LNTRN-001

THELANTERNSUMMIT2026

Name: The Lantern Summit
Start: 2026-10-26
End: 2026-10-28
Location: Shanghai

Join us for one of the most important conversations happening in biotech today with leaders from China and the West.

Request an invitation ↗

DATES

26–27 OCT 2026

SITE

SHANGHAI, CHINA

01 – OVERVIEW

Bridging two great biotech ecosystems to catalyze breakthrough medicine.

DAYS IN SHANGHAI,
BY INVITATION ONLY

ECOSYSTEMS:
CHINA AND WEST

SHARED MISSION: ACCELERATE DRUG DISCOVERY
AND ACCESS TO BREAKTHROUGH TREATMENT

02 – THEMES

6 conversations: where cross-border ambition becomes real medicine.

Deal Structures

NewCo, Co-Co and license in/out: how the landmark cross-border structures get built.

China Trials, Global Data

Running trials in China, and how far that data really carries with global regulators.

Regulation and Data Rules

Order 818, cross-border data rules and tightening US regulation: where the lines are, and where they're moving.

Buyers and Investors

What makes China big pharma say yes, and who's writing checks from seed to Pre-IPO on both sides of the Pacific.

Science Going Global

China-originated science going global: late-stage ADCs, antibodies, cell therapy and AI-driven discovery.

Landing in China

Where a Western team plugs in: industrial parks, shared labs, and hubs.

