Preparing for BIO International: Five Communications Steps to Take Before June

April 1, 2026 - by Jennifer Ringler, MS

BIO International is the largest global gathering of biotechnology companies, investors, pharmaceutical partners, and industry leaders. For early-stage biotech companies, the conference offers an important opportunity to meet potential investors, explore strategic partnerships, and increase visibility within the industry.

However, the companies that get the most value from BIO are usually the ones that begin preparing months in advance — particularly when it comes to communications, messaging, and investor-facing materials.

Below are five communications steps biotech companies should take before attending BIO International.

1. Assess Your Story

Before BIO begins, take a close look at how your company’s story is being communicated. Your pitch deck and company fact sheet should clearly and concisely explain what your company does, why your science matters, and how your approach differentiates you from others in the field.

Investors and potential partners will hear hundreds of pitches at BIO. Companies that stand out are often the ones that present a clear narrative that connects the science to a broader industry need.

One helpful exercise is to step back and ask a few simple questions:

What problem are we solving?
Why hasn’t it been solved yet?
And why is our approach uniquely positioned to succeed now?

Your materials should quickly answer these questions while translating complex science into language that investors and business development teams can easily understand. If someone unfamiliar with your technology cannot grasp the core idea after reviewing your deck or fact sheet for a few minutes, it may be worth refining the messaging before the conference begins. Clear, focused storytelling makes it much easier for potential partners and investors to recognize the value of your work.

2. Build a Targeted Meeting List

The BIO Partnering platform allows companies to identify and schedule meetings with potential investors, partners, and collaborators in advance of the conference. But with thousands of attendees, the challenge is often deciding who is actually worth meeting with.

Start by aligning internally on your primary objective for the conference. Are you primarily seeking investors, pharma partners, research collaborators, or service providers? Trying to meet everyone at once can dilute your efforts, so defining your top priority helps focus your outreach.

Once you’ve clarified your goal, begin building a targeted list by researching potential meeting partners. For investors, review their portfolios and recent investments to ensure they actively fund companies in your therapeutic area, stage of development, and geography. An oncology-focused venture firm, for example, may not be the right audience for a company developing therapies in neurology or rare metabolic disease.

Similarly, when reaching out to pharmaceutical companies or strategic partners, consider whether their pipeline, therapeutic focus, and partnering history align with what your company is developing. Many pharma companies publish clear partnership interests on their websites, which can help you determine whether there is a natural strategic fit.

Finally, be realistic about meeting capacity. Rather than filling every available slot, it’s often more productive to focus on 10–20 high-priority meetings with organizations that are genuinely relevant to your company’s goals. Thoughtful preparation and targeted outreach can dramatically increase the likelihood that your meetings at BIO will lead to meaningful follow-up conversations after the conference ends.

3. Refine Your Elevator Pitch

During BIO, you may find yourself explaining your company’s technology dozens of times each day — in scheduled meetings, hallway conversations, and networking events.

Your team should be able to clearly explain what your company does in five minutes or less, ideally in language that non-scientists can understand. A concise and compelling elevator pitch ensures that potential partners quickly grasp the significance of your work.

A strong elevator pitch typically answers a few key questions in a clear and logical sequence. For example:

What problem are you solving? Briefly describe the unmet medical or scientific need your company is addressing.
What is your approach? Explain your technology, platform, or therapeutic strategy in simple terms.
Why is it different or better? Highlight the key differentiator that sets your approach apart from existing solutions.
Where are you in development? Share your stage of development and any meaningful milestones (preclinical data, clinical progress, partnerships, etc.).
What are you looking for? Clarify whether you are seeking investment, strategic partnerships, collaborators, or other opportunities.

The goal is not to explain every technical detail, but to spark interest and open the door to a deeper conversation. If your listener understands the problem you are solving, why your approach matters, and where your company is headed, your elevator pitch has done its job.

4. Evaluate Your Website

Many people you meet at BIO will visit your website shortly after your conversation. It is often the first place investors, journalists, or potential collaborators go to learn more about your company.

A strong website should quickly reinforce the story you shared in your meeting. Within a few minutes of visiting the site, someone unfamiliar with your company should be able to understand what you do, why it matters, and how your approach differs from others in the field.

Ask yourself a few key questions:

Is the site easy to navigate? Key sections such as your platform, pipeline, leadership team, and news should be easy to find.
Does the homepage clearly explain your company? In one or two sentences, visitors should understand what your technology or platform does.
Is your science explained in accessible language? While detailed technical information can be valuable, the core concept should be understandable to non-scientists such as investors or business development teams.
Are your value proposition and differentiators obvious? Make it clear why your approach is unique and what advantages it offers.
Are key materials easy to access? Investors and partners often look for downloadable resources such as company fact sheets, presentations, publications, or press coverage.
Does the site demonstrate credibility? Elements such as leadership bios, partnerships, publications, and news coverage help establish trust.

If visitors struggle to understand what your company does or why your technology matters, you may lose valuable opportunities. A clear, well-organized website helps reinforce the conversations you have at BIO and ensures that potential partners and investors leave with a strong understanding of your company.

5. Plan Your Follow-Up Strategy

BIO is just the beginning of many important conversations. Before the conference even begins, it’s helpful to identify what materials you will send after meetings to keep discussions moving forward.

Many companies leave the conference with dozens of new contacts, but without a clear follow-up plan, those connections can quickly go cold. Preparing a few key materials in advance makes it easier to maintain momentum after the event.

For example, depending on the audience you meet, useful follow-up materials might include:

An updated investor or partner-facing deck that summarizes your platform and pipeline
A company fact sheet that provides a concise overview of your technology and value proposition
Thought leadership articles or industry commentary that highlight your team’s expertise
Scientific publications or technical summaries that provide deeper insight into your approach
FAQs or briefing documents that address common questions from investors or partners

It can also be helpful to think through how and when you will follow up. Many companies find success by sending a short follow-up email within a few days of the conference that references the conversation and shares relevant materials. In some cases, scheduling a follow-up call before leaving BIO can help keep promising discussions moving forward.

A thoughtful follow-up strategy ensures that the connections you make during the conference continue to develop into meaningful relationships long after the event ends.

Preparation Leads to Opportunity

BIO International presents an incredible opportunity for biotech companies to connect with investors, partners, and collaborators. With the right preparation, it can become a catalyst for meaningful growth.

If you would like help refining your messaging or preparing your communications materials ahead of BIO — or if you’ll be attending the conference and would like to meet with the ReadHealthy team in San Diego — we would welcome the opportunity to connect.

You can reach out to us here.

ReadHealthy Communications is a strategic communications and PR firm focused exclusively on the life sciences industry. Our team works with biotech, pharmaceutical, and healthcare companies to translate complex science into clear messaging for investors, partners, media, and other stakeholders.

We support companies at every stage — from preclinical development to late-stage clinical programs and commercialization.