It really matters who is in the room you’re in.

Two years ago Lara and I pitched at the inaugural Merck Healthcare / M Ventures W Accelerate Innovation programme run by W Group

The event was fantastic. The seniority of the people in that room were impressive, and the conversations that started there became the foundation of our ongoing strategic collaboration with Merck 💪

There’s a fair complaint that big pharma doesn’t engage early enough with startups in women’s health. That can’t be said of Merck. They have shown a willingness to actually sit down and actively engage with early-stage companies… and we’re living proof 💥

Applications for this year’s W Accelerate programme closes ➡️ next Wednesday 2 September at 12pm BST ⬅️ And selected companies pitch on 5 October in London.

They’re looking across female infertility, fertility preservation, endometriosis, adenomyosis, PMOS, ovarian insufficiency, preeclampsia and pregnancy comorbidities. Therapeutics and drug development are of particular interest. D2C and OTC are out of scope. International applicants are welcome if you can get to London for the pitch day.

If that’s you, do throw your hat in the ring… and good luck! 🤞