03 – SPEAKERS

Ugur Sahin
Physician Scientist and Entrepreneur
Ugur Sahin is a physician, scientist and entrepreneur whose work has, together with Özlem Türeci, helped establish mRNA as a new class of medicine. Trained as a doctor at the University of Cologne, he has spent more than three decades in cancer research and immunology, working on how the immune system can be directed against disease. He co-founded Ganymed Pharmaceuticals in 2001 and BioNTech in 2008, where he led the development of the first approved mRNA vaccine against COVID-19. He and Özlem are pioneers of individualised cancer immunotherapies tailored to each patient's tumour, and their work has been recognised with numerous international awards, including the German Future Prize and the FT Business Person of the Year.
Alan Jiang
Chief Strategy Officer, XtalPi
Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Director of the Board at XtalPi Holdings (2228.HK), where he leads strategy development, growth-opportunity identification and execution. XtalPi is a pharmaceutical technology company built on quantum physics, artificial intelligence and robotic automation for biopharmaceutical and materials R&D. He joined with over twenty years of scientific and research management experience at Genzyme and then Sanofi-Genzyme, latterly as Director of Asia R&D Strategy at the Sanofi-Genzyme R&D Center, where he led cross-functional external collaborations across Asia. He holds an MD and a doctorate in molecular biology, followed by post-doctoral research in hematology and oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Alex Colville
Co-Founder, age1
Andrew Bartynski
Co-Founder & CEO, Kopra Bio
Co-founder and CEO of Kopra Bio, a San Francisco biotechnology company developing engineered viral vectors that reprogram tumor cells to make cancer cures; its lead program, KB-516, is a replication-competent retroviral vector that delivers a potent cytokine payload to solid tumors. A serial biotech entrepreneur and repeat Y Combinator-backed founder, he co-founded ANA Therapeutics, a COVID-19 antiviral company that went from founding to a Phase II/III trial in under six months and was acquired within a year, and served as COO of YourChoice Therapeutics, which is developing a non-hormonal male contraceptive pill. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Ben Woodington
Co-Founder & CEO, Coherence Neuro
Ben is the founder and CEO of Coherence Neuro, a clinical stage neurotechnology company based in San Francisco. Coherence uses neural interfaces to treat, track, and model disease progression in cancer. His PhD and previous research at the Bioelectronics Lab at the University of Cambridge was focused on developing and translating minimally invasive & shape changing neural interfaces for the brain and spine.
Carol Magalhaes
Co-Founder, Autonomy Bio
Co-founder of Autonomy Bio, an age1-incubated biotechnology company focused on extending healthy human lifespan. She spent three years at age1, the oldest venture capital firm dedicated to aging biology, whose portfolio includes five public companies and one FDA-approved therapy. Before age1, she conducted aging biology research in George Church's laboratory at Harvard. She earned a bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology from Northwestern University and enrolled in Stanford's PhD program before dropping out to co-found Autonomy Bio. Originally from Brazil, she combines a scientific background in aging biology with experience in biotechnology investing and company building.
Chenxiang Tang
CEO, CirCode Biomed
CEO of CirCode Biomed, the only circular RNA company to have received IND approvals from both the US FDA and China's CDE, and the first to dose a circular RNA drug in patients globally. A pharmaceutical industry veteran with over 10 years of experience, he was previously a founding member and CEO of MabGen Biotech, the Hengrui Group company focused on CMC development of biologics, and before that worked at MabVenture Biotech and SOHO China as assistant to the chairman. He holds a PhD in structural biology from Yale University and bachelor's degrees in biology and economics from Tsinghua University. He is a professor of practice at the Shanghai University MBA Center, a member of the Tsinghua Entrepreneur & Executive Club, and a Pearl Leading Talent of Shanghai's Pudong New District.
Chris Lai
Chairman & CEO, METiS TechBio
Chairman of the Board and CEO of METiS TechBio, which listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 13 May 2026 (7666.HK) as the world's first listed company in AI-powered drug delivery. He earned his PhD in chemical engineering from the Novartis-MIT Center for Continuous Manufacturing, won MIT's clean energy and water treatment innovation award, and founded the water-technology company AquaFresco. He later served as a strategy consultant at McKinsey and Company, advising leading pharmaceutical clients, and now leads METiS's AI innovation, technology platform and corporate development.
Dan Wee
Chief eXecution Officer, Enveda
Chief eXecution Officer at Enveda, where he has worked since before the seed round, leading Finance, Legal, Quality, SynBio and Special Projects and bridging the company's science, business and operations so it runs as fast as it reliably and safely can. With over ten years of experience building products and leading companies, he earned his PhD in Molecular Biology and has several publications in high-impact journals. Before Enveda he founded and led, as CEO, a synthetic biology company focused on scalable, cost-effective biologics manufacturing for large pharmaceutical companies, later acquired by Vectron Biosolutions. Outside of work he enjoys time with his family, cooking, playing music, skiing and random walks.
Derek Weng
China CEO, Blueprint
Derek is the CEO of Blueprint China and the Founder & CEO of Lemonbox, a personalized nutrition brand. Blueprint, founded by Bryan Johnson, is a longevity and health brand; Derek leads its China strategy and operations. Lemonbox aggregates biomarker and lifestyle data to deliver customized daily nutrition supplement packs, and has served over 10 million users. Before founding Lemonbox, Derek worked at Walmart Labs in Silicon Valley. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and is a Y Combinator alumnus.
Elliot Hershberg
Partner, Amplify Partners
Partner at Amplify Partners and author of The Century of Biology newsletter. At Amplify he invests in early-stage digital biology businesses building the platforms and infrastructure that accelerate biomedical progress, and his newsletter covers the data, companies, and ideas at the frontier of biology (cited by NYT-bestselling books and research reports from leading investment banks). He earned his PhD in Genetics from Stanford University, and previously worked as a software engineer building widely used open-source tools for genomics researchers.
Fiona Yu
Partner, RA Capital
