Soheila Jalali is a Senior Consultant at Catalyze, where she supports startups, scale-ups, and research organizations in securing public funding to advance breakthrough innovations in life sciences and sustainability. With a background in biotechnology and science, business and policy, she specializes in science-to-business funding strategies—bridging research excellence with commercial potential.

Soheila holds an MSc in Biomolecular Sciences (Science, Business, and Policy track) from the University of Groningen and a BSc in Biotechnology from University College London. She gained  hands-on experience working in a health-technology startup for a few years. She further honed her entrepreneurial skills through the VentureLab North program.

At Catalyze, over the past 5 years, Soheila has led and co-developed several innovation projects, contributing to more than €80 million in public and blended funding raised across national and EU-level programmes, including Horizon Europe and the EIC Accelerator. She brings particular expertise in translating complex scientific innovations into compelling business cases—tailoring strategies to match the expectations of investors, evaluators, and funding agencies.

Passionate about the intersection of science, business, and impact, Soheila is committed to helping early-stage ventures navigate the funding landscape and accelerate their path to market.

At the BioBusiness Summer School, she will share insights into shaping a career in business development and consulting for cutting-edge innovation projects.