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TrialAssure’s Zach Weingarden Joins Other Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders to Present on the Future of AI in Drug Development at RAPS Convergence 2025

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TrialAssure’s Zach Weingarden Joins Other Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders to Present on the Future of AI in Drug Development at RAPS Convergence 2025

TrialAssure, a global leader in AI-enabled, human-driven solutions for the pharmaceutical industry and beyond, announced today that Zach Weingarden, MS, Director of AI Technology & Applications, has been selected to speak at RAPS Convergence 2025, the premier event for global regulatory professionals. Weingarden will join a distinguished panel of experts in the session titled “Embracing the Age of Generative AI in Drug Development,” taking place on Wednesday, October 8 from 9:15 to 10:30 AM ET at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

The session will explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping regulatory intelligence, optimizing study design, accelerating clinical development, and improving patient outcomes. Industry leaders presenting in the session also include:

  • Rudy Fuentes, PhD, RAC, Director, Regulatory Affairs, Thermo Fisher Scientific
  • Xinjiang Wu, PhD, Associate Director, Medical Writing, Biogen
  • Florian Lasch, PhD, Biostatistics Specialist, European Medicines Agency

Each expert will present for approximately seven minutes, followed by a group panel discussion.

“As we move deeper into the age of generative AI, it is essential that the pharmaceutical industry approaches these tools with both curiosity and responsibility,” said Weingarden. “At RAPS Convergence, I’m excited to share how we’re helping sponsors and regulatory teams harness AI in practical ways that support compliance, speed up timelines, and ultimately improve the way our industry develops and delivers treatments.”

AI Adoption Is Accelerating in Pharma and Biotech

A recent report from Define Ventures, published in Fierce Pharma, indicates that 85 percent of leaders at top pharmaceutical companies consider AI an immediate strategic priority, and more than 80 percent are increasing or significantly increasing their AI budgets. As adoption in this way continues to gain popularity, the pressure to integrate these technologies in ways that improve outcomes and maintain regulatory compliance grows stronger with added pressure coming from boards and investors.

In response to this, TrialAssure has embedded AI into its suite of products, including the following:

  • LINK AI®, a leading medical writing tool that helps efficiently develop, translate, and create drafts of clinical, technical, and plain language documents, uses AI to automatically identify, categorize, and extract key data points from clinical trial documents.
  • ANONYMIZE® data, document, and image anonymization and redaction technology leverages AI to assess privacy risk, guide redaction strategies, and suggest context-aware anonymization of clinical documents.
  • REGISTRY®, a start-to-finish e-registration tool for creating, filing, and managing clinical trial registrations and results disclosure around the globe, uses AI to pre-populate registry fields, flag data inconsistencies, and accelerate the registration and results disclosure process.

Weingarden added, “AI is already changing how the pharmaceutical industry works, and we are leading the shift toward smarter, faster, and more compliant solutions.”

View the agenda at www.raps.org/convergence-2025/ or learn more at www.trialassure.com.

ABOUT TRIALASSURE

TrialAssure® is an award-winning global data transparency company providing fast, intelligent, and cost-effective software and services for the pharmaceutical industry and related sectors. A recognized leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), TrialAssure offers AI Enabled, Human Driven™ solutions that support compliance through document and data anonymization, AI-assisted content development, compliance tracking, and clinical trial disclosure. Founded in 2009, TrialAssure’s global team builds proven technology platforms that help Sponsors and research organizations stay aligned with transparency regulations worldwide. TrialAssure was named Data Solution of the Year by the Data Breakthrough Awards.

For more information, visit www.trialassure.com. 

New Three-Phase Course from PumasAI and SOPHAS on AI in Drug Development

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New Three-Phase Course from PumasAI and SOPHAS on AI in Drug Development

PumasAI, a science-first organization that turns data into life-saving decisions faster, announced its partnership with SOPHAS (Society of Pharmacometrics and Health Analytics) to launch a new course aimed at empowering the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals with practical knowledge on Artificial Intelligence in Drug Development (AIDD). This will be the first of many such courses being offered through this partnership.

This course is open to a global audience, no matter their location, and it runs from October 2025 through May 2026. It is designed to equip the next generation of global scientists, public health professionals, and data-driven thinkers with the tools and knowledge to apply AI meaningfully in the drug development lifecycle.

