional investors have started to take BioTech investing more seriously

15:09 How life sciences has more liquidity than traditional tech sectors

17:07 How the life sciences market has matured over the last 10 years

18:21 Insight into how investment committees at institutional investors work and how they look at biotech and life sciences

23:26 Why life sciences can be intimidating to traditional investors

30:57 What needs to happen to get Canadian investors more comfortable with investing in BioTech

35:15 Why making unicorns isn’t everything in investing