bio:cap: Life Science and AI Investival presents first program highlights and speakers
Berlin is set to become the central meeting place for leading minds from the fields of life science, AI and venture capital, including Nobel Prize winner Prof. Dr. Stefan W. Hell and Bayer board member Stefan Oelrich.
From 9 to 11 June 2026, bio:cap will celebrate its premiere at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. The international Life Science and AI Investival brings together investors with start-ups, research institutions and companies from biotech, tech bio, diagnostics and AI, as well as decision-makers from the world of politics. bio:cap covers the entire innovation cycle – from basic research and technology transfer to financing and political support.
Key topics at bio:cap 2026
The bio:cap program, developed in collaboration with media and content partner Handelsblatt, has an interdisciplinary structure and covers key topics for the future:
⦁ Biotech Innovation & Global Trends – Europe in the global competition for capital, talent and technological sovereignty.
⦁ AI & TechBio – The Intelligence Leap in Life Sciences – How AI is transforming research and development processes and creating new business models.
⦁ Cell & Gene Therapy – Beyond mRNA – Focus on next-generation therapies beyond known platforms.
⦁ Personalised Medicine & Diagnostics – Precision medicine and diagnostics as growth areas with investment potential.
⦁ Legal Landscape & Infrastructure – Regulatory frameworks and industrial infrastructure as a competitive advantage.
⦁ Investment & Commercialisation in Biotech – New capital models, exit strategies and financing paths for growth.
⦁ Prevention & Longevity – Biotechnology and AI in the service of health, prevention and demographic development.
These thematic strands will be explored in depth through a variety of formats, including panels, in-depth sessions, keynote speeches and matchmaking. The aim is to combine scientific excellence with marketable business and investment prospects.
First confirmed speakers: visionaries from research, politics and industry
The program focuses on personalities who will shape the scientific, political and economic development of biotechnology and AI in the future. Among them is Prof. Dr. Stefan W. Hell, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, who was honoured for his pioneering work in ultra-high-resolution fluorescence microscopy. Hell has succeeded in overcoming the previous resolution limit of optical microscopes, enabling new discoveries in biological and medical research.
Stefan Oelrich, a member of the Bayer AG Board of Management and Head of the Pharmaceuticals Division, has an industry background. He has been President of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) since June 2025, the umbrella organisation representing the biopharmaceutical industry in Europe through its national associations of research-based pharmaceutical companies. Another internationally renowned biotech entrepreneur, Rodger Novak, is also expected to attend. He is the co-founder of CRISPR Therapeutics and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Econic Biosciences and AiRNA Therapeutics. He is also a Director of ERS Genomics, which he co-founded in 2014.
Another speaker is Thomas Clozel, the co-founder and CEO of Owkin. He takes a consistently patient-centred approach to developing AI-based medical technologies. Kristin Schreiber, Director for Chemicals, Health, Retail and Agrifood at the European Commission (DG GROW) is also expected to attend. Based in Brussels, she is one of the most important voices in European life science regulation.
Members of the bio:cap Steering Committee also contribute to the programme: Prof. Dr. Heyo K. Kroemer, Prof. Dr. med. Eicke Latz (Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin), Dr. Andreas Schmidt (Springboard Health Ventures), Dr. Johannes Fruehauf (LabCentral and BioLabs), Prof. Dr. Jörg Rocholl (ESMT Berlin), Dr. Rainer Strohmenger (Wellington Partners) and Prof. Dr. Ariel Stern (Hasso Plattner Institute). Their areas of expertise range from immunology and translation to venture building, investment strategies and the use of AI in the life sciences.
Together, they embody the core approach of bio:cap: developing Europe into one of the leading translational ecosystems, where research, entrepreneurship, capital and politics interact sustainably and effectively, building on its scientific excellence.
About bio:cap
bio:cap is an investival at the intersection of life sciences and artificial intelligence. The format is aimed at the entire international life science ecosystem and connects capital, technology and research in an open, investment-oriented environment. At bio:cap, leading international investors meet start-ups, research institutions and companies from the fields of biotech, techbio, diagnostics and AI – complemented by decision-makers from the world of politics. bio:cap will take place for the first time from 9 to 11 June 2026 at CityCube Berlin. The event is organised by Messe Berlin in cooperation with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) and the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI). Handelsblatt is the content and media partner.