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“This isn't just one gene edit—this is multiple edits, working in concert. It’s a fundamentally different chassis.”

In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Aaron Edwards, co-founder of KiraGen Bio, shares how a Harvard Business School class project ignited the launch of a pioneering biotech taking on solid tumors with a bold, unconventional CAR T-cell therapy.

He unpacks the real-world challenges of building KiraGen—navigating fundraising, assembling a strong team, and leveraging mentorship, partnerships, and machine learning—while highlighting how focus, discipline, and authentic leadership can set a startup apart, even when it means breaking from industry norms.

Key topics covered:

The Origin of KiraGen: Born from an HBS pitch deck, KiraGen set out to tackle immune suppression in solid tumors.
Contrarian CAR T-Cell Design: Bold multi-edit strategy to outsmart tumor microenvironments and hit glioblastoma.
Focus and Discipline: Lean operations, every dollar counts, eyes on clinical milestones.
Creative Fundraising and Partnerships: Unconventional funding, academic alliances, and patient-driven capital.
Authenticity and Team Building: Realness, inclusivity, and mentorship at the core—paying it forward in biotech.

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Subscribe to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast

Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/

Find our guest, Aaron Edwards, at these links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aedwards02/

Website: https://www.kiragenbio.com/

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:

Base Editing & CRISPR 2.0: https://beamtx.com/science/base-editing/

CAR T-Cell Therapy: https://investor.bluebirdbio.com/news-releases/news-release-details/bluebird-bio-announces-amended-bcma-car-t-collaboration

Activator Program: https://nucleate.org/activator/

Biotech Studio Program: https://www.2048.vc/blog/bio-studio

The Founder Mindset: https://www.hbs.edu/coursecatalog/1676.html

TFS Programs: https://www.thermofisher.com/jp/ja/home/products-and-services/services/crdmo.html

Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:

Bluebird Bio: https://www.bluebirdbio.com/

Beam Therapeutics: https://www.beamtx.com/

2048 Ventures: https://www.2048.vc/

Nucleate: https://nucleate.xyz/

Thermo Fisher Scientific: https://www.thermofisher.com/

George Church: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/

David R. Liu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-r-liu-465394185/

Reza Satchu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reza-satchu/

Terry-Ann Burrell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-ann-burrell-10477424/

Jen Nwankwo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenasherphd/

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:39 The Origin Story of KiraGen

07:15 From Bluebird to Beam: Learning Cell Therapy

15:51 Finding Product-Market Fit in Glioblastoma

20:59 The Importance of Focus and Discipline

24:20 Early Company Building and Lab Setup

28:16 Building the Team and Hiring Strategy

38:27 Creative Fundraising and Partnership Strategies

45:06 Two-Year Vision: IND Filing and Clinical Data

51:22 Shoutouts to Mentors and Supporters

55:50 Advice to 21-Year-Old Self: Authenticity as a Superpower

01:00:09 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.

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