From improving food security to decarbonizing heavy industries and even transforming human health, microbes are emerging as a powerful tool in the fight against climate change.

But could they also be the next multi-billion-dollar opportunity? And can generalist VCs understand the space well enough to back the right teams?

In this episode, I’m joined by Olivier Mougenot, partner at Wind, a French deep-tech climate VC firm. Olivier is not a scientist. He’s not a biologist either. But he’s convinced that microorganisms will reshape our industries for the better and that biotech is now a business-first game where traditional VCs can support startups.

We discuss:

- What VCs can learn from SaaS to back the next generation of biotech startups- How to evaluate microorganisms projects (hint: performance, price, scale)- What AI can’t do yet in synthetic biology (but might soon)- How the best biotech startups de-risk their business- … and more!

⌛TIMESTAMPS

0:00 Introduction2:59 Wind: A Deep Tech VC Firm6:34 Microorganisms & Sustainability12:37 Biotech Beyond Scientists16:46 Ethics of Microorganisms21:23 Why Impact Funds Fit Biotech27:00 Wind’s Investment Thesis34:27 AI in Biotech37:45 Biotech Predictions41:54 Advice for Founders & VCs

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The Smart Stepmom

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