BIO International Convention: dates, who attends, and how founders get in
“The BIO International Convention is the largest and most comprehensive event for biotechnology, representing the full ecosystem of biotech with 20,000 industry leaders from around the world.”
- Next edition
- Jun 7–10, 2027 · BIO International Convention 2027 source
- Where
- San Diego Convention Center, Philadelphia, United States source
- Format
- in-person · 4 days (2026)
- Tickets
- $800–$3,950 (2026 regular rates; Basic Access through Non-Member Premier Access). BIO had not published 2027 prices; registration was scheduled to open in January 2027. source
- Start-Up Stadium
- Each 2026 category winner received a one-year BIO membership and one complimentary Premier Access registration, including BIO Partnering™, for BIO 2027. source
- Cadence
- Annual, held in June; official dates show editions in June 2024, 2025 and 2026, with the next announced for June 2027.
Health & biotechAIPre-seedSeedSeries AGrowthPublicInvestorsCorporatesResearchersPolicy & governmentPartnersStudents
Next edition
| Dates | Jun 7–10, 2027 source |
|---|---|
| Edition | BIO International Convention 2027 |
| Venue | San Diego Convention Center, Chicago, United States source |
| Timezone | America/Los_Angeles |
| Tickets | convention.bio.org source |
Deadlines that matter to founders
- Feb 16, 2026 — Startup programme application (passed) · apply
- Feb 16, 2026 — Start-Up Stadium application (passed) · apply
Ticket tiers as published
| Tier | Price | Includes | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier Access — BIO Member source | $3,250 | BIO Partnering™, education sessions, networking receptions, lunch, Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium. | 2026 |
| General Access — BIO Member source | $2,100 | Education sessions, networking receptions, lunch, Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium; does not include BIO Partnering™. | 2026 |
| Basic Access — BIO Member source | $800 | Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium only. | 2026 |
| Premier Access — Non-Member source | $3,950 | BIO Partnering™, education sessions, networking receptions, lunch, Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium. | 2026 |
| General Access — Non-Member source | $2,550 | Education sessions, networking receptions, lunch, Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium; does not include BIO Partnering™. | 2026 |
| Basic Access — Non-Member source | $800 | Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium only. | 2026 |
| Premier Access — Academic / Government / Non-Profit source | $3,350 | BIO Partnering™, education sessions, networking receptions, lunch, Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium. | 2026 |
| General Access — Academic / Government / Non-Profit source | $2,200 | Education sessions, networking receptions, lunch, Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium; does not include BIO Partnering™. | 2026 |
| Basic Access — Academic / Government / Non-Profit source | $800 | Exhibition, Company Presentations and Start-Up Stadium only. | 2026 |
How founders get in
BIO describes Start-Up Stadium as a high-visibility opportunity for startups to gain exposure, receive expert feedback and connect with biotech stakeholders. Its startup guidance says the programme connects companies with investors, venture philanthropy groups, strategic partners and non-dilutive capital.
- For general attendance, purchase a registration pass when registration opens. General attendance did not require an application; BIO published Premier, General and Basic Access passes for 2026.
- Choose Premier Access if you want BIO Partnering™ meetings. After registering and receiving login credentials, complete your company and personal profiles, open the partnering calendar, and send or respond to meeting requests.
- Selected 2026 Start-Up Stadium finalists received a discounted Premier Access registration to attend and pitch. BIO has not published the discount amount or a 2027 Startup Stadium application process in the pages reviewed.
| Includes | For selected finalists: a pitch at Start-Up Stadium and discounted Premier Access registration. Winners also received the benefits described under awards. |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | For 2026 applicants: raised less than $10M since inception; previous business pitch or competition experience; fewer than 20 full-time employees; and not previously named a BIO Start-Up Stadium winner. Award categories were Seed-Stage (less than $1M raised) and Emerging (more than $1M but less than $10M raised). |
| Investor pass | Purchase a standard registration pass; choose Premier Access to use BIO Partnering™ and access the Business Forum. source |
| Press | BIO offers complimentary media registration by application for eligible editorial press. BIO reviews applications in order and says it sends a decision within 48 hours. Credentialed/affiliated media may be asked for a bylined article from the past six months and official photo ID; freelance journalists need an assignment letter or recent bylined story. Digital creators, bloggers and podcast hosts are considered case by case and must provide audience size and three recent biotech-related posts or podcasts. The page gives a 2027 pre-registration deadline of 2027-06-01; on-site registration is case by case. Marketing, sales, PR, analyst, consulting, author and researcher roles are not eligible as media. |
| Application required | No, tickets are purchased |
Start-Up Stadium
| Prize | Each 2026 category winner received a one-year BIO membership and one complimentary Premier Access registration, including BIO Partnering™, for BIO 2027. source |
|---|---|
| Format | Start-Up Stadium selected finalists to pitch before a panel of judges. BIO said approximately 40 finalists were typically chosen; the programme had Seed-Stage and Emerging award categories. The 2026 programme listed Start-Up Stadium pitch sessions during the convention. |
| Eligibility | For the 2026 application: raised less than $10M since inception; previous business pitch or competition experience; fewer than 20 full-time employees; and not a previous BIO Start-Up Stadium winner. Seed-Stage was for companies with less than $1M raised; Emerging was for companies with more than $1M but less than $10M raised. Applicants submitted a company logo and a PowerPoint pitch deck of no more than 20 slides. Applying was free and did not guarantee selection. |
| Application deadline | Feb 16, 2026 source |
Winners
- BrainStorm Therapeutics (2026) — Seed-Stage Start-Up Prize. Fast-track admission to a Science, Inc. virtual accelerator cohort and/or a spotlight at The Innovation Space’s Spark Factory; considered for up to $200k (2026) First Fund investment, subject to residency requirements. Also received tailored consulting, a one-year BIO membership, and one BIO Partnering-enabled registration for BIO 2027. source
- iNFixion Bioscience, Inc. (2026) — Emerging Start-Up Prize. Received tailored consulting, a one-year BIO membership, and one BIO Partnering-enabled registration for BIO 2027. source
Judges
- Anne Mazet, Chief of Staff at JET FUEL, Xcellerant Ventures source
- Kanav Aggarwal, Founder at Celesticus source
- Brian Ellerman, Executive Chair at Desert Angels source
- Luca Giani, Senior Principal at Alumni Ventures source
- Carolyn Myers, CEO and Principal; member, Mid Atlantic Bio Angels at FendX Technologies, Inc.; BioEnsemble LLC source
- Natacha Ralainirina, Deal Partner at Boardy source
- Dorothée Marie-Louise Döpfer, Deputy Head of Digital Labs & Program Management, Digital Health Accelerator & Community Building at Berlin Institute of Health source
- Prasad Sunkara, Co-Founder and CEO, and Investor at Eyegenex, Inc.; NuFund Venture Group source
- Elizabeth Scallon, Director, Healthcare & Life Science AI Startups at NVIDIA source
- Rajeev Dadoo, COO and Managing Partner at SR One source
- Eva Wang, Venture Partner at MedTech Innovation Hub source
- Stephanie Marrus, Founder at Redwood Innovation Advisors source
- Gail Gannon, Founder and CEO at Ensante Insights source
- Will Hoh, Managing Director, Mergers and Acquisitions/Credit and Royalty Finance at H.C. Wainwright & Co. source
- Haley Ha, Analyst at Xcellerant Ventures source
- William Provine, Founder, President, and CEO at The Innovation Space source
- Jae Sly, Chairman and CEO at Pathways Preclinical Partners, Inc. source
Meeting investors there
Founders seeking curated meetings needed Premier Access for BIO Partnering™. After registration, they completed company and personal profiles, searched companies, and sent or responded to meeting requests; the system then scheduled mutually available meetings. BIO’s June 2026 announcement forecast nearly 10,000 partnering delegates and 70,000 partnering meetings for that edition; these were forecasts, not post-event totals. source
| Matchmaking | BIO Partnering™ Mobile App source |
|---|---|
| Formats | BIO Partnering™ company search and meeting requests up to ten weeks before the convention (2026). · Automatic meeting scheduling based on mutually available times, with locations provided (2026). · In-person BIO Partnering™ meetings in the Business Forum; exhibitors could also purchase booth or pavilion partnering meetings during exhibition hours (2026). |
| Meetings arranged | 70,000 partnering meetings expected (2026) source |
Investor firms the organiser lists (Published outcomes and lists describe the completed 2026 edition (2026-06-22–2026-06-25, San Diego). The next announced edition is 2027-06-07–2027-06-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—a city move from San Diego to Philadelphia. No cancellation, postponement, or event-name change is stated; the event remains the BIO International Convention.)
