Why Life Sciences Is Now One of My Highest Conviction Investment Themes

And why February 18, 2026 may be the most important day we have ever hosted.

In 17 years of connecting sophisticated investors with high-quality opportunities, I have watched themes rise and fall. Some delivered. Many did not.

Today, life sciences sits alongside AI and robotics as one of the themes I am most bullish on.

This is not speculation. This is pattern recognition from someone who has seen thousands of deals, watched hundreds of companies scale, and learned to read the signals that precede major market shifts.

On February 18, 2026, we are hosting the Life Sciences Investor Day at Emergence in Sydney. I believe this will be the most important day Wholesale Investor has ever hosted.

Let me explain why.

Before we talk about the future, let us look at what has already happened.

Over the last 24 months, Australian life sciences companies have delivered returns that change portfolios. Not incremental gains. Portfolio-defining outcomes.

Telix Pharmaceuticals (ASX:TLX) is now approaching a $4 billion valuation. They have delivered 50%+ revenue growth and proven that Australian biotech can dominate on the global stage. This is no longer a question mark. It is a fact.

Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU) surged past $2.4 billion by doing what many said Australian companies could not do. They got a drug to market in the United States. Daybue is now treating patients with Rett syndrome, and Neuren has shown the entire ecosystem what is possible.

Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6) joined the unicorn club, driven by successful clinical trials and deep capital appetite for its targeted radiopharmaceutical platform.

4DMedical (ASX:4DX) is approaching a $2.7 billion valuation as it commercialises its lung imaging technology and secures contracts with the US Veterans Health Administration.

EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) has reached a $450 million valuation by revolutionising cardiac care with the world’s only wireless pacing system.

Here is something most people do not know.

4DMedical raised its seed round through the Wholesale Investor network. Telix worked with us in 2019 when it was trading at $1.50. They are now at nearly $12.

I share this not to take credit. I share it because I have watched this sector closely for a long time. And what I see now is different from anything I have seen before.

The returns above are not random. They are the result of structural shifts that are accelerating.

Machine learning is transforming drug discovery and clinical trial optimisation. Teams are achieving in 18 months what used to take five years.

The cost and time barriers that killed promising companies are falling away. This changes the risk profile of early-stage life sciences investments dramatically.

Recent FDA reforms are accelerating approval pathways for breakthrough therapies. Australian founders are building globally from day one, with clear regulatory runways that did not exist a decade ago.

The pathway from the Australian lab to the US market has never been clearer.

After years of chasing software multiples and speculative narratives, capital is rotating back toward companies with real science, real outcomes, and real impact.

Health and longevity have become the dominant investment themes of our generation. This is not a trend. It is a structural shift driven by demographics, technology, and the fundamental human desire to live longer and healthier lives.

For years, the question about Australian life sciences was: “Can Australia actually commercialise?”

That question has been answered. Telix answered it. Neuren answered it. The scoreboard is clear.

The new question is whether you will be positioned for what comes next.

The gap between early validation and global scale is shrinking. The upside is becoming increasingly asymmetric. The companies that achieve clinical validation and commercial traction in this environment have a clear pathway to outcomes that were not possible even five years ago.

We are presenting 25 companies across three stages:

Early Stage and Discovery Life Science companies at the frontier of science, developing breakthrough therapies and technologies before the market knows they exist.

MedTech and Devices Companies are building the hardware and software that will define how medicine is delivered for the next generation.

Growth and Scale Companies with clinical validation and commercial traction, ready to accelerate toward global markets.

During the day, we will host 2 panel sessions featuring leading success stories and investment minds. These sessions are designed to help you build your own investment thesis for approaching this unique opportunity.

These are the companies following in the footsteps of Telix, Neuren, and EBR. Clinical validation. Commercial traction. Global ambition.

The next unicorn is likely already in that lineup.

We have partnered with MTPConnect, Australia’s industry life sciences accelerator, to deliver this day.

MTPConnect has been at the centre of building Australia’s medical technology and pharmaceutical ecosystem. Their involvement ensures that the companies you will meet have been validated by the people who understand this sector better than anyone.

This is not a side event. It is the centrepiece of Emergence 2026.

Date: Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Venue: Four Seasons Hotel, Sydney

Audience: 750+ high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and institutional investors focused on life sciences

I do not say this lightly.

In 17 years, we have hosted hundreds of events and introduced thousands of investors to opportunities across every sector imaginable.

This is the single most important day we have ever hosted.

The structural forces are aligned. The proof points are on the board. The next generation of Australian life sciences companies is ready to present.

The question is whether you will be in the room.

The Life Sciences Investor Day is a core part of Emergence 2026, our flagship event bringing together Australia’s most sophisticated investors with the companies defining the next decade.