Learning will take place across three immersive phases:

  • Phase 1, Structured Virtual Learning (Oct 2025 – Feb 2026): Participants will build a strong foundational understanding through self-paced modules, recorded lectures, guided exercises, and access to Pumas software tools.
  • Phase 2, Project-Based Learning (Mar 2026): A 10-day virtual workshop will bring learners together for an intensive hands-on training with advanced pharmacometric modeling and scientific machine learning tools, Pumas® and DeepPumas™. These expert-led sessions will feature real-world case studies in drug development and culminate in a capstone project, allowing participants to apply their acquired knowledge and skills to a practical challenge. 
  • Phase 3, Final Submission and Certification (May 2026): Participants will complete the program by submitting their final projects and receiving a Certificate of Attendance or Certificate of Completion, recognizing their readiness to apply AI in professional drug development environments.

“This program is built to democratize access to advanced modeling and AI tools,” said Dr. Vijay Ivaturi, Co-founder and CEO of PumasAI. “Too often, the use of machine learning in drug development is reserved for specialists with expensive tools and siloed training. We’re changing that. Through this collaboration with SOPHAS, we are opening the door for more students, researchers, and professionals around the world to gain meaningful, hands-on AI experience.”

Those that attend will:

  • Understand the fundamental concepts of machine learning and their applications in drug development use cases.
  • Understand and apply machine learning techniques for covariate modeling and prognostic factor identification.
  • Understand and use explainable machine learning techniques to address drug development questions.
  • Combine scientific knowledge and neural networks to build scientific machine learning (SciML) pharmacodynamic models.
  • Understand the conditional variational autoencoder generative machine learning model and its relationship to nonlinear mixed-effects models.
  • Compare pure machine learning, traditional scientific modeling, and hybrid SciML approaches when analyzing longitudinal clinical trial data, with and without random effects.
  • Build and use DeepNLME models to analyze disease progression and biomarker data across multiple realistic case studies.

The course will be taught by leading industry experts, including the following (alphabetical order):

  • Mohamed Tarek, PhD is Senior Product Engineer at PumasAI and a Research Affiliate at the University of Sydney Business School
  • Lucas Pereira is a Product Engineer at PumasAI and holds a master’s degree from the Polytechnic School of the University of São Paulo
  • Vijay Ivaturi, PhD is Co-Founder & CEO at PumasAI and Endowed Chair at the Center for Pharmacometrics, Manipal
  • James Lu, PhD is Senior Principal Investigator of the Bioinformatics Institute at A*STAR, Co-Chair of the IQ Consortium AI/ML WG, and Editorial Board Member at CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology
  • Anthony Blaom, PhD, is a scientific computing consultant, mathematician, and Co-Creator of MLJ, an open-source machine learning platform written in Julia, a project launched by the Alan Turing Institute, London

To learn more or enroll in the course, visit: https://sophas.net/courses-ai-in-drug-development

Universities and academic researchers can gain free access to PumasAI tools by emailing pfa@pumas.ai.

About PumasAI

PumasAI is an award-winning global healthcare intelligence company with a vision to accelerate precision healthcare to patients. Proprietary software and AI tools developed by the company includes the Pumas suite of products, an integrated modeling and simulation platform designed to multiply productivity across the drug development lifecycle. Scientists at PumasAI provide consulting with leading pharmaceutical innovators in clinical pharmacology, model-informed drug development (MIDD), pharmacometrics, front-end applications, and more.

For additional information, visit www.pumas.ai

About SOPHAS

The Society of Pharmacometrics and Health Analytics (SOPHAS) began in 2008 as Population Approach Group in India (PAGIN). With a vision to champion quantitative research in healthcare data analytics, drug development and its appropriate use for the benefit of all stakeholders, the SOPHAS society is working with an expanded mandate including health care data analytics along with our core focus on pharmacometrics in drug development and clinical applications.

For additional information, visit: https://sophas.net/.

Boeing-Built X-37B Spaceplane Launches, Beginning Eighth Mission

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Boeing-Built X-37B Spaceplane Launches, Beginning Eighth Mission

The Boeing [NYSE: BA]-built X 37B Orbital Test Vehicle launched today on its eighth mission, lifting off at 11:50PM ET aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The vehicle is healthy on orbit and proceeding with standard checkout.

