The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 The Borrowed Computer That Built Oculus - An Unlikely Biotech Journey | Michael Antonov (Part 1/4)
May 12, 2025
42:16
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“There was this moment when I was 13 where a family friend brought a computer and I really liked games. It was just so fascinating. And then I could learn and write simple statements and logic. So that was like a little precursor, anything electronics, anything computers excited me. And biology was something I would hear about, but not really pay a lot of attention to.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, we dive into the remarkable journey of Michael Antonov, Co-Founder of Oculus and Founder & CEO of Deep Origin, as he shares how growing up in post-Soviet Russia, surrounded by scarcity and a family of biologists, shaped his resourcefulness and ambition. A chance encounter with a borrowed computer sparked his lifelong passion for programming, steering him away from biology and into the world of software innovation. Michael recounts building foundational technologies in gaming and VR, co-founding Scaleform and Oculus, and navigating the challenges of scaling startups, forging pivotal partnerships, and eventually being acquired by Autodesk.
His story is a testament to curiosity, resilience, and the power of seizing unexpected opportunities on the path from immigrant to influential entrepreneur in biotech and beyond.
Key topics covered:
- Growing up in post-Soviet Russia: Scarcity, grit, and a family of biologists
- Discovering computers and programming: A creative escape and new direction
- Building and pivoting Scaleform: Dorm-room startup to game industry staple
- Securing major clients and networking: Landing deals through conferences and connections
- Navigating acquisition by Autodesk: Startup freedom meets corporate reality
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Find our guest, Michael Antonov, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelantonov/
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-origin/
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deep-origin/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
Civilization IV: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_IV
Adobe Flash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash
Game Developers Conference: https://gdconf.com/
Scaleform GFX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaleform_GFx
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Deep Origin: https://deeporigin.com/
Oculus (Meta Quest): https://www.meta.com/quest/
BioWare: https://www.bioware.com/
Autodesk: https://www.autodesk.com/
Nintendo: https://www.nintendo.com/
Brendan Iribe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendaniribe/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:47 Growing Up in Post-Soviet Russia
04:33 Family’s Background in Biology
06:56 First Encounter with Computers and Programming
09:45 High School in Maryland and Early Programming Projects
11:49 Choosing Computer Science and College Experience
15:32 Meeting Cofounder and Starting Scaleform
20:54 Building and Pivoting the Scaleform Product
23:31 Landing First Customers and Early Growth
28:16 Securing Big Clients and Gaining Industry Momentum
32:23 Deciding to Sell and the Autodesk Acquisition
36:35 Navigating Corporate Culture Post-Acquisition
40:29 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.