Partner at RA Capital, based in Shanghai, which she joined in 2026. She previously spent over twelve years at Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC), serving as Partner since 2021 and helping build the firm's healthcare practice. Earlier she worked at Johnson & Johnson in China and the United States, and in management consulting at Monitor Deloitte. She holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Beihang University, a master's in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA from Duke University.
Gokhan Er
Co-Founder & GP, Lantern Capital
Guoxin Zhu
Senior Vice President and Global Head of Research, Hengrui Pharmaceuticals
Guoxin Zhu is Senior Vice President and Global Head of Research at Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. He received his bachelor's degree from Zhejiang University and his PhD from Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, CAS, and completed postdoctoral research at Pennsylvania State University, USA. Dr. Zhu brings over 30 years of global, cross-functional leadership experience in drug discovery, spanning all stages from target validation to early clinical development across a range of therapeutic areas, including diabetes/obesity and related complications, immunology, neuroscience, pain, and oncology. Prior to joining Hengrui Pharma, Dr. Zhu served as Vice President of Molecule Discovery at Eli Lilly and Company, where he led multiple drug discovery and early development projects. He also chaired the Small Molecule Strategy Group, overseeing the research and advancement of over 100 small molecule clinical candidates. As a core member of the Therapeutic Area Strategy Group, he also contributed to portfolio strategy and external collaboration initiatives across multiple therapeutic modalities, including small molecules, peptides, antibodies, and siRNA.
Harri Järveläinen
Founder, BiotechGo Consulting
Harri Järveläinen, DVM, PhD, MBA, is a biotech entrepreneur and drug development executive with over 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Based in China since 2012, he has deep hands-on experience in China's biotech ecosystem, with particular expertise in preclinical development, CRO management, toxicology, GLP, regulatory strategy, and IND-enabling programs. He has contributed to more than 50 drug development programs across small molecules, oligonucleotides, peptides, and biologics. Harri specializes in building and operating lean virtual biotech companies, integrating global drug development strategy with China-based execution. He has held CEO, COO, and R&D leadership roles at multiple biotech companies, and has helped transform academic startups into clinical-stage companies with successful listings or exits.
Jacqueline Fok
Investment Director, SoftBank Investment Advisers
Investment Director at SoftBank Investment Advisers, based in London, where she focuses on life sciences and health tech. She serves on the boards of Encoded Therapeutics, Deep Genomics and InterVenn, and previously held a board role at Metsera, which was acquired by Pfizer. Before SoftBank she was an investment manager at IP Group, the FTSE-listed deep tech and life sciences investor that builds companies out of the UK's leading scientific research. She began her career as a research scientist in AstraZeneca's Oncology R&D Unit in Cambridge, UK. She holds a BSc in Biochemistry and an MRes in Cancer Biology from Imperial College London, and a PhD in Cancer Biology from The Institute of Cancer Research.
Jeff He
Co-Founder & CEO, TandemAI
Co-Founder and CEO of TandemAI, where he is building a drug discovery paradigm that couples AI, physics-based world models and high-throughput experimentation, with human scientists setting the questions and AI computing the discovery paths. A serial entrepreneur with over 25 years across biopharma and technology, he previously co-founded HiFiBiO Therapeutics as COO (building operations across China, the U.S. and France in four years, launching 10+ immunomodulatory pipelines and raising $200 million) and Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) as CFO, and held senior roles at ChemPartner (SZ: 300149) and TPG. He holds an MBA from Emory University's Goizueta Business School and a B.S. from Zhejiang University.
Jeff Wang
Founder, Global Pharma Navigator
Founder of Global Pharma Navigator (GPN) and Chief Growth Strategist. A 15-year pharma industry veteran with a decade of hands-on API manufacturing experience, he built GPN into a network of 30,000+ manufacturers and 250,000+ key decision-makers across biomedicine, biomanufacturing, health care and medical aesthetics, bridging industry, academia, research, government, and capital. He also founded Yaodingji, a leading biopharma livestream platform that has aired 300+ episodes with 3M+ views, and has personally conducted on-site visits to 6,500+ companies. His team's "Five-Dimensional Symbiosis" growth framework has guided over 200 companies through strategic repositioning and measurable performance breakthroughs. He holds a BA from Minzu University of China and an EMBA from Peking University.
Jenny Yang
Head of External Innovation, Asia Pacific, Novo Nordisk
Head of External Innovation Asia Pacific at Novo Nordisk, where she leads the identification, evaluation, and advancement of transformational innovation opportunities across one of the world's most dynamic healthcare and life science ecosystems. A senior biopharma executive, scientist, and inventor with more than 17 years of experience spanning scientific research, technology innovation, business strategy, and global partnerships, she holds a BS from Peking University, a PhD from Columbia University, completed postdoctoral training at Caltech as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellow, and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Jielun Zhu
Co-Founder, CFO & CBO, Excalipoint Therapeutics
Co-founder, CFO and CBO of Excalipoint Therapeutics, a Chinese hybrid NewCo whose US$68.7 million seed round set a new record for biotech seed financing in China. He has over 20 years of experience in capital formation for innovative biotech companies and previously served as CFO, CSO and CIO at I-Mab and Fapon Biotech, leading I-Mab's NASDAQ IPO and its rise in market cap from US$800 million to US$7 billion within 18 months, work recognized with top "Best CFO" rankings from Institutional Investor. Before I-Mab he led healthcare sector coverage in Asia for Jefferies and held healthcare banking roles at Deutsche Bank and UBS. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Baker Scholar and a BA from Wesleyan University, where he was class valedictorian.
Joshua Yang
Founder & CEO, Glyphic Biotechnologies
Founder and CEO of Glyphic Biotechnologies, which he co-founded in 2021, building a single-molecule protein sequencing platform that lets researchers read proteins directly, with the resolution and scale that next-generation sequencing brought to DNA. He previously co-founded Nephrosant, whose noninvasive kidney-transplant rejection diagnostic is now available nationwide and reimbursed by Medicare. His scientific roots are in single-molecule biophysics, which he studied as an MD-PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins in the lab of Taekjip Ha. He also holds a Master's in Translational Medicine from UC Berkeley and UCSF and an MBA from the Stanford GSB.