Less than six months after completing its seventh mission with a landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., on March 7, 2025, the spaceplane is back in space. This mission includes a Boeing integrated service module to increase payload capacity for experimentation activities on orbit.

The X-37B launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. on August 21 at 11:50 p.m. ET aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, commencing its 8th mission (Photo courtesy of SpaceX)
The X-37B launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. on August 21 at 11:50 p.m. ET aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, commencing its 8th mission (Photo courtesy of SpaceX)

“Our role is to make sure the spaceplane is the most reliable testbed it can be,” said Michelle Parker, vice president of Boeing Space Mission Systems. “None of this happens without teamwork. Launch is the starting line for this mission, but the work that follows –the quiet, methodical work on orbit, analysis and eventual return is where progress is earned.”

The X-37B is hosting several technology demonstrations from government partners on this mission, include laser communications and a quantum inertial sensor designed to support navigation when GPS is unavailable. On its previous mission, the vehicle executed a first of its kind aerobraking maneuver to change orbits while conserving propellant.

“Having a returnable space platform allows us to learn faster,” said Col. Brian Chatman, installation commander for Space Launch Delta 45. “The data we gather from the X-37B speeds decisions, hardens our architectures, and helps Guardians stay connected and on course even in contested environments. This is how we move from promising ideas to fieldable capability at pace.”

The X 37B is a government–industry partnership led by the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, with the U.S. Space Force overseeing operations. Boeing teams primarily based in Seal Beach, Calif., and Kennedy Space Center, Fla., design, build, integrate and operate the reusable spaceplane. Since first flight in 2010, the orbital test vehicle has completed seven missions and accumulated more than 4,200 days in space, returning after each flight for inspection and augmentation.

A leading global aerospace company and top U.S. exporter, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. Our U.S. and global workforce and supplier base drive innovation, economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing is committed to fostering a culture based on our core values of safety, quality and integrity.  

Honeywell Appoints Peter Lau to Lead Industrial Automation

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Honeywell Appoints Peter Lau to Lead Industrial Automation

Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) today announced the appointment of Peter Lau as President and CEO of its Industrial Automation business, effective October 15, 2025. 

A former President of Honeywell’s Security, Fire and Electrical Products businesses, Lau is returning to succeed Lucian Boldea, who is departing the company at the end of the month to pursue another opportunity. Lau will be based in Charlotte, N.C., and will report to Vimal Kapur, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell.

Lau most recently served as President and CEO of FARO Technologies and as a member of the company’s Board of Directors, guiding a strategic transformation that ultimately led to its successful acquisition. Lau also strengthened the company’s position as a leader in 3D measurement, imaging and realization technology by committing to operational excellence, delivering a set of customer-driven products and solutions to accelerate growth.

In his prior role at Honeywell, Lau led three of the company’s global businesses, which focused on global security and the detection and control of fire and life safety solutions. During that time, he helped shift our offerings from hardware to software-based solutions, expanded our global footprint and strengthened our commercial capabilities. Throughout his career, Lau also held senior leadership roles at Hubbell, General Electric and Catalyst Nutraceuticals. He holds a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Northeastern University.

“We are delighted to welcome Pete back to Honeywell,” said Vimal Kapur, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell. “He brings deep industry knowledge, a passion for our business and a strong track record of driving growth—all of which will help fuel innovation and create value for our customers.”

Kapur added: “We are grateful to Lucian for his leadership and dedication to positioning our Industrial Automation business for the next chapter of growth and wish him well in future endeavors.”

Honeywell recently announced an evaluation of strategic alternatives for its Productivity Solutions and Services (“PSS”) and Warehouse and Workflow Solutions (“WWS”) businesses, which are part of the company’s Industrial Automation business. This milestone enables Honeywell to further simplify its portfolio in order to accelerate value creation ahead of its planned separation into three independent, industry-leading companies, which is expected to be complete in the second half of 2026. Following the separation, Honeywell will become a global automation business focused on building automation, process automation and technologies and industrial automation.


Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world. Our business is aligned with three powerful megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world’s toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations through our Aerospace Technologies, Industrial Automation, Building Automation and Energy and Sustainability Solutions business segments that help make the world smarter, safer, as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

World Emblem Announces Plans to Reshore Jobs to the United States

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World Emblem Announces Plans to Reshore Jobs to the United States

World Emblem, the world’s largest emblem and patch manufacturer, today announced plans to reshore jobs to the company’s new factory opening in Houston in October.

Fort Lauderdale-based World Emblem has signed a long-term lease for a new 72,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at 6740 Signat Drive in Houston. The company is moving its regional operations from approximately 35,000 square feet in northwest Houston into the larger space, which will initially produce up to 500,000 emblems and patches per week.

“As a family-owned business founded and headquartered in Florida with locations throughout the country, we are proud to bring more jobs home in support of the country’s reshoring goals while continuing to improve service for our customers,” said Randy Carr, CEO of World Emblem.

“We are committed to continue growing our U.S. manufacturing base, which will not only help us reduce tariff costs and improve supply chain efficiency, but also enhance our ability to provide same-day production and delivery to clients,” said Randy Carr, CEO of World Emblem. “As a family-owned business founded and headquartered in Florida with locations throughout the country, we are proud to bring more jobs home in support of the country’s reshoring goals while continuing to improve service for our customers.”

Approximately 140 employees will work at the plant to start, with plans to reshore 50 jobs and add up to 100 additional staff in total as U.S. production continues to grow to meet rising demand for the company’s emblems, patches, and promotional products including custom stickers, labels, pens, pencils, and name badges.

“Our new state-of-the-art facility will allow us to expand further and continue hiring more employees from the surrounding area,” Carr added. “We are proud of our dedicated team in Houston and strong connection to the city, and look forward to remaining an active part of the community for many years to come.”

World Emblem has additional U.S. factories in Norcross, Georgia and Upland, California, with more than 300 employees in total located throughout the country. The company utilizes its cutting-edge technology, expertise, and proximity to clients in the United States to enable faster production and delivery times than overseas manufacturers.

About World Emblem

World Emblem is the largest emblem and patch manufacturer in the world. The South Florida-based company produces and ships 250 million products a year for sports headwear, footwear, sports garments, uniforms, and other apparel. World Emblem utilizes the latest equipment and technology to manufacture and deliver large-scale projects to clients including New Era, Aramark, Cintas, and Levi’s. For more information, visit www.worldemblem.com.

Virtuous Unveils Major AI Advancements to Help Nonprofits Personalize Fundraising at Scale

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Virtuous Unveils Major AI Advancements to Help Nonprofits Personalize Fundraising at Scale

Today at their 2025 Virtuous User Summit in Minneapolis, Virtuous, the responsive fundraising platform powering today’s most innovative nonprofits, unveiled a sweeping set of innovations that redefine how nonprofit fundraisers use artificial intelligence to cultivate donor relationships and accelerate generosity at scale. Innovations include the launch of Virtuous Insights and the upcoming release of generative AI search and filtering capabilities within Virtuous CRM+. Virtuous also highlighted powerful capabilities from Momentum, the company’s recently acquired AI platform designed specifically to help fundraising leaders equip their Major Gift Officers (MGOs) with an intelligent agent that boosts productivity, personalization, and portfolio coverage at scale.

“Fundraisers today are being asked to do more with less, and keeping up with every donor in a personal way is becoming harder than ever,” said Gabe Cooper, CEO and Founder of Virtuous. “That’s why we’re investing so deeply in AI—to help nonprofit teams work smarter, not harder. With tools like Insights, Momentum, and our new CRM innovations, we’re putting intelligent support directly into the hands of fundraisers so they can spend less time managing data and more time building relationships that grow generosity.”

“With tools like Insights, Momentum, and our new CRM innovations, we’re putting intelligent support directly into the hands of fundraisers so they can spend less time managing data and more time building relationships that grow generosity.” – Gabe Cooper, Virtuous CEO

This new product rollout represents a bold new era of AI for nonprofits, where intelligent tools act on behalf of fundraisers to surface insights, automate outreach, and prioritize the next most valuable action. Together, these product releases and enhancements reflect Virtuous’ deep commitment to equipping nonprofits with modern, mission-aligned technology designed to help them grow giving and do more with less.

Virtuous Insights: AI-Powered Predictive Intelligence for Fundraising Teams

Virtuous Insights is a first-of-its-kind, highly secure, donor intelligence engine embedded in Virtuous CRM+. Designed specifically for nonprofit teams, Insights delivers predictive scores, giving capacity insights, dynamic segmentation, and real-time recommendations across an entire donor base. The system combines first-party CRM and digital engagement signals with third-party wealth, social media and demographic signals to power next-best actions at every stage of the donor journey.

Key capabilities include:

  • Predictive modeling for lapsed risk, upgrade likelihood, and planned giving
  • Suggested gift ranges based on modeled capacity
  • Demographics and affinity insights based on age, stage of life, and interests
  • Smart segmentation and dynamic audience creation
  • 360° donor profiles built from behavior, wealth, and intent signals
  • Daily data appends, no manual screening or spreadsheets

Virtuous Momentum: AI-Powered Engagement for Major and Mid-Level Giving

Recently acquired by Virtuous, Momentum is an AI-powered fundraising agent that automatically prioritizes inboxes, drafts personalized emails, builds donor engagement plans, logs activity to the CRM, and reminds MGOs of important action items. The platform has enabled customers to manage up to 5x more donor relationships—while dramatically increasing the quality, speed, and personalization of every interaction.

“Momentum is a natural extension of our Responsive Fundraising vision,” continued Cooper. “It allows high-touch fundraising teams to operate at a velocity and scale that simply wasn’t possible before. And because it integrates with CRMs like Virtuous, Salesforce, Bloomerang, and Blackbaud, it expands the impact we can make across the sector.”

“Joining Virtuous is an incredibly exciting step for Momentum and our customers,” said Nick Fitz, Founder and CEO of Momentum. “We’ve always believed that fundraisers deserve intelligent tools that act like real teammates—tools that help them deepen relationships, not drown in admin. Virtuous shares that vision and brings the innovation, leadership, and platform scale to take it even further. Together, we’re building the future of fundraising—one that’s powered by AI and rooted in generosity.”

Next Up: Generative AI Filters in Virtuous CRM+

In a third major announcement, Virtuous previewed upcoming generative filtering capabilities inside Virtuous CRM+, providing deeper insights and ultimately aiming to transform CRM into a more strategic and efficient tool. Virtuous generative filters use natural language and generative models to make it easier for fundraisers to explore their donor base to drive various outcomes using a conversational style prompt. Rather than finding or selecting available field and filter options to query their data, users can simply describe what they need in plain language with prompts such as “Can you please show me all donors located in Phoenix, AZ who are recurring givers?”

“This is where we see AI going: not just automation, but intelligence that takes initiative,” said Nathan Chappell, Chief AI Officer at Virtuous. “We’re building AI tools and agents that can understand your goals, interpret unstructured data, and activate the right workflows on your behalf. For fundraisers, this means less time spent on administrative tasks and more time spent on connection. For nonprofits, it means more generosity unlocked.”

AI-Powered Generosity: Building the Next Generation of Responsive Fundraising

These innovations reflect Virtuous’ broader commitment to Responsive Fundraising, a philosophy and platform that enables nonprofits to better connect with constituents and grow giving. By aligning AI capabilities with the responsive framework, Virtuous is helping organizations deliver personalized donor experiences at scale, while saving time and increasing impact.

“We’ve entered a new era of fundraising—one where technology doesn’t replace the fundraiser, it amplifies their humanity,” said Chappell. “This is the power of AI done right.”

See What’s Next

Virtuous invites nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, and technologists to join a live webinar and fireside chat on September 3rd, 2025, hosted by Chief AI Officer Nathan Chappell. The session will explore the future of AI in nonprofit fundraising and include live demos of Virtuous Insights, Momentum, and other upcoming generative capabilities.

Register now at: https://vrtuo.us/4mudWjj

MeeruAI Launches an AI Operating System Built for CFO’s

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MeeruAI Launches an AI Operating System Built for CFO’s

MeeruAI today announced the launch of its AI Operating System built specifically for the CFO’s Office. Designed to think, learn, and act across finance workflows, the solution moves beyond static dashboards to deliver auditable outcomes—faster closes, continuous reconciliation, instant variance explanations, and automated workflow orchestration.

MeeruAI streamlines finance and accounting by automating workflows and reconciliations while turning your data into actionable insight for faster decisions. At its core is a simple promise: Your data. Simplified, Secured, and Synchronized.

MeeruAI harmonizes data from multiple business systems across the enterprise—helping improve consistency and accuracy—provides finance teams with timely access to trusted data and incorporates robust security controls designed to safeguard records and preserve data integrity. In doing so, it shows how generative AI is already optimizing enterprise finance, delivers scalable strategies for efficiency and growth, and signals what’s next for CFO organizations.

“Dashboards recount the past—MeeruAI is designed to help shape the outcome,” said Anji Maram, CEO, MeeruAI. “We’ve built an AI operating system that interprets your accounting policies, flags issues early, explains every step, and helps quantify value, without requiring you to overhaul what already works. It allows finance to operate with intelligence and intent, rather than reactively.”

That vision guided every aspect of the solution’s design—from how it learns a company’s rules to how it records each action for audit. The result is AI that takes action while remaining fully transparent and auditable.

“Our mandate is simple: deliver clean, connected, and controlled data to enterprise finance. ‘Simplified, secured, and synchronized’ isn’t just a tagline—it’s our design principle,” added Shawn Mattar, Head of Product, MeeruAI. “MeeruAI helps harmonize data across systems, gives teams instant access to accurate real-time insights, and is built with enterprise-grade security controls designed to safeguard your data.”

What MeeruAI Does

  • Applies your policies: Enforces accounting rules, posts journals, and logs the “why” for audit readiness.
  • Reconciles at scale instantly flags mismatches, recommends fixes, and logs an end-to-end audit trail.
  • Answers “why?” in plain English: Delivers real-time explanations with one-click drill-downs, no code required.
  • Orchestrates the close: No-code, agent-driven workflows assign tasks, track approvals, and send automated reminders.
  • Connects to what you already use: Integrates with your existing ERPs, BI tools, and data sources; no system changes or downtime required.

To request a live walkthrough, visit meeru.ai and book a demo.

iBIO Releases Inaugural Member Investor Portfolio Report Showcasing $1.24 Billion in Illinois Life Sciences Investment

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iBIO Releases Inaugural Member Investor Portfolio Report Showcasing $1.24 Billion in Illinois Life Sciences Investment

The Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization (iBIO) today released its inaugural Member Investor Portfolio Report, documenting over $1.24 billion in venture-style investments completed by nearly 100 life science companies in Illinois during calendar year 2024. The comprehensive report provides critical benchmarking data for Illinois’ thriving life sciences ecosystem.

“This report represents a milestone for our community,” said John Conrad, President and CEO of iBIO. “It’s essential that we track investment activity in our region, identify key trends, and most importantly, highlight and celebrate the incredible companies that are driving innovation and raising funds despite challenging market conditions. These achievements demonstrate the strength and resilience of Illinois’ life sciences sector.”

The report breaks down investments across multiple funding stages, with late-stage deals capturing 50% of total dollars raised, Series A rounds accounting for 35%, and early-stage investments representing 15%. Software solutions dominated funding by vertical with $544 million raised (44%), followed by pharma and biotech at $369 million (29%), and AgTech/industrial bioscience at $186 million (15%).

BIO International Convention Returns to Chicago in 2030

The report’s release comes following the announcement that the BIO International Convention will return to Chicago in 2030. The convention, which last took place in Chicago in 2013, is expected to bring over 20,000 biotechnology professionals from around the world to the city.

“The BIO International Convention’s return to Chicago is a reflection of the tremendous growth of our life sciences community and a testament to our region’s promise as a major player in the biotech economy of the future,” said Kenneth Johnson, Vice President for Medical Affairs at Immedica US and iBIO board chair “This has long been a goal for iBIO, and we’ve been working closely with BIO and our board members to highlight how important our ecosystem is to the global biotechnology community.”

The convention represents an opportunity to showcase Illinois’ life sciences strengths, including its growing startup ecosystem, world-class research institutions, and robust infrastructure for biotechnology innovation.

Report Highlights

Key findings from the 2024 report include:

  • $1.24 billion raised across 99 life science companies
  • 19 Series A deals led investment activity by deal count
  • 16 deal tombstones highlighted major funding rounds
  • 12 company milestones featured, including FDA approvals and licensing agreements

The report also showcases major Illinois life sciences developments, including ARCH Venture Partners’ $3 billion new fund, Tempus AI’s successful $410 million IPO, and the launch of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

“Raising capital in today’s market is challenging, but the depth of interest from investors — when combined with Chicago’s and the State of Illinois’s strong scientific talent, research infrastructure, and overall access to capital — made our latest funding round a success,” said John Craighead, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Syntax Bio. “This region offers exactly what innovative biotech companies like Syntax need to advance transformative technologies.”

