Every January, the global life science community descends on San Francisco for what feels less like a conference and more like a full-city takeover. It's an entire week pulsing with innovation, capital, and connection. If you’ve never been and only heard the shorthand “JPM Week,” you might assume it functions like a typical industry conference: register online, pick up a badge, attend the sessions. The reality is… very different.
My first trip to J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference was in 2018 - squeezed in on my way to CES. A colleague who lived in San Francisco told me it was the perfect opportunity to slip into free events and meet people in a more relaxed setting. She sent me a long list of gatherings. But because I was planning at the last minute, almost everything was full, except one. So I registered and went, with zero idea what I was walking into.
To this day, I couldn’t tell you where this event was in the city. I can tell you it was nowhere near Union Square. It turned out to be in someone’s condo, complete with slightly stale cheese and crackers, a few glasses of wine, and a small group of people chatting in clusters. The “main program” was a short talk from a Director at Kaiser Permanente Ventures about how innovators could engage with their team.
After she wrapped up, I introduced myself and grabbed her card. A year later, she was on stage as a speaker at my very first Demo Day. We’ve stayed connected ever since.
That’s the magic of JPM Week. It’s messy, unpredictable, sometimes awkward, and full of exactly the kind of serendipity that can change the trajectory of your work. In San Francisco during JPM, even a random condo event with stale snacks can spark a connection that lasts for years.
Yes, the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is the anchor event for the week. And yes, many founders, investors, and industry leaders are not officially “invited.”
But here’s the truth:
You don’t need a JPM badge to have an incredibly productive, high-ROI week in San Francisco during JPM Week.
In fact, some of the strongest opportunities for startups, innovators, and emerging fund managers happen outside the official conference. It happens across hotel lobbies, side events, innovation forums, private lounges, pitch sessions, and the global delegations that fly in from every corner of the world.
No invite? No problem.
For one week, the entire ecosystem is concentrated in a few walkable blocks and includes investors, business development teams, big pharma, global accelerators, service providers, clinicians, regulators, and strategics.
Some of the best deals start in coffee lines, hallway chats, and hotel lobby introductions. And sometimes the person you share an elevator with is the person who can finally connect you to the VC you’ve been trying to reach for months.
If you’re fundraising in 2026, skipping JPM Week can set you back months. Being present signals seriousness and keeps you on the radar of people you want to build relationships with.
International delegations use JPM Week to scout U.S. partners, technologies, and soft-landing opportunities which is a huge advantage for medtech, diagnostics, and platform companies looking to expand.
From $50 brunch breakout rooms to curated, invite-only forums, pitch visibility has never been more accessible. JPM Week compresses six months of outreach into four days.
This year, University Lab Partners is not only hosting our own event. We’ve compiled a living, searchable list of aligned events for JPM Week 2026. It includes investor forums, pitch competitions, market-entry sessions, social mixers, corporate receptions, cross-border networking, and opportunities to meet strategics and VCs and many of them free or low-cost.
The list will continue to grow through early January, and our full searchable directory will be updated continuously through January 11, 2026.
Just two blocks from the JPM venue, our ULP Lounge is designed to foster meaningful, high-value conversations throughout the week. Enjoy light refreshments and access to a relaxed, elegant space where you can recharge, meet partners, or reflect between sessions.
The atmosphere is intentionally crafted to deepen connections and grounded in ULP’s mission of advancing innovation and accelerating the growth of life science and medtech startups.
👉 Register here for the ULP Drop-In Lounge on January 13, 2026
If you’d like access to the full directory—with filters for cost, audience, location, and event type—leave your information below and we’ll send it your way.
👉 Get sortable access to the full JPM Week 2026 Event List
By Charla Triplett, Director of Venture Acceleration, University Lab Partners