Jun Wang
Founder, Remunix & Feedback Therapeutics
Founder of Remunix and Feedback Therapeutics, biotechnology startups developing precision immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. A scientist-entrepreneur with deep expertise in immune regulation, he has discovered multiple therapeutic pathways and pioneered new approaches to selectively modulate pathogenic immune cells. He is also a co-founder of BioSpark, a nonprofit organization that promotes effective scientific partnerships and communication. His work brings together innovative biology, therapeutic development, and strategic partnerships to accelerate scientific discoveries into transformative medicines.
Katherine Jones
Neurotech Investor and Operator at Merge Labs / Edge City
Katherine Jones is an investor and operator at the frontier of neurotechnology. She was the first operations hire at Merge Labs, where she ran launch operations for the brain-computer interface company and remains an advisor. Earlier she led health and neurotech investing at Hummingbird Ventures, and before that was at re.Mind Capital, one of the first venture funds dedicated entirely to the brain. Trained as a neuroscientist at King's College London, she began her career in research and NHS strategy before moving into venture. She is now on the leadership team at Edge City, where she runs talent and residency programs, including neurotech programming that convenes leading BCI researchers and founders.
Keats Shi
CEO, Jiyu Bio
Keats Shi is the CEO of Jiyu Bio, an early stage tech company based in San Francisco. Using a disease-indexed, personal-data-optimized AI agent, Jiyu Bio matches foreign patients with treatment options in China. The company also serves biotech companies outside China by precisely matching them with clinical resources. Her PhD training at Baylor University and prior research span fundamental biological mechanisms, translational medicine, and the development of complex AI algorithms grounded in biophysical data.
Kerry L. Blanchard
President of R&D, TandemAI; Co-founder & CEO, Perpetual Medicines
Dr. Blanchard has been a drug hunter and entrepreneur for four decades, the last 16+ years based in China. He co-founded Perpetual Medicines, a peptide therapeutics and computational AI platform company, with Gordian Ventures; following its merger with TandemAI, he is CEO of Perpetual Medicines and President of R&D at TandemAI. Previously he was CEO of Everest Medicines, Operating Partner at CBC Group, Chief Science Officer at Innovent Biologics, and SVP of Lilly China Drug Development and External Innovation, where he built the company's external partnership drug development model in China. He has played critical roles in the discovery and development of five approved drugs, including abemaciclib, and his teams at Lilly, Innovent, and Everest have produced more than 35 approved NDAs in Asia. He has strong relationships with China's NMPA and Singapore's HSA, and has worked with leading Chinese KOLs across oncology, diabetes, infectious disease, nephrology, and autoimmunity on medicines including Trodelvy, sintilimab, etrasimod, eravacycline, Lilly's incretin portfolio (dulaglutide, tirzepatide), Nefecon, and mazdutide, the first-in-class oxyntomodulin analogue. He co-founded the Asian Cancer Research Group, served on the boards of Lilly China and Zymeworks, and co-chaired the Lilly Asia Ventures Investment Committee. He holds a BS in chemistry, PhD in biochemistry, and MD from Indiana University, trained at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber, and Harvard Medical School, and was a Damon Runyon Fellow and a Fellow of the American Cancer Society. Before joining Lilly in 2000, he was a tenured Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at LSU Health Sciences Center.
Luyan Dai
Executive Director, Disease Research Data Governance Platform, International Headquarters of the Greater Bay Area National Innovation Center
Executive Director of the Disease Research Data Governance Platform at the International Headquarters of the Greater Bay Area National Innovation Center, a national-level research translation hub that helps biopharmaceutical companies at home and abroad unlock the translational value of clinical research data and accelerate the clinical development of therapeutics and medical devices. A cross-disciplinary executive deeply engaged in healthcare, she brings nearly twenty years of global experience in innovative drug and device development and clinical research, with hands-on expertise in statistics and data science, Bayesian statistical methodology, global multi-region development and regulatory strategy, real-world data, and the application of AI and digital technologies. She founded and led the China statistics team at Boehringer Ingelheim as Head of Statistics for Asia Pacific, built the clinical team at Harbour BioMed as Head of Clinical Development, and served as Vice President of Strategic Innovation and Chief Statistical Expert at Yidu Tech, while also advising investment institutions. She is an Advisory Committee Member of the DIA China Talent Committee and a Standing Committee Member of the Theory and Methodology Committee of Chinese Health Statistics.
Matt Peloquin
Vice President of Research, Loyal
Vice President of Research at Loyal, a biotechnology company developing therapeutics to extend lifespan and healthspan in dogs, where since 2021 he has helped shape the research and regulatory strategies behind the first and second FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine efficacy approvals for canine lifespan extension. A translational research scientist and biotech executive with more than a decade in drug discovery and development, he previously led preclinical drug discovery programs in Pfizer's Internal Medicine Research Unit targeting metabolic diseases, cancer cachexia and sarcopenia, and his work has appeared in journals including Nature Communications, Aging Cell, GeroScience and the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle.
Max Marchione
Founder & CEO, Superpower
Mia Deng
Co-Founder & GP, Lantern Capital
Michael Yin
Chairman, Suzhou BioBAY
Chairman of Suzhou Industrial Park Biotech Development Co., Ltd (BioBAY), with many years of experience in life sciences. Leading the investment promotion team with an international vision, he has focused on nucleic acid drugs, new vaccines, and cell and gene therapies, ushering in innovative, high-growth biopharmaceutical companies including SanegeneBio, MediLink Therapeutics, WuXi Vaccines and Xellsmart, and helping leading enterprises such as DualityBio, Alphamab, Gracell, HOB Biotech, CareRay, Basecare and Adagene reach major global capital markets. During his tenure, BioBAY helped Suzhou Industrial Park rank first nationally in biopharma industrial, talent and cooperation competitiveness (second in overall competitiveness) and become China's first National Center of Technology Innovation for Biopharmaceuticals. Before BioBAY he was deputy director of the Biomedicine Department of the SIP Science and Technology Innovation Commission and deputy director of the Suzhou Biomedical R&D Center. He holds a master's degree in bioengineering from Fudan University.
