The Biotech Startups Podcast

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 4 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is David Li, CEO and co-founder of Meliora Therapeutics. Meliora's goal is to develop life-saving cancer therapies using cutting-edge science and machine learning. The company derives a comprehensive picture of how drugs interact with cancer biology by combining biofunctional readouts from numerous modalities using advanced machine learning and other computational techniques. Before Meliora, David was Chief Business Officer at Everest Detection, an early detection liquid biopsy startup, and led commercial operations at Benchling, a life sciences software platform valued at $6 billion with over $500 million in funding.David started his career in Goldman Sachs Healthcare Investment Banking Group and KKR's Private Equity Group, advising and investing in transactions exceeding $10 billion. His diverse financial and life sciences background offers valuable insights for founders.Join us this week and hear about:David’s transition from private equity to co-founding Meliora and using AI/ML in drug developmentHis fundraising experiences for Meliora and current outlook on the fundraising landscape in 2024 His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and reflections on “thinking big” in biotechIdentifying mischaracterized mechanisms of action and establishing Meliora as a drug development company and computational platformPlease enjoy my conversation with David Li.Timestamps: 00:28 Intro 02:00 Jason Scheltzer identifies mechanisms of action, the beginnings of Meliora 05:08 David meets Jason Scheltzer, forming Meliora with a thesis, as David becomes founding CEO and initial fundraising begins 07:20 David’s serendipitous meeting with Jason, getting on board as more than an investor09:16 Building the early founding team at Meliora, establishing Meliora as a drug company12:05 How Meliora is disrupting the status quo in drug discovery and development 17:24 David’s approach to building an internal pipeline and BD partnerships 19:49 David’s experience fundraising and his outlook on fundraising in 2024 22:21 Meloria’s 2-year vision, transitioning from Seed to Series A 24:03 Shoutouts and advice to 21-year old self 26:23 OutroFind Our Guest, David Li, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-li-9aa210bhttps://www.melioratx.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:KKR https://www.kkr.com/Benchling https://www.benchling.com/Meliora Therapeutics https://www.melioratherapeutics.com/Everest Detection https://everestdetection.com/AstraZeneca https://www.astrazeneca.com/Tagrisso https://www.tagrisso.com/Drug candidates that were mischaracterized https://ergobio.substack.com/p/meliora-therapeutics-is-buildingSeed Rounds https://www.excedr.com/resources/seed-round-funding-explainedSeries A, B, & C Rounds https://www.excedr.com/resources/series-funding-explainedBiotech Fundraising https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsComputational Platforms in Biotech https://www.nfx.com/post/bioplatforms-computational-biologyPeople Mentioned:Jason Sheltzer https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sheltzer-ba0086234/Joan Smith https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanclarasmith/Claudio Chuaqui https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudio-chuaqui-5612381/Andrew Coopersmith https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-s-coopersmith/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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 3 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is David Li, CEO and co-founder of Meliora Therapeutics. Meliora's goal is to develop life-saving cancer therapies using cutting-edge science and machine learning. The company derives a comprehensive picture of how drugs interact with cancer biology by combining biofunctional readouts from numerous modalities using advanced machine learning and other computational techniques. Before Meliora, David served as Chief Business Officer at Everest Detection, an early detection liquid biopsy startup, and was head of commercial operations at Benchling, a life sciences software platform company which has achieved a $6 billion valuation and has attracted over $500 million in funding from firms such as Altimeter Capital, Tiger Global, Lone Pine Capital, Benchmark, Sequoia, Excel, Lux, and numerous others. David began his career in Goldman Sachs Healthcare Investment Banking Group and KKR's Private Equity Group, where he advised and invested in transactions worth over $10 billion in enterprise value. David's multifaceted experiences in the financial and life science sectors give him a wide range of experiences that founders can learn from.Join us this week and hear about:Working at Everest Detection and developing a blood-based lung cancer testExcelling in a non-iterative work environmentHow software and biotech companies think about product market fit differentlyWhy money is a super power for biotech startups todayAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with David Li.Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:54 Episode Starts. Starting at Everest Detection and developing a early detection blood-based lung cancer test05:04 Learning to work with scientists and experiencing a non-iterative business cadence that is more like a rifle shot07:19 How David approaches projects where you do not have as much room for error or experimentation10:01 Difference in how software and life science companies think about product market fit14:30 Using parallel experiments to optimize your learnings rather than just, swapping chairs on the titanic16:19 The difference in mentality of raising money in a software company vs a biotech company and why money is a super power18:34 How the size and scale of your business changes how you view your preclinical tests19:08 OutroFind Our Guest, David Li, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-li-9aa210bhttps://www.melioratx.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Enriched NotesTopics Mentioned:Everest Detection https://everestdetection.com/ Meliora Therapeutics https://www.melioratherapeutics.com/Marketing & Sales Strategies for Startups https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechsLab Equipment for Biochemistry Research https://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-biochemistry-researchStrategies for Better Cash Flow Management https://www.excedr.com/blog/cash-flow-management-strategiesHow do Core Labs Support Life Science Research? https://www.excedr.com/blog/core-labsPeople MentionedBrian Slingerland https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-slingerland-a7a14b35/ 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 2 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is David Li, CEO and co-founder of Meliora Therapeutics. Meliora's goal is to develop life-saving cancer therapies using cutting-edge science and machine learning. The company derives a comprehensive picture of how drugs interact with cancer biology by combining biofunctional readouts from numerous modalities using advanced machine learning and other computational techniques. Before Meliora, David served as Chief Business Officer at Everest Detection, an early detection liquid biopsy startup, and was head of commercial operations at Benchling, a life sciences software platform company which has achieved a $6 billion valuation and has attracted over $500 million in funding.David began his career in Goldman Sachs Healthcare Investment Banking Group and KKR's Private Equity Group, where he advised and invested in transactions worth over $10 billion in enterprise value. His multifaceted experiences in the financial and life science sectors give him a wide range of experiences that founders can learn from.Join us this week and hear about:David’s pivot from finance roles at Goldman Sachs and KKR to early-stage entrepreneurship in the Life SciencesThe challenges of moving from private equity to startupsAligning personal values with career choices, building solid teams, and the role of luck in success.His time at Benchling as Head of Commercial Operations and at Everest Detection as the Chief Business OfficerPlease enjoy my conversation with David Li.Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:56 Working in Finance at Goldman Sachs and KKR, rethinking how to make an impact04:59 Switching to early-stage entrepreneurship, prioritizing team strength and market dynamics06:25 Experience at Benchling, data software issues & digitization in the life sciences11:09 The role of luck in success, figuring out what you can and can’t control14:02 Challenges and lessons working in startups, maintaining internal conviction17:43 Contemplating a new role after Benchling, joining Everest Detection20:25 The different skills David learned while building a team, getting wins early on23:56 OutroFind Our Guest, David Li, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-li-9aa210bhttps://www.melioratx.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:Goldman Sachs https://www.goldmansachs.com/KKR https://www.kkr.com/Benchling https://www.benchling.com/Everest Detection https://everestdetection.com/Salesforce https://www.salesforce.com/Digitization of Life Sciences https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/Industries/life-sciences-health-care/perspectives/gx-digital-transformation-in-life-sciences.htmlVesting https://etonvs.com/startup-101/vesting-101/Go-to-Market Motion/Strategy https://www.wrike.com/go-to-market-guide/faq/what-is-go-to-market-motion/Marketing & Sales Strategies & Tools https://www.excedr.com/blog/marketing-sales-strategies-for-biotechsStructuring Sales Comp at a Startup https://www.vouris.com/blog/sales-compensation-plan-for-startupsContent Marketing https://mailchimp.com/marketing-glossary/content-marketing/Product Marketing vs. Growth Marketing https://userpilot.com/blog/product-marketing-vs-growth-marketing/People Mentioned:Bryan Slingerland https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-slingerland-a7a14b35/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.

