The Biotech Startups Podcast 🧬 NASA, Harvard & Biotech: A Journey to Investing at Menlo Ventures | Johnny Hu (Part 1/4)
May 26, 2025
43:54
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“Every startup starts the journey at zero, and you’re just building from scratch. Day by day, you do a little bit better, and eventually, you look back and realize how far you’ve come.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, we dive into the formative journey of Johnny Hu, Principal at Menlo Ventures, tracing his path from a childhood spent on a UK university campus to the heart of biotech investing. Johnny shares how early exposure to academia, a move to Alabama near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and a deep curiosity for science and business shaped his worldview.
He reflects on pivotal moments—from hands-on research in structural biology at Harvard and a summer at Genentech, to witnessing the evolution of biotech tools and infrastructure. Throughout, Johnny offers candid insights on the power of mentorship, the non-linear nature of discovery, and the incremental progress that fuels both scientific breakthroughs and startup success.
Key topics covered:
- Academic Roots: Early immersion in campus life sparked a passion for science and discovery.
- Transatlantic Perspective: Moving from the UK to Alabama, NASA’s influence broadened his horizons.
- Interdisciplinary Curiosity: Juggled chemical biology, economics, and programming at Harvard.
- Research Evolution: Experienced the grind of structural biology and witnessed AI revolutionizing the field.
- Startup Realities: Saw firsthand how mentorship and modern infrastructure now supercharge biotech innovation.
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Subscribe to the Podcast:
Find our guest, Johnny Hu, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyhhu/
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:
The Odd Lots Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ph/podcast/odd-lots/id1056200096
Protein Data Bank: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_Data_Bank
AlphaFold: https://alphafold.ebi.ac.uk/
Human Genome Project: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Genome_Project
Janelia Research Campus: https://www.janelia.org/
CRISPR and Genome Engineering: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRISPR_gene_editing
Behavioral Economics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_economics
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Genentech: https://www.gene.com/
Gilead Sciences: https://www.gilead.com/
Bio-Rad: https://www.bio-rad.com/
David Jeruzalmi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjeruzalmi/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:48 Early Life and Academic Roots
08:30 Move to Alabama and NASA Influence
11:11 Harvard Admission and Interdisciplinary Interests
18:38 Undergraduate Lab Experience in Structural Biology
31:07 Summer at Genentech
33:57 Comparing Academic and Industry Labs
36:17 Startup Realities and Biotech Infrastructure
39:08 Incremental Progress in Biotech Startups
42:08 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.