Karl and Erum are taking us deep into the intersection of biology, industry, and innovation with their guest, Jason Kakoyiannis. Jason is the founder of Bioscentric, advisor at Allonnia, and managing partner of Ferment! From starting his journey in the art world to leading the charge at Ferment, Jason shares how curiosity and the drive to solve complex problems led him to build a venture studio focused on market-driven biotech solutions. They discuss how biology can unlock sustainable answers to big challenges, like optimizing energy systems or creating eco-friendly alternatives in manufacturing. Along the way, Jason explains how his team finds the right problems to tackle and builds companies that merge creativity with real-world impact. It’s a fascinating look at how biotech is shaping our future—one bold idea at a time!
Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?
Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything
Chapters:
- 00:00:00 The Start of Competitive Biology
- 00:00:14 Thanksgiving Tales and Biotech Beginnings
- 00:03:26 Weather Extremes Meet Biology
- 00:04:54 Plastic-Eating Bacteria: Nature’s Unexpected Ally
- 00:10:49 Jason Kakoyiannis: From Art to Biotech Revolution
- 00:15:40 Inside the Ferment Fund: Building Future Biotech
- 00:31:22 A New Model: Revenue-Driven Biotech Companies
- 00:32:30 Venture Studio Secrets Revealed
- 00:33:45 Behind the Scenes with the Ferment Team
- 00:35:09 The Role of Entrepreneurs in Residence
- 00:36:12 Alchemica’s Vision: Transforming Natural Gas Production
- 00:41:41 Biobased Solutions: Untapped Market Opportunities
- 00:46:00 Flexible Spending: A New Biotech Approach
- 00:48:15 Success Patterns in Building Biotech Startups
- 00:52:45 Ferment’s Mission: Solving Real Problems
- 00:55:04 Reflections: Key Takeaways and Insights
Topics Covered:
biotech funding, venture capital, venture studio, fermentation, startups, entrepreneurship, climate biotech.
Episode Links:
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Music by: Nihilore
Production by: Amplafy Media
Grow Everything Biotech Podcast