Part 1 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is David Li, CEO and co-founder of Meliora Therapeutics. Meliora's goal is to develop life-saving cancer therapies using cutting-edge science and machine learning. The company derives a comprehensive picture of how drugs interact with cancer biology by combining biofunctional readouts from numerous modalities using advanced machine learning and other computational techniques. Before Meliora, David served as Chief Business Officer at Everest Detection, an early detection liquid biopsy startup, and was head of commercial operations at Benchling, a life sciences software platform company which has achieved a $6 billion valuation and has attracted over $500 million in funding from firms such as Altimeter Capital, Tiger Global, Lone Pine Capital, Benchmark, Sequoia, Excel, Lux, and numerous others. David began his career in Goldman Sachs Healthcare Investment Banking Group and KKR's Private Equity Group, where he advised and invested in transactions worth over $10 billion in enterprise value. David's multifaceted experiences in the financial and life science sectors give him a wide range of experiences that founders can learn from.Join us this week and hear about:David's childhood in China and Kentucky Developing a passion for biology and chemistry at a young ageHis experience in the University of Pennsylvania Life Sciences Management ProgramHis experience at Goldman Sachs, insights he's gained from Fortune 500 CEOs, his mentorship through Need You in New York CityHis ongoing commitment to innovation and patient impactAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with David Li.Timestamps00:28 Intro2:39 Episode starts, early years in China and Kentucky, developing a passion for biology and chemistry9:58 Decision to attend the University of Pennsylvania and study biology and finance through the Roy Vagelos Life Science and Management Program13:41 Experience and opportunities at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker15:47 The role of investment banking, the integration of career paths with life sciences and biotech, and the value of analysis across fields21:08 Balancing capital formation vs. innovation while keeping patient impact as the North Star of a company’s purpose24:27 Insights gained from exposure to Fortune 500 or Fortune 100 CEOs and the impact of mentorships while at Goldman27:44 David’s experience as a mentor through the New York Needs You program29:01 OutroLong-Form Video Timestamps:00:00 Intro2:10 Episode starts, early years in China and Kentucky, developing a passion for biology and chemistry11:34 Decision to attend the University of Pennsylvania and study biology and finance through the Roy Vagelos Life Science and Management Program16:16 Experience and opportunities at Goldman Sachs as an investment banker18:52 The role of investment banking, the integration of career paths with life sciences and biotech, and the value of analysis across fields25:26 Balancing capital formation vs. innovation while keeping patient impact as the North Star of a company’s purpose30:03 Insights gained from exposure to Fortune 500 or Fortune 100 CEOs and the impact of mentorships while at Goldman34:18 David’s experience as a mentor through the New York Needs You program35:53 OutroFind Our Guest, David Li, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-li-9aa210bhttps://www.melioratx.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:Research in Biological Science at the University of Chicago Summer Programhttps://summer.uchicago.edu/programs/research-biological-sciences-ribsUniversity of Pennsylvania - Roy Vagelos Life Science and Management Programhttps://lsm.upenn.edu/Andrew Fire and Craig Mello - Nobel Prize Winners for RNA interferencehttps://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2006/illustrated-information/#:~:text=The%20Nobel%20Assembly%20at%20Karolinska,silencing%20by%20double%2Dstranded%20RNA.Tide Pharma https://www.linkedin.com/company/beijing-tide-pharmaceutical-co-ltd-Goldman Sachshttps://www.goldmansachs.com/index.html New York Needs You Programhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-needs-youLab Equipment for Biochemistry Researchhttps://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-biochemistry-researchStrategies for Better Cash Flow Managementhttps://www.excedr.com/blog/cash-flow-management-strategiesHow do Core Labs Support Life Science Research?https://www.excedr.com/blog/core-labsThe 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.

Part 4 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is Mark Kotter, neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and CEO and founder of bit.bio. He has also been a professor and researcher at Cambridge for more than 15 years. Bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology company providing human cells for research, drug discovery, and cell therapy. The company applies a patented safe harbor gene targeting approach to inducibly express transcription factor combinations that reprogram human-induced pluripotent stem cells into highly defined and mature human cell types. Bit.bio spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 and has since raised approximately $200 million from Arch Ventures, Foresight Capital, Milky Way, Charles River Laboratories, National Resilience, Tencent, and Pulau Capital, among others.Mark is also the co-founder of Meatable, scientific founder and chairman of rejuvenation startup clock.bio, and co-founder and trustee of Myelopathy.org, the first charity dedicated to a common yet often overseen condition causing a slow-motion spinal cord injury. His diverse experience as an academic and serial entrepreneur offers a wealth of insights aspiring scientist founders can draw from. Join us this week and hear about:The evolution of bit.bio and their mission to democratize access to human cells and therapiesBuilding a solid infrastructure and hiring the right peopleThe early hurdles of securing funding and managing co-founder dynamics and bit.bio’s financial journey from angel investments to institutional funding Mark’s plans to take the company publicPlease enjoy my conversation with Mark Kotter.Timestamps00:28 Intro01:52 Democratizing access to cells, the core mission of bit.bio04:06 A new paradigm of creating batches of cells06:26 Creating a new market out of a disruptive product09:20 The business initiatives at bit.bio and Mark’s driving philosophies11:28 The journey of new modality platforms like bit.bio’s & the IP landscape15:02 Building the infrastructure and engine powering bit.bio, finding the right people23:05 Financing bit.bio early on and their financial journey from a small, scrappy lab26:56 Raising larger funds from institutional investors, bit.bio’s Series A and B28:56 Mark’s future plans and 10-year vision for bit.bio31:16 The 2-year vision, what will happen at bit.bio in the near future34:16 Shout outs and advice to 21-year old self36:05 OutroFind Our Guest, Mark Kotter, at these links: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mark-kotterhttps://www.bit.bio/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:bit.bio https://www.bit.bio/Charles River Laboratories https://www.criver.com/Meatable https://meatable.com/University of Cambridge https://www.cam.ac.uk/Cell therapy https://www.astrazeneca.com/r-d/next-generation-therapeutics/cell-therapies.htmlGMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) https://www.excedr.com/resources/gmp-vs-glp-whats-the-differenceIntellectual Property Strategy in Biotech https://www.excedr.com/resources/intellectual-property-strategy-for-biotechsPatents in Biotech https://www.excedr.com/resources/intellectual-property-rights-for-biotechsPartnerships in Biotech https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-researchStem Cell Biology https://irp.nih.gov/our-research/scientific-focus-areas/stem-cell-biologyGenetic Engineering https://medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/gene-therapyPeople Mentioned:Shinya Yamanaka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinya_YamanakaThomas Moreau https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-moreau-99529525/?originalSubdomain=ukKathryn Penkus Corzo https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-penkus-corzo/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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 3 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is Mark Kotter, neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and CEO and founder of bit.bio. Bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology company providing human cells for research, drug discovery, and cell therapy. Bit.bio applies a patented safe harbor gene targeting approach to inducibly express transcription factor combinations that reprogram human-induced pluripotent stem cells into highly defined and mature human cell types. Bit.bio spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 and has since raised approximately $200 million from Arch Ventures, Foresight Capital, Milky Way, Charles River Laboratories, National Resilience, Tencent, and Pulau Capital, among others.In addition to bit.bio, Mark is also the co-founder of Meatable, scientific founder and chairman of rejuvenation startup clock.bio, and co-founder and trustee of Myelopathy.org, the first charity dedicated to a common yet often overseen condition causing a slow-motion spinal cord injury. Mark has also been a professor and researcher at Cambridge for more than 15 years. His diverse experience as an academic and serial entrepreneur offers a wealth of insights aspiring scientist founders can draw from. Join us this week and hear about:Gene expression discoveries and the technology bit.bio is developing around themVital questions and concepts that every founder should know before they start developing their companyThe benefits of founder-led companies and their relentless focus on their missionAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with Mark Kotter.Timestamps:00:28 Intro01:55 Explaining the technology they developed while at the stem cell institute 03:26 An unexpected gene expression discovery and dealing with the issues that followed05:32 Comparing what it means to be successful in academia vs industry06:53 The dangers of having a misalignment of objectives while building a company and other lessons learned by Mark 10:18 Vital things that founders need to address before taking their idea from the lab and building a company around it14:08 How Mark and his COO’s skill sets compliment each other 15:29 The importance of company culture and how it can affect both building a company and investing in one17:55 Benefits to the relentless objective-based focus that some founder-led companies have over professionally managed ones19:44 Parallels between Excedr’s all-in origins and bit.bio’s complete dedication to its mission21:47 What Mark’s operating system of life is, what are its applications, and why it fuels bit.bio’s culture24:07 OutroFind Our Guest, Mark Kotter, at these links: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mark-kotterhttps://www.bit.bio/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:Cambridge Stem Cell Institute https://www.stemcells.cam.ac.uk/ University of Cambridge https://www.cam.ac.uk/Single Cell Analysis: Considerations & Applicationshttps://www.excedr.com/blog/single-cell-analysis-101Lab Equipment for Genetic Engineering Researchhttps://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-genetic-engineering-researchWhat is Live-Cell Imaging & How Does It Work?https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-live-cell-imagingCommon Lab Equipment for Life Sciences Research in 2024 https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-lab-equipment People Mentioned:Kathryn Corzo https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathryn-penkus-corzo/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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 2 of 4.My guest today is Mark Kotter, neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and CEO and Founder of bit.bio. Bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology company providing human cells for research, drug discovery and cell therapy. Bit.bio applies a patented safe harbor gene-targeting approach to inducibly express transcription factor combinations that reprogram human induced pluripotent stem cells into highly defined and mature human cