PharmaSource and CDMO Live, leading brands serving the biopharma outsourcing sector as part of Life Science Networks, announced today they have been acquired by Life Science Connect (LSC), a U.S.-based life sciences media business and portfolio company of Latticework Capital Management and Edgehill Management.
The acquisition will create the world’s leading biopharma outsourcing platform, bringing together PharmaSource, CDMO Live Europe, CDMO Live Americas and External Manufacturing Leaders with LSC’s established, market-leading media platforms, including Outsourced Pharma and the CDMO Leadership Awards. With LSC’s support, the brands will focus on accelerating growth across pharma outsourcing. Together, they will form a new events division within LSC, combining deep editorial expertise with significant scale and resources.
Life Science Networks was founded in 2023 by media and events entrepreneurs Luke Bilton and Chris Kilbee. In the wake of Covid-19, the pair identified a clear gap in the market for content and events focused on biopharma outsourced manufacturing and rapidly built a portfolio of partnering events, digital media and executive communities reaching 50,000 industry professionals.
“To build and grow our events division, our approach is to start with great people, entrepreneurs with a vision of how to provide specific audiences with actionable content and connections to others in the community who can help them,” said Jon Howland, CEO at Life Science Connect. “Chris, Luke and their team represent that approach and we are excited to see what they will build.”
CDMO Live was recognized as “Best Event Launch” at the international Association of Event Organizers (AEO) Awards, held recently in London. The award citation described CDMO Live as “a highly distinctive launch built around a clear, buyer-focused model,” noting that its “emphasis on curated engagement and strong community foundations delivers real value and sets it apart from more traditional formats.”
“Over the last three years we’ve created brands we’re incredibly proud of, with a team that’s been instrumental in making it happen,” said Bilton and Kilbee. “Life Science Connect shares our vision for building a pharma events business that connects this remarkable sector with exceptional networking, content and experiences, and joining forces helps us get there much faster. What we can build together by combining our strengths is genuinely exciting.”
The portfolio’s growth will be accelerated by the investment that LSC brings, along with its AI-enabled technology platform to connect biopharma professionals to the information and suppliers they need to help bring life-improving products to the patients who need them.
Both Bilton and Kilbee will continue in their roles, leading the new events division as Senior Vice Presidents alongside LSC’s existing team.
About CDMO Live
CDMO Live is the leading event for biopharma development and manufacturing, connecting outsourcing executives to the contract development and manufacturing ecosystem. CDMO Live puts the spotlight on the latest trends, outsourcing excellence, and curates connections with the PartnerMatch 1-2-1 meeting program. CDMO Live Americas 2026 will take place October 20-21, 2026 in Boston, and CDMO Live Europe will take place May 26-27, 2027 in Rotterdam.
About PharmaSource
PharmaSource is a fast-growing online community for outsourcing and buyer decision-makers in biopharma. The platform provides over 50,000 members with regular news, podcasts and best practice insights to help build a smarter, more sustainable manufacturing network.
About Life Science Connect
Life Science Connect (LSC) is a network of life science go-to-work solutions dedicated to a better way of connecting professionals across life science communities to advance the pace of research, development, manufacturing, and use of life science innovations. The technology-enabled Life Science Connect platform facilitates mutually beneficial connections between audiences and strategic partners that accelerate the advancement of life-improving, life-extending, and life-saving therapies and devices. LSC serves a loyal, professional readership that demands original, compelling content with professional applications and facilitates engagement across the drug development lifecycle through leading digital publications, events, podcasts, and more. To learn more visit lifescienceconnect.com.
LSC is actively seeking event, media, and technology entrepreneurs who have a vision to serve their readers and clients and need resources and access to strong communities to execute that vision. Please contact Jon Howland (jon.howland@lifescienceleader.com) to connect further regarding a potential acquisition.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260623573174/en/
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