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V O L . X X X N O. V M A R C H 4 , 2 0 2 4 14 L I F E S C I E N C E S / B I O T E C H F O C U S P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY A world apart from California's Silicon Valley and greater Boston's Route 128 technology corridor, Maine life sciences innovators are hustling to raise capital in a tough environment. Playing to investors on both coasts, Chuck Donnelly of Portland-based RockStep Solutions — whose cloud-based software is designed to help drug companies and researchers get cures to mar- ket faster — tailors his sales pitch to the audience. "I have two different pitch decks and I don't like either of them," he says. "On the West Coast they really want to see that you're thinking big and you're going to conquer the world, and on the East Coast they want to dig deep into the numbers. Both have their challenges." S O U R C E : Cushman & Wakefield, "Life Sciences Funding in View & 2024 Outlook," published in January 2024. U.S. LIFE SCIENCES VENTURE CAPITAL FUNDING 2014–2023, IN BILLIONS Chuck Donnelly, co-founder and CEO of Portland-based RockStep Solutions, is looking to raise up to $8 million in venture capital and strategic funding. Maine life sciences, biohealth startups hustle to raise capital in a tough environment B y R e n e e C o r d e s 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 0 $10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $11.7 $14.3 $14.8 $20.0 $27.5 $24.7 $36.4 $48.2 $36.0 $25.9

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