This weekend we will be welcoming 600 guests from around the globe to Kansas City for the 19th annual Animal Health Summit. Our annual global conference is a blend of the critically valuable 1:1 business partnering meetings, panel discussions, expert speaker presentations and highly anticipated emerging company presentations. 

The cornerstone of the conference each year is the emerging company presentations. These innovators put it all on the line to take their big idea and turn it into reality. Over the last 19 years, we have had more than 540 companies from 24 countries apply for a coveted spot on the stage to pitch for investments and strategic partnerships. These companies have raised well over half a billion dollars, secured licensing agreements and/or been acquired by a strategic partner.

While many of the companies have found success, not all ideas make it to market. Invention is hard. Science doesn’t always work at scale. The business case doesn’t always align with market demands. Developing new molecules, new delivery models, new therapeutic categories, expanding the use of technology, the use of big data and more can all prove challenging. These innovators are blazing new trails for the health of animals which is necessary to move our industry forward.

The Corridor offers many strategic advantages for innovators. We walk alongside the selected emerging companies to help move their idea forward. We make connections for these companies with key players in the industry. We pair them with industry experts who dive in and help them hone their pitch deck and presentation. We develop an investor profile they can use during and after the event as a quick glance for investors. We promote every company that applied to our investor database. After the event, we continue to work with these companies as they develop their strategy for entering North America. In many ways, we become an extension of their team.

As a small not-for-profit, the Corridor has the reach and impact it does because of all the support we receive from the industry. The Animal Health Corridor Board provides financial resources and significant time year-round to our organization. Members of the Selection Committee dedicate many hours each year to review and rate the applicants who apply to present at the Animal Health Summit. We have a slate of seasoned industry experts with diverse skills and backgrounds who dedicate time over an eight-week period to assist the selected emerging companies in developing their pitch deck and making industry connections. We have a deep bench of industry volunteers and sponsors that support us year after year.

The animal health industry is chalk full of people who understand the value of helping others and working together for healthier animals. There is competition, like there is in every industry, but I am so proud to work in one that believes in the value of lifting others up while you climb. After all, we were all beginners with a dream at one point in our journey.

I look forward to seeing everyone in Kansas City and exploring the boundless potential of our industry in action!