Pamir Gelenbe
Partner, Libertus Capital
Pamir Gelenbe is a Partner at Libertus Capital and an early-stage investor specializing in deep tech and biotechnology. His portfolio includes pioneering companies such as BillionToOne, Glyphic, Loyal, Until Labs, and General Proximity. Prior to joining Libertus Capital, Pamir was a Partner at Hummingbird Ventures. He holds an M.S. in Operations Research from Columbia University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University.
Phoenix Peng
Founder & CEO, Gestala
Founder and CEO of Gestala, China's first ultrasound brain-computer-interface company. Since its founding on 1 January 2026, Gestala has advanced a Chengdu and Shanghai dual-headquarters strategy, building out its R&D system, industrial capabilities and global talent pipeline, and has raised RMB 570 million to date, making it one of the fastest-growing early-stage companies in China's BCI sector by capital raised. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Science and Technology of China and a master's from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and earned his PhD at the Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence at Fudan University. A serial entrepreneur, he founded Keruyun in 2012, acquired by Alibaba Local Services in 2019 for RMB 1 billion, and co-founded NeuroXess in 2021, leading it to become China's premier invasive BCI company in under four years.
Roberta Lipson
Founder, United Family Healthcare
Roberta Lipson is Chair Emeritus of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, Founder of United Family Healthcare, and a pioneer in the healthcare industry in China with over 40 years of experience. She originally co-founded UFH's predecessor company Chindex in 1981, expanding the business from China's top medical equipment distribution company into China's first and largest foreign-invested healthcare system. UFH now runs 11 hospitals and almost 20 clinics in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Qingdao, Hainan and Shenzhen. Ms. Lipson is a recipient of The Great Wall Friendship Award.
Shaan C. Gandhi
VP & Head of Partnerships, PAVE, Pfizer
Vice President and Head of Partnerships for PAVE, a group within Pfizer that grows a portfolio of US commercial brands and royalty streams through creative operational and financial structures. He previously led Strategic Partnerships for Pfizer Ignite, and before Pfizer was a Director at Northpond Ventures, where he led the firm's biotechnology investing team, and a Principal at the Longwood Fund, where he co-founded and served as President of Pyxis Oncology (NASDAQ: PYXS). He currently serves on the board of 1910 Genetics and previously sat on the boards of CAMP4 Therapeutics, Candel Therapeutics, DICE Therapeutics (acquired by Eli Lilly), Kyverna Therapeutics and Vigil Neuroscience (acquired by Sanofi). He began his career as an attending hospitalist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and holds an MD from Harvard Medical School, an MBA from Harvard Business School (Baker Scholar), a DPhil in medical oncology from the University of Oxford (Rhodes Scholar), and a BS with honors in biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University.
Simiao Zhao
Co-Founder & CEO, EonArk
Simiao Zhao is Co-founder and CEO of EonArk and a doctoral researcher in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford. His work lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the biology of aging. In Professor Claus Nerlov's group, he develops cross-species AI approaches to investigate hematopoietic stem cell aging and identify potential targets for intervention. At EonArk, he leads efforts to integrate cross-species data, AI modeling, and experimental validation, translating insights into aging mechanisms into opportunities for longevity drug discovery. He was named the 2024 Roche-HDR UK Champion for AI Medicine and is a Longevity Biotech Fellowship awardee.
Tong Guo
CEO, Clinical Research Center, Gobroad Healthcare Group
CEO of the Clinical Research Center at Gobroad Healthcare Group, with more than 20 years in biopharma R&D and management. Early in his career he was Principal Biostatistician at Bristol-Myers Squibb in the US. After returning to China he was VP at WuXi PRA, Executive Director of Data Science Asia at Bayer, Head of Biometrics for Asia and Africa at Quintiles and VP of business development for Greater China at IQVIA, then CEO and board director of the first ARO in China and Executive VP of an oncology big-data company. He also serves as advisor to the Clinical Oncology Committee and deputy director of the clinical development committee of the China Pharmaceutical Innovation Promotion Association, lead of the ICH M14 guideline external expert group, member of the IFPMA international expert working group, and lecturer in the Master of Health Leadership program at Tsinghua University School of Medicine. He holds a master's and a PhD in biostatistics from McGill University, Canada.
Tony Chen
Partner, Jones Day
Partner at Jones Day who has represented life science clients in complex cross-border intellectual property matters relating to China since 2004. He advises pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on China's pharmaceutical patent linkage system, helping them procure patents suitable for Orange Book listing and patent term extension and defend against invalidation challenges, and counsels Chinese biotechnology clients on patent protection across small molecules, biologics, gene therapy, cell therapy, gene editing, AI-enabled drug discovery and RNA therapeutics, while supporting IP license negotiations and advising investors on the IP risks of investing in Chinese biotechnology. He has worked with Jones Day litigators in the United States and Europe to represent Chinese entrepreneurs and companies in patent infringement, ITC Section 337 investigations, trade secret misappropriation and economic espionage matters. Trained in cell and molecular biology before studying law, he practiced patent law in California for more than a decade, served as in-house counsel for a specialty pharmaceutical company and co-founded a drug discovery technology company in Silicon Valley before moving to Shanghai. He was chairman of BayHelix in 2020 and 2021, a panel member of the US-China IP Cooperation Dialogue, co-chair of the IP subcommittee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, and an advisor to Shanghai's Pudong New Area and Suzhou BioBay on the development of the biotechnology industry.
Vince Deng
CFO, OnTargetBio
