The list of biotechs worthy is sparse
Through all of the biotechs we need help to parse
We’re looking for the best, the strongest
Not whose financing is the longest
Dear reader, tell us, who is fierce?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Wait! Wait! Don’t Tell me on NPR lately so I thought I’d give this a shot. But fierce is hard to rhyme with, and I don’t have the same pizzazz of Bill Curtis on my delivery. Maybe next year I’ll try a haiku.
Anyway. Folks, Fierce 15 is here! We are opening up nominations today in search of the best and brightest in biotech.
With the IPO window still mostly closed—except for the select few of you who have snuck through—we’re excited to have a big group of companies to choose from for our 2024 edition. And that’s why we need you, readers, to send in your suggestions for the fiercest companies in the game.
We don’t just want the biotechs that have raised the most money this year. We certainly use that as a signal that we’re not the only ones interested. We want biotechs that are breaking barriers in science, the clinic, diversity, equity and inclusion, and are on the cusp of making real changes at the bedside of patients.
We want to know how you're fiercely redefining expectations culturally, ethically, and in your pipelines.
Fierce 15 Winners will be honored in person at the Fierce Biotech Summit in Boston on September 30 to October 1.
The small print:
- Companies must be private and thus not have gone through an IPO.
- They must be pre-commercial, can be preclinical or clinical, and can be anywhere from stealth to as high as a series E (or Z) funding round.
- The deadline to submit nominations is the end of day on Friday, June 7.
- Entries are not accepted via email. The only way to submit a nomination is via the below form.
- Multiple votes or campaigns for a single company do not increase your standing. One entry is enough. We read and consider all responses carefully.
- Winners will be contacted directly and will be announced on the Fierce Biotech site in late summer/early fall. We make a fuss about this one, so don’t worry, you’ll know if you have been picked.
- These awards are for therapeutics-focused biotechnology companies only. We have a separate Fierce Medtech Fierce 15.
- Previous winners are not eligible, however, previous entrants are welcome.
- We do not reveal nomination information. We may reach out if we have questions, though.
- Submissions are welcome from anyone. VCs, executives, PR folks, and employees are all welcome. We do, however, again note that one submission per company is all you need to get noticed.
A final limerick, to kick off voting:
Trust me we read all of these.
Check each pipeline, CEO and disease
10,000 words make editor sad
And 50 entries is really quite bad
Once again I beg you, 150 words please.
Okay, I think I went over the syllable count there but spare me your essays. Seriously. We get hundreds and I promise I investigate each one.