The full 2024 Member Investor Portfolio Report is available at https://ibio.org/investment-report/.

The Healthcare Technology Report Announces The Top 25 BioTech and Life Sciences Executives of 2025

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The Healthcare Technology Report Announces The Top 25 BioTech and Life Sciences Executives of 2025

The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 BioTech and Life Sciences Executives of 2025. This year’s awardees represent a cross-section of leaders driving scientific, operational, and technological progress across the life sciences industry. They include founders, CEOs, and senior executives at companies developing next-generation therapeutics, building AI-enabled discovery platforms, advancing high-sensitivity diagnostics, and reimagining clinical development and manufacturing. From early-stage ventures to global biopharmaceutical companies, these individuals are shaping the tools, infrastructure, and therapies that define the future of healthcare.

Among them are executives who have led successful IPOs and acquisitions, overseen breakthrough approvals in gene and cell therapy, and helped scale technologies that accelerate drug discovery and delivery. Many have built and commercialized platforms that support not just a single treatment, but entire pipelines. Others are expanding access to care in historically underserved disease areas. Whether pioneering programmable cell therapies, launching smart manufacturing systems, or applying AI to decode disease biology, this year’s honorees stand out for their ability to translate complex science into meaningful outcomes.

This year’s awardees include Stuart Arbuckle, Chief Operating Officer of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, who is recognized for overseeing global commercial functions—including market access, patient support, supply chain, and manufacturing—for therapies addressing cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and other serious conditions. Marianne De Backer, Chief Executive Officer of Vir Biotechnology, stands out for leading the company’s strategic pivot toward infectious disease and oncology, drawing on decades of experience in R&D, licensing, and global M&A at Bayer and Johnson & Johnson. Meanwhile, Dan Kagan, President and Chief Operating Officer of Scientist.com, is acknowledged for building a widely adopted research outsourcing framework that powers the company’s global marketplace, used by top pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, and the NIH.

Awardees were selected based on their strategic and operational leadership, contributions to therapeutic innovation and platform development, and ability to advance the broader field of biotechnology and life sciences. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 BioTech and Life Sciences Executives of 2025.

This year’s awardees include among other notable leaders. To view the full list, visit https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/.

Agility Insurance Services Announces Partnership With Wallabe

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Agility Insurance Services Announces Partnership With Wallabe

Agility Insurance Services, a leading Field Marketing Organization (FMO) and General Agency for health and life insurance, is proud to announce its new alliance with insurance provider Wellabe, based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Founded in 1929 as American Republic Insurance Company, Wellabe’s six insurance companies are licensed in 49 states and the District of Columbia, and the company is recognized by AM Best as having excellent financial strength.

This partnership with Wellabe highlights Agility Insurance Service’s commitment to growth across the United States. Since its founding in July 2009, Agility has been a constant presence in the health insurance industry, always adapting and thriving in the constantly changing health insurance landscape.

“This is an important new partnership for our company,” said Steve McLaughlin, President of Agility Insurance Services. “Wellabe has a long history of successful management, and the company’s reach across the United States through its six subsidiaries is incredibly valuable for our agents and brokers.”

Wellabe’s six subsidiaries include:
• American Republic Corp Insurance Company
• American Republic Insurance Company
• Great Western Insurance Company
• Medico Corp Life Insurance Company
• Medico Insurance Company
• Medico Life and Health Insurance Company

Within those subsidiaries, Wellabe offers plans that include Medicare Supplement Insurance, Preneed Funeral Insurance, Dental Insurance, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, First Diagnosis Cancer Insurance, and Short-Term Care Insurance.

Agility Insurance Services is an agency focused on equipping health insurance agents with all the tools they need to make health insurance available to anyone who might need it, whether you are an individual or a small business owner. Our sales team, specializing in health insurance marketing and contracting, provides ample resources for our agents, ensuring their ability to best serve consumers. Whether they are assisting an individual or a small business owner, Agility agents do their best to serve those seeking better coverage.

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