The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 Debugging Aging: How a VR Pioneer is Revolutionizing Longevity | Michael Antonov (Part 3/4)
May 19, 2025
28:11
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"My mind is analytical – so I wondered ‘what is the most exciting, impactful thing I could do?’ I felt we’re all growing older, so where is the technology of aging? How well do we understand the biochemistry of us as humans?"
In this episode, Michael Antonov, Co-Founder of Oculus and Founder & CEO of Deep Origin, shares his bold leap from pioneering virtual reality to tackling the complexities of human aging and biotech innovation. Driven by a lifelong curiosity about biology and the mysteries of longevity, Michael reveals how his software background inspired him to "debug" biology, build better research tools, and launch Formic Ventures to back high-risk, high-reward startups.
He discusses his vision for integrating computational and biological approaches, the promise of cellular reprogramming, and his mission to create a new ecosystem that empowers researchers and accelerates breakthroughs in extending human healthspan.
Key topics covered:
- From Oculus to Biotech: Michael Antonov’s leap from VR pioneer to longevity-focused founder
- Debugging Biology: Using software logic to unravel aging’s complexity
- Investment Philosophy: Formic Ventures’ bold bets on transformative biotech
- Cellular Reprogramming: Rejuvenating cells to fight aging at its core
- Building Deep Origin: Unifying platforms to supercharge drug discovery and research
If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
Subscribe to the Podcast:
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:
Cellular Reprogramming: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167779922000257
Longevity.Technology: https://www.longevity.technology/
PyTorch: https://pytorch.org/
Carmel Browser and React VR: https://developers.meta.com/horizon/blog/carmel-developer-preview-launches-today/?locale=pt_PT
The Michael Antonov Foundation: https://antonovfoundation.org/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Deep Origin: https://deeporigin.com/
Oculus (Meta Quest): https://www.meta.com/quest/
Scaleform: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaleform_GFx
Formic Ventures: https://formic.vc/
TileDB: https://tiledb.com/
HKUST: https://hkust.edu.hk/
Garegin Papoian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garegin-papoian-9472a85/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:22 Joining Facebook and Acquisition Experience
05:01 Resource Abundance and Internal Politics
06:41 Working at Facebook and Priorities
09:41 Early Fascination with Biology of Aging
15:17 Studying Biology at Berkeley Extension
17:39 Starting Biotech Investing
21:57 Learning the Ins and Outs of Investing
25:19 Challenges in Biotech Investing
26:24 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.