CFO of OnTargetBio and Venture Partner at Med-Fine Capital, previously Managing Director at Hankang Capital. Before moving into investing he ran preclinical programs for first-in-class drugs across oncology, immunology and genetic disease at a NASDAQ-listed US biotech. He has published close to 30 peer-reviewed papers in journals including Cell, Nature Microbiology, PNAS and Blood, and was offered faculty positions worldwide in glycosciences. He earned his PhD at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, did postdoctoral research at UC San Diego, and was a fellow at Johns Hopkins, after a bachelor's degree from Tongji University. He served as President of the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association Washington DC chapter and as a SAPA global board director. Investment and post-investment cases include InnoCare (9969.HK, 688428.SS), Leads BioLabs (9887.HK), Hangzhou Highlightll, OnTarget Biopharmaceuticals, Allink Biotherapeutics, Castalysis Bioscience, Excalipoint Therapeutics and Skye Medicine.
Weian Zhao
Founder & CEO, Aureka Biotechnologies
Founder and CEO of Aureka Biotechnologies, which aims to transform the unsustainable pharmaceutical industry by digitalizing therapeutic discovery through generative AI and high-throughput biology. A serial entrepreneur and a leader in immunotherapeutic discovery technologies, he has co-authored approximately 100 articles in respected journals including Science Translational Medicine, Nature Communications and PNAS, and has received numerous awards including MIT Technology Review's TR35 Award, the NIH Director's New Innovator Award, and UCI Innovator of the Year. He was trained as a bioengineer and pharmaceutical scientist at Harvard Medical School, MIT, and McMaster University.
Weikang Tao
Board Director, Group VP & GM of Global Innovative R&D, Qilu Pharmaceutical Group
Dr. Tao currently serves as a Board Director, Group Vice President and General Manager of Global Innovative R&D at Qilu Pharmaceutical Group, where he oversees global R&D, business collaborations and strategic investments across a wide range of innovative drugs. Previously he was Group Vice President and CEO of the R&D Centers at Hengrui Pharmaceutical Group, and before that a Senior Research Fellow and Department Lead at Merck & Co. in the United States, where he led multiple new drug discovery programs. He has published more than 60 SCI papers and is a co-inventor of over 340 new drug discovery patents, and has led teams that advanced more than 90 innovative drug candidates into clinical trials in China or the United States, among which 15 have been approved for marketing in China. A recipient of the Shanghai Magnolia Memorial Award, he serves as Vice Chair of the Anti-Tumor Drug Clinical Research Committee and a member of the Drug R&D Committee of the China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association (PhIRDA), as well as an Industry Advisor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University.
Wenliang Lei
Principal Investigator, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University
Principal Investigator at the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau (GHM) Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, who earned his Ph.D. in neurobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and trained as a postdoc at Emory University School of Medicine before joining Jinan University in 2018. His lab studies the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, builds non-human primate models of central nervous system degeneration, and develops AAV gene therapy strategies and novel neuroimaging to move laboratory discoveries toward treatment.
Will Zeng
Head of Finance and Ventures, SBP Group
Head of Finance and Ventures at SBP Group, where he leads the Group's corporate finance and venture capital activities. He brings extensive experience in life sciences investing, cross-border fundraising and business development, with prior professional investing roles at Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs. Born and raised in Beijing, he holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dato' William Woo
Chairman & CEO, ChemPartner
Chairman and CEO of ChemPartner, a drug discovery and development CRO and CDMO, where he leads the company's global expansion. A second-generation Chinese-Malaysian entrepreneur, he returned to invest in China and has spent more than thirty years in the country's health care and medical industry. He is also Chairman of Perfect Global Holdings Limited, co-founder and Vice Chairman of Perfect China, and a founding shareholder of Meinian Onehealth Healthcare Holdings, China's first publicly listed health-examination company. He holds the Malaysian DSTM honour and the title of Dato'.
Yuexin Zhou
Executive Partner, Nest.Bio
Executive Partner at Nest.Bio Ventures, where she leads the translation and commercialization of frontier life-science technologies, and has led investments in QyunsBio (HKEX: 02509), Bota, Foreseen Bio, Noah AI, Chemical.AI and Dynegene Technologies. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Peking University, where her research on gene-editing tools appeared in Nature and Nature Biotechnology. She also holds two granted invention patents, and has received the China Patent Excellence Award and the Beijing Science and Technology Award.
Yujing Wang
VP of Product & Marketing, Neuracle
Yujing Wang is VP of Product & Marketing at Neuracle, where she leads product strategy, marketing and clinical translation for brain-computer interface technologies, bringing neuroengineering research into medical-device development and clinical practice. In March 2026, Neuracle's NEO system became the world's first invasive brain-computer interface medical device approved for commercial use, receiving approval from China's National Medical Products Administration to support hand motor function in people with spinal cord injury. Before joining Neuracle, she conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital, focusing on intracranial EEG, brain-computer interfaces and functional brain networks. She holds a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering from Tsinghua University, a master's in biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in bioengineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Zhen Liu
Senior Principal Investigator, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Senior Principal Investigator at the Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where his work pioneers genetic engineering, cloning, stem cell chimeras, and embryo models in primates. He established a transgenic monkey model of autism (Nature, 2016) and generated the world's first somatic cell cloned monkeys (Cell, 2018), and his team later achieved the first live birth of embryonic stem cell derived monkey chimeras (Cell, 2023) and built stem cell derived embryo models for studying primate development and gastrulation. He has received the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation Science and Technology Innovation Award and the China Youth May Fourth Medal.

