#BIO2025: A Q&A With Ronak Savla, Director, Strategic Ventures

The 2025 BIO International Convention begins today in Boston.

BIO is an international gathering of investors, startup founders, researchers, business development professionals, and other key stakeholders across the life sciences sector to connect, build relationships and exchange ideas, all with the goal of advancing innovation for patients.

Catalent is ready for a strong showing at the conference this year: In addition to our booth in the exhibition hall, we will be co-sponsoring the Cell & Gene Reception @ BIO (hosted by the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine), offering site tours at our facility located just outside of Boston, and hosting an intimate “Wine & Cheese” reception in our booth.

Ronak Savla, Director, Strategic Ventures, recently sat down with us to share more about how his team helps drive our business and why events like BIO play such a crucial role for our business.

Q: Can you tell us more about your role at Catalent and how your career led you to Catalent?

My education background spans science, clinical knowledge, and business expertise. I wanted to build a career that requires me to use a combination of all these skills. I started my career at Catalent, focusing on scientific affairs, and later moved to a biotech company where I led efforts in medical affairs and new product planning.  Today, I lead Strategic Ventures, where I bring my experience and network to connect Catalent with biotech companies, life science investors, universities, biotech incubators, and other organizations supporting early-stage biotech companies to foster meaningful partnerships.

Q: What role does Strategic Ventures play at Catalent?

Strategic Ventures at Catalent manages the company’s strategic partnerships with top life science venture firms. The team builds partnerships with biotech incubators, universities, and early-stage biotech companies, fostering innovation and collaboration.

It also supports business development by consulting customers on strategies, fundraising, investor connections, and pitch decks. Strategic Ventures ensures Catalent adapts its biotech approach through coordination with scientific advisors and product developers, while keeping up with industry trends to maintain our competitive edge in the industry.

Q: Why are conventions like BIO important for the Strategic Ventures team?

Gatherings like this give us a great opportunity to meet with current and potential customers that partner with Catalent. In addition, it gives us the chance to connect with investors and other innovators to share insights and discuss how we can partner. Many of our closest external relationships began with a meeting at BIO.

Q: What does the Strategic Ventures team hope to accomplish this year at BIO?

The biotech industry is facing several headwinds and is changing at a rapid pace. It can be quite dizzying to keep up with all the news and developments. The power of community is more important now than ever. In-person events like BIO are an important tool for us to continue to strengthen relationships and forge new ones. We look forward to meeting with customers to understand their priorities and opening our internal and external networks to ultimately bring novel medicines to patients.

Q.  What do customers need to know?

Our message to customers is to come meet our team at BIO and learn about our comprehensive, end-to-end CDMO services for biologics, cell and gene therapies, and small molecules. They can visit us at booth #2735 to discover how our drug development, clinical supply, and commercial capabilities can take your product from early discovery through market launch.

Click here to schedule a meeting with our experts.