The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 Parag Shah - Part 1 | Rethinking Biotech Startup Funding | Building Smarter Capital Strategies | Risk, Reward & Leadership in Investing
Feb 3, 2025
47:10
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Part 1 of 2: Our guest today is Parag Shah, CEO and Founding Managing Director of K2 HealthVentures. K2 HealthVentures is an alternative investment firm that provides flexible, long-term financing solutions to innovative private and public companies in the life sciences and healthcare industries. Committed to making a broader impact, K2 also donates a percentage of its profits to support underserved areas in healthcare.
Before founding K2, Parag was Senior Managing Director & Group Head of the Life Sciences practice at Hercules Capital, where he led the fund’s public offering and managed over $2 billion in investments. His deep expertise in life science and healthcare financing was further shaped through key leadership roles at Comerica, Imperial Bank, and BankBoston.Parag’s academic background includes a Masters in Environmental Policy & Planning and a Bachelors in Molecular Biology from MIT, where he conducted research at the Whitehead Institute.
With 25+ years of experience at the intersection of science and finance, Parag brings invaluable insights for first-time founders, investors, scientists, and industry leaders navigating the complexities of biotech funding.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- How Parag’s NYC upbringing shaped his leadership and risk-taking mindset
- His transition from molecular biology to finance and investing
- Key lessons from his early career in credit and venture lending
- How he helped shape biotech venture credit and redefine startup financing
- When to use debt vs. equity in life sciences fundraising
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Find Our Guest, Parag Shah, at these links:
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:
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Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/
Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:
K2 HealthVentures: https://www.k2healthventures.com/
Hercules Capital: https://www.htgc.com/
BankBoston (now part of Bank of America): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BankBoston
Imperial Bank (acquired by Comerica): https://www.comerica.com/
Venture Debt in Biotech: https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/rise-venture-debt-and-when-biotechs-should-and-shouldnt-use-it
Equity vs. Debt Financing: https://www.excedr.com/resources/debt-equity-options-funding-startup
Biotech Startup Fundraising: https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-options
Risk-Taking & Leadership in Startups:
Biotech Startup Support: https://www.excedr.com/resources-category/biotech-startup-support
Scaling Biotech Companies: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/scaling-up-overcoming-multifaceted-challenges-growing-rami-levin-njoqe/
People Mentioned:
Larry Suskind: https://dusp.mit.edu/people/lawrence-susskind
John Ehrenfeld: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnehrenfeld/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:59 Parag’s background and early career in finance
06:24 Growing up in NYC and how his parents influenced his mindset
09:42 The impact of education and key mentors in shaping his path
15:11 Transitioning from science to finance, why he left the lab
19:56 Lessons from Bank Boston and entering the world of credit investing
24:32 Moving to Argentina and unexpected entry into banking
29:56 Joining Imperial Bank and the challenges of building biotech venture credit
36:37 Understanding risk-taking and decision-making in biotech financing
42:52 When startups should use debt vs. equity and how venture debt fits into biotech funding
46:02 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.