Watch-Out Tech Industry, Biotech is on the Rise in San Francisco

Print 10 August 2015
Jessica Torres / BioTech Now

When thinking about the industries that make up San Francisco’s vibrant economy, biopharma is often overshadowed by the Bay Area’s reputation as a tech hotspot. But in reality, health care outpaced the tech sector in 2014 by generating over $28 billion in economic activity and employing over 20% of San Francisco workers. The Bay Area is a hub of innovation for growing biotechs looking to connect with the right investors, which is why BIO chose to host its annual BIO Investor Forum in San Francisco again this year.

Now in its 14th year, the BIO Investor Conference has become the premier event for smaller specialty pharma/biotech companies looking to add to their pipelines, explore collaborations and secure financial capital. It is also become the ideal setting for early stage assets from the university setting. New to this year’s program, BIO will feature the BIO SPARK Showcase for academic researchers in the SPARK network to showcase drug development programs that are ready for partnering or venture funding.

Fierce Biotech asserts that San Francisco was the number one city for biotech venture funding in 2014. Bay Area biotechs are growing both in number and in valuation, helping the Nasdaq biotechnology index grow 40% since 2014. Foster City-headquartered Gilead Sciences, for example, is valued at $170 billion, surpassing many tech giants including IBM.

Biotechnology is one of the top ten industry clusters in the Bay Area, generating over 40,000 jobs last year. San Francisco also has the highest concentration of biotech companies in the country. Some of the largest biotech firms in the greater San Francisco Bay area include well-known companies like Amgen, Bayer, Norvartis, Genentech, Onyx, and Gilead Sciences.

In addition to these established public companies, there is a whole crop of innovative emerging companies seeking investment and business development opportunities with venture capital, private equity, public investors, research analysts, and industry executives. In fact, BIO will be celebrating this year’s Fierce 15 winners, privately held drug developers and platform biotechs with the potential to have a huge impact on the treatment of human diseases. Be part of the region’s growth sector and join us the BIO Investor Forum. Register before August 21st and save up to $200! We hope to see you there.

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