3i Corporation5 Horizons Capital5AM Ventures8VCAccelerator Life Science PartnersAdelphi VenturesAditum BioAdvantary Capital PartnersAlly Bridge GroupALSA VenturesAltaris Capital PartnersaMoon FundAmorChemAmplitude VenturesAndera PartnersAndreessen HorowitzARCH Venture PartnersArkin HoldingsArtis VenturesAscend BioVenturesAscenta CapitalAulis CapitalAvego BioScience CapitalAvicella CapitalB Capital GroupBayland CapitalBija VenturesBioGenerator VenturesBiovision VenturesBlackPoint CapitalBoxer CapitalBoxOne VenturesBrandon CapitalCanaccord GenuityCBC GroupCurie.BioDCVC Bio
Before you go: the hub's cold email to VCs playbook covers the pre-event outreach that fills a meeting calendar, and Causo matches your stage and thesis to the funds in its database so you know who to ask for a meeting.
Who speaks (Published outcomes and lists describe the completed 2026 edition (2026-06-22–2026-06-25, San Diego). The next announced edition is 2027-06-07–2027-06-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania—a city move from San Diego to Philadelphia. No cancellation, postponement, or event-name change is stated; the event remains the BIO International Convention.)
- Gary Sinise, Actor, humanitarian, and founder · Gary Sinise Foundation
- John F. Crowley, President and CEO · Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
- Marcus Freeman, Head Football Coach · University of Notre Dame
- Ashley Magargee, CEO · Genentech
- Kimberly Powell, Vice President of Healthcare · NVIDIA
- Katie Couric, Award-winning journalist and co-founder · Katie Couric Media
- Fritz Bittenbender, BIO Board Chair; Senior Vice President and Head of Public Affairs & Access · Genentech
- James Roe, INDY NXT by Firestone driver · INDY NXT by Firestone
Full lineup: official speakers page.
Sponsors and partners
Premier 9
Daiichi SankyoInvest Puerto RicoJohnson & JohnsonNovartisNxera PharmaPfizer IncServier EuropeTakedaTravere Therapeutics
Champion 16
Conference 27
AbbVie Inc.ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, IncAlnylam PharmaceuticalsAsahi Kasei Therapeutics CorporationBOSTAL LLCCity of PhoenixCorporate TravelerDeliotteDNB Carnegie | Back Bay HealthcareEnzeneErgomed Clincal ResearchEversanaIDT BiologikaInpharmusJobsOhioKindevaKyboraKyoto UniversityLabcorpLife Sciences PennsylvaniaNew York StateNovotechOcugenOpen Biopharma Research and TrainingScendea LtdSharpSK biopharmaceuticals
+2 more sponsors and partners on the official partners page.
Government partners: City of Phoenix, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health, JobsOhio, New York State
Full list: official partners page.
Startups there
Alumni the organiser highlights
- Riboway Therapeutics (2025) — BIO Start-Up Stadium 2025 seed-stage winner source
Programme
| Tracks | BIO 2026 focus areas (completed edition): AI and Digital Health; Biomanufacturing; Brain Health; Business Development and Investment; Cell and Gene Therapy and Genome Editing; Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine; Emerging Opportunities in Global Markets; Environmental Sustainability; Infectious Disease and Vaccines; Intellectual Property and Legal Landscape; Next Generation Biotherapeutics; Oncology; Orphan and Rare Diseases; Patient Advocacy; Science and Regulatory Innovation; Translational Research; Value, Patient Access, and Reimbursement; Workforce, Health Equity, and Leadership. · BIO 2027 key focus areas (announced Call for Sessions): Artificial Intelligence; Biomanufacturing and Supply Chains; Business Development and Investment; Cell and Gene Therapy and Genome Editing; Chronic Diseases; Global Health, Markets, and Resiliency; Infectious Disease and Vaccines; Intellectual Property and Legal Landscape; Neuroscience; Next Generation Biotherapeutics; Oncology; Orphan and Rare Diseases; Patient Advocacy; Regulatory Innovation; Translational Research; Value, Patient Access and Reimbursement; Workforce, Health Equity, and Leadership. source |
|---|---|
| Side events | For BIO 2026, BIO listed the BIO Gives Back concert on Monday, the Exhibition Reception and BIO Pride Reception on Tuesday, and the Gaslamp Block Party on Wednesday. BIO said Monday and Wednesday receptions were included with Premier and General Access; the Exhibition Reception was open to all BIO attendees and the Pride Reception required RSVP for specified registration types. BIO’s separate Social Spotlight Events page said those listed events were not hosted or organized by BIO. |
| Hackathon | No BIO International Convention hackathon was announced on the official 2026 programme or 2027 Call for Sessions pages reviewed. |
| Call for speakers | The BIO 2027 Call for Sessions was open. Proposals were free and submitted through the BIO Program Portal: applicants logged in or created an account, reviewed the guidelines, chose a proposal type, completed the form including speaker information, then reviewed and submitted. Deadline: 2026-10-15. Accepted proposals received complimentary General Access registration; BIO said selected submitters would be notified in mid-January 2027. Submission did not guarantee selection. source |
| Volunteering | I found no published BIO International Convention volunteer programme for the 2026 or announced 2027 edition on the official event pages reviewed. |
| Official app | BIO Events Mobile App; BIO Partnering™ Mobile App |
| Hashtag | #BIO2026 |
Past editions, as published
| Edition | Dates | Attendees | Investors | Startups | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 · San Diego source | Jun 22–25, 2026 | — | — | 2 Start-Up Stadium prize winners (2026) | photos |
| 2025 · Boston source | Jun 16–19, 2025 | 21,600 registrants (2025) | — | 51 Start-Up Stadium finalists (2025) | recap · report · video |
| 2024 · San Diego source | Jun 3–6, 2024 | 19,500+ attendees (2024) | — | — | recap |
| 2023 · Boston source | Jun 5–8, 2023 | — | — | — | |
| 2022 · San Diego source | Jun 13–16, 2022 | 14,000+ attendees (2022) | — | — | |
| 2021 source | — | 6,246 digital attendees (2021) | — | — | |
| 2019 source | — | 17,300+ attendees (2019) | — | — |
Cities: San Diego (2024); Boston (2025); San Diego (2026)
Who attends
| Breakdown | 40+% international attendees expected (2026). source |
|---|---|
| Geography | International; 68+ countries represented (2026, published in BIO’s opening-release quick stats). source |
| Roles | Investors, Corporates, Researchers, Policy & government, Partners, Students |
| Stages | Pre-seed, Seed, Series A, Growth, Public |
Official links and socials
Travel & apps
In the press
- BIO International Convention Returns to San Diego to Celebrate Five Decades of Biotechnology — BIO (2026)
- BIO 2026: The business of biotech runs on partnerships — BIO.News (2026)
- BIO International Convention Opens in Boston, Showcasing Global Innovation in Biotechnology — BIO (2025)
- BIO 2025: Breakthroughs can't wait. — BIO.News (2025)
- BIO International Convention Celebrates Another Successful Year as Biotech Industry’s Largest and Most Influential Event — BIO (2024)
- Lift off for BIO International Convention 2023 — BIO.News (2023)
Prepare for it
- How to cold email VCs — book the meetings before you land.
- The 12-slide seed deck — what to have ready when a partner says "send me the deck".
- Pitch Deck Roaster — a slide-by-slide pass before you submit to Start-Up Stadium.
- Accelerator deadlines — the application windows that open around the event.
Sources
Every fact above was read from one of these official pages on Oct 7, 2026:
- bio.news/bio-convention/bio-2026-the-business-of-biotech-runs-on-partnerships
- cdn.asp.events/CLIENT_BIO_7BB99CBA_BAD1_B8C8_CF9F25DA29A80CC6/sites/BIOIC-2026/media/FINAL-Day-One-Press-Release.pdf
- cdn.asp.events/CLIENT_BIO_7BB99CBA_BAD1_B8C8_CF9F25DA29A80CC6/sites/BIOIC-2026/media/Featured-Speaker-Press-Release.pdf
- convention.bio.org
- convention.bio.org/2026-faqs
- convention.bio.org/2026-faqs/partnering-work
- convention.bio.org/about-bio/bio-2025-numbers
- convention.bio.org/become-sponsor/sponsors
- convention.bio.org/bio-convention-logos
- convention.bio.org/future-dates
- convention.bio.org/landing
- convention.bio.org/media-resource-center
- convention.bio.org/partner
- convention.bio.org/partner/participating-investors
- convention.bio.org/plan/mobile-apps
- convention.bio.org/press-release
- convention.bio.org/program/2026-speakers
- convention.bio.org/program/2027-call-sessions
- convention.bio.org/program/start-up-stadium-2026
- convention.bio.org/registration
- convention.bio.org/social-media-toolkit
- convention.bio.org/travel/hotel-reservations
- go.bio.org/rs/490-EHZ-999/images/2023%20General%20Show%20Information%20(12.8.2022).pdf
- go.bio.org/rs/490-EHZ-999/images/Event%20Overview%20FINAL%20MASTER%20COPY.pdf
- bio.org/bio-news/bio-2025-breakthroughs-cant-wait
- bio.org/events/bio-international-convention
- bio.org/press-release/bio-international-convention-celebrates-another-successful-year-biotech-industrys
- bio.org/press-release/bio-international-convention-returns-san-diego-celebrate-five-decades-biotechnology
- bio.org/press-release/plans-build-world-class-event-2023-bio-cancels-2022-impact-ag-environment-conference
BIO International Convention: frequently asked
When is BIO International Convention 2027?
BIO International Convention 2027 runs Jun 7–10, 2027 at San Diego Convention Center, Philadelphia, according to the organiser's published dates.
How much does BIO International Convention cost?
Published ticket prices run $800–$3,950 (2026 regular rates; Basic Access through Non-Member Premier Access). BIO had not published 2027 prices; registration was scheduled to open in January 2027..
What is Start-Up Stadium?
BIO International Convention's pitch competition. Prize as published: Each 2026 category winner received a one-year BIO membership and one complimentary Premier Access registration, including BIO Partnering™, for BIO 2027.. Eligibility: For the 2026 application: raised less than $10M since inception; previous business pitch or competition experience; fewer than 20 full-time employees; and not a previous BIO Start-Up Stadium winner. Seed-Stage was for companies with less than $1M raised; Emerging was for companies with more than $1M but less than $10M raised. Applicants submitted a company logo and a PowerPoint pitch deck of no more than 20 slides. Applying was free and did not guarantee selection.
How big is BIO International Convention?
20,000 participants expected (2026); the opening release also described 20,000+ biotech and life-sciences leaders gathering. attendees, from 68+ countries (2026; published as a quick-stat estimate) countries, per the organiser.