04 – AGENDA

Two summit days, a welcome evening and an optional Suzhou BioBAY visit.

9:30
Opening remarks and an introduction to the Summit program.
9:45
A personal perspective on turning ideas into impact for patients
Speaker
Ugur Sahin, Physician Scientist and Entrepreneur
10:15
A conversation with a senior Chinese biopharma leader on the opportunities and challenges of working across borders.
11:00
A founders panel on real cross-border cooperation: what worked, what didn't, and what it takes to build a working relationship.
Moderator
Mia Deng, Co-founder of Lantern Capital
Panel
Joshua Yang, Founder & CEO, Glyphic Biotechnologies
Michael Yin, Chairman, Suzhou BioBAY
Chenxiang Tang, CEO, CirCode Biomed
Jun Wang, Founder, Remunix & Feedback Therapeutics
Andrew Bartynski, Co-Founder & CEO, Kopra Bio
12:00
LunchLunch and open networking. Coffee from 12:30.
13:00
How teams plan and run clinical trials in China, what affects speed and data quality, and how the results can support global development.
Moderator
Jeff Wang, Founder, Global Pharma Navigator
Panel
Harri Järveläinen, Founder, BiotechGo Consulting
Dato' William Woo, Chairman & CEO, ChemPartner
14:00
Eastern and Western perspectives on longevity, aging science and the future of longevity clinics.
Moderator
Gokhan Er, Co-founder of Lantern Capital
Panel
Alex Colville, Co-Founder, age1
Max Marchione, Founder & CEO, Superpower
Derek Weng, China CEO, Blueprint
Matt Peloquin, Vice President of Research, Loyal
Roberta Lipson, Founder, United Family Healthcare
14:45
Coffee BreakCoffee and conversation.
15:00
Where AI-driven biology stands in 2026.
Speaker
Elliot Hershberg, Partner, Amplify Partners
15:15
How AI models and automated labs are changing drug discovery, and how teams in China and the West can work together.
Moderator
Elliot Hershberg, Partner, Amplify Partners
Panel
Alan Jiang, Chief Strategy Officer, XtalPi
Chris Lai, Chairman & CEO, METiS TechBio
Dan Wee, Chief eXecution Officer, Enveda
Weian Zhao, Founder & CEO, Aureka Biotechnologies
16:00
A practical discussion of Order 818, cross-border data rules and US-China regulation, and what they mean for research and collaboration.
Panel
Tony Chen, Partner, Jones Day
Kerry L. Blanchard, Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO, Perpetual Medicines
Luyan Dai, Executive Director, Disease Research Data Governance Platform, International Headquarters of the Greater Bay Area National Innovation Center
16:45
Invasive and non-invasive BCI programs in China and around the world, and the regulatory path from device to approved use.
Moderator
Katherine Jones, Neurotech Investor & Operator, Edge City; Advisor, Merge Labs
Panel
Phoenix Peng, Founder & CEO, Gestala
Ben Woodington, Co-Founder & CEO, Coherence Neuro
Joy Wang, Head of Product, Neuracle
17:30
Leading TechBio companies from China give brief presentations introducing their technologies and businesses.
Speaker
Simiao Zhao, Co-Founder & CEO, EonArk
Joy Wang, Head of Product, Neuracle
18:30
Departure for DinnerDepart at 18:30 and arrive for dinner at 19:00.
19:00
Dinner

Lantern Connect

Tell us what you need in China. We'll help you find the right people.

01 – SURVEY

Once you've confirmed your spot, we'll send you a short survey about what you're working on and where you could use help.

02 – SHORTLIST

Our partners in China put together a shortlist of people you should meet.

03 – 1:1S

We arrange the one-on-ones at the Summit.

You arrive with meetings built around what your company actually needs.

MATCHMAKING FOR

Complete your survey by October 17 so we can arrange your Summit meetings.

INCLUDED WITH REGISTRATION

Request an invitation ↗

05 – PITCH TRACK

Ten early-stage companies, one main stage.

The Pitch Track puts ten early-stage techbio companies on the main stage, in front of a room of investors and operators from Greater China, Europe and the United States. If you want to pitch to that audience, apply to take the stage.

Applications closeOctober 15, 2026, 23:59 Shanghai time

Apply for the Pitch Track

Free to apply. Have your pitch deck ready, PDF up to 25MB.

The selection committee

Alex BrunickiBacked.VC
Alex Colvilleage1
Betty LiuCurie.Bio
Elliot HershbergAmplify Partners
Harry RobbLifespan Vision Ventures
Jacqueline FokSoftBank
Manuel GrossmannAmino Collective
Nadav RosenbergSaras Capital
Pamir GelenbeLibertus Capital
Patrick LundgrenHummingbird Ventures
Stefano BernardiUnruly Capital
Vince DengMed-Fine Capital
Yasmin SirajBacked.VC
Yutong ZhangNest.Bio Ventures

06 – HOSTS

Pamir Gelenbe is a Partner at Libertus Capital and an early-stage investor specializing in deep tech and biotechnology. His portfolio includes pioneering companies such as BillionToOne, Glyphic, Loyal, Until Labs, and General Proximity. Prior to joining Libertus Capital, Pamir was a Partner at Hummingbird Ventures. He holds an M.S. in Operations Research from Columbia University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University.

07 – PRICING

2 registration tiers, set by role. Early bird rates end 27 September.

Founders

Early Bird$1,500

General AdmissionFROM 28 SEP$2,200

VCs, Pharma & Service Providers

Early Bird$3,500

General AdmissionFROM 28 SEP$4,500

ADD-ON · DAY 03

Suzhou BioBAY Field Trip

A day at the BioBAY park and a classical Suzhou garden. We take you out of central Shanghai in the morning and bring you back before dinner.

First come, first served. 100 participants.

$300PER PERSON

All rates in USD. Early bird ends 27 September 2026; General Admission rates apply from 28 September. Applicants whose organization is based in China register at the China rates, which are listed on the Chinese pages; you tell us where your organization is based when you apply, in either language.

08 – ECOSYSTEM PARTNERS

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

09 – VENUE

SHANGHAI

DATES

26–27 OCT 2026

ACCESS

BY INVITATION

VENUE

DISCLOSED TO GUESTS

Request Invitation

10 – QUESTIONS

Frequently asked

What is the Lantern Summit?

A US-China techbio summit for early and growth-stage companies, held in Shanghai on October 26-27, 2026. Founders, investors, pharma leaders, CROs and clinical partners in one room to accelerate medicine across borders. Biotech now has two accelerators: AI compresses the discovery loop, and China compresses the research, trial and execution loop at extraordinary speed and lower cost. The bridge between big pharma and China already exists. The Summit builds it for early and growth-stage founders.

Who is it for?

From the Western side, early and growth-stage biotech and techbio founders and the investors backing them. From the Chinese side, the partners who can help them accelerate: world-class CROs, IIT hospital networks, principal investigators, industrial parks, NewCo dealmakers, large pharma, start-ups and venture capitalists.

Why Shanghai, and why now?

46% of all new drug molecules that began human trials in the first half of 2025 originated in Chinese biopharma companies, according to Goldman Sachs. Big pharma has already built its bridge to China. Early-stage founders have not. The infrastructure that makes China the fastest place in the world to run experiments, preclinical work, CMC and trials is open for business, but it cannot be navigated from a distance. The Summit exists to close that gap in person, in Shanghai, at the center of the ecosystem.

Why is it invitation-only?

A curated, balanced room means every conversation is with someone who belongs in it: founders who are serious about China, and Chinese partners who are serious about working with Western companies. A conference can maximize how many people attend, or the odds that any two of them are worth the other's afternoon. We have chosen the second.

What does a ticket cost, and what is included?

Two tiers, priced by role. Founders: $1,500 Early Bird, $2,200 from September 28. VCs, pharma and service providers: $3,500 Early Bird, $4,500 from September 28. A ticket includes both summit days: all panels, the Deal Room and curated 1:1s, lunches, evening receptions and the cultural experiences. The optional Day 3 Suzhou BioBAY field trip is a $300 add-on, 100 participants, first come first served. Organizations based in China register at the China rates, listed on the Chinese pages; the rate follows where your organization is based, not the language you apply in.

How do I request an invitation?

Request an invitation on this page. We review requests on a rolling basis; if accepted, you receive a registration link, and we may ask for a short call. Early Bird pricing ends September 27, 2026, so request early.

Can I bring a colleague?

Each invitation is individual. Note your colleagues in your request and we review them together. Sponsor packages include multiple passes; ask us for the sponsorship deck.

What is the refund and transfer policy?

Tickets are non-refundable but transferable to a colleague at the same organization with advance notice. Email contact@thelanternsummit.com with the new attendee's name and email.