News

September 2026

On 22 September, Pedersen & Partners hosted the first meeting of the Dx Platform NL in Amsterdam, organised and moderated by Lydia van der Meulen, Client Partner and Country Manager for the Netherlands, and Jaap den Hartog, Consultant at Pedersen & Partners.

The session brought together a small group of C-level leaders from Diagnostics and Life Sciences to discuss a central challenge for the sector: how to finance diagnostics companies through the different stages of development, from innovation to commercialisation and scale.

Dr. Jan Groen shared perspectives from his experience with a closed Life Sciences CEO community, highlighting the value of a confidential setting where leaders can exchange practical experiences, challenges and contacts. Judith Smit, CEO of FFUND, contributed insights on funding strategy for Life Sciences companies.

The discussion highlighted several recurring themes. Funding should be viewed as a long-term strategic process rather than a single financing round, particularly as companies move through validation, clinical development, regulatory approval, market entry and scaling. Participants also discussed the importance of considering the longer-term implications of grants and public funding, as well as the need to work with investors who understand the specific development cycles, regulatory requirements and commercialisation pathways of Diagnostics businesses.

Key takeaways

• Funding needs to be approached as a long-term strategic process. Decisions made at one stage can directly influence the financing options available at the next, particularly as companies move through validation, clinical development, regulatory approval, commercialisation and scale-up.
• Investor fit matters as much as access to capital. Diagnostics companies need investors who understand long development cycles, regulatory requirements and the realities of bringing complex technologies to market.
• Grants and public funding can play an important role, but their longer-term implications also need to be considered. Financing structures should support immediate development needs without unnecessarily limiting future private investment opportunities.
• Europe continues to face challenges in financing the transition from innovation to international scale. Strong science and technology need to be matched by funding models that can support companies through later stages of growth.
• Peer exchange can create real value. Sharing practical experience with leaders who have already navigated similar funding, regulatory and commercial challenges can help companies make better-informed decisions and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

The ambition for Dx Platform NL is to continue building a small, confidential C-level community focused on practical exchange, relevant sector challenges and open discussion between experienced decision-makers.

Potential themes for future meetings include regulatory strategy, reimbursement, commercialisation and international scaling, with participants helping to shape the agenda based on the issues that are most relevant to them.

We thank all participants for their active contribution, openness and willingness to share their experiences and perspectives. Their input is what makes this platform valuable and will help shape future discussions.