Venture capital co-creation: The next big thing in biotech investment?

Jessica Owens and Iana Dimkova are co-founders of Initiate Ventures—a female-led venture capital firm and studio that launched recently with a $45 million debut fund.

Initiate Ventures is shaking up the traditional venture capital model by blending investments in healthcare, life sciences, and technology with a company creation platform. The company is tackling some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare, and their innovative approach offers fresh insights into what it takes to scale transformative startups.

Owens was the co-founder of GRAIL (acquired by Illumina for $8bn) and was a partner at Kleiner Perkins, where she helped shape some of the most successful health tech startups. Dimkova is a former healthcare technology investor at GE Ventures, who also scaled a company that raised more than $700m and built one of the largest radiation therapy networks in the US.

Their approach is reflected in their dual model: funding existing companies while also co-creating ventures alongside founders in their startup studio. They helped launch groundbreaking companies like Macro Trials, a precision clinical research platform, and Persana, a leader in oncology diagnostics.

This week on the podcast, we have a conversation with one of the co-founders of the company, Jessica Owens.

00:40-05:19: About Initiate Ventures
05:19-08:33: What sets Initiate Ventures apart from other venture funds?
08:33-10:59: Revitalizing healthcare
10:59-13:46: Determining realistic company visions
13:46-15:15: Initiate Ventures and Initiate Studios
15:15-19:50: Working with companies
19:50-21:36: Working with new companies
21:36-23:00: Evaluating potential success
23:00-24:40: How hands on is Initiate Ventures?
24:40-28:24: Is there a change in what attracts capital?
28:24-30:02: Infectious disease – a neglected area
30:02-33:08: How important are ESG considerations?
33:08-35:42: Trends for 2025
35:42-36:42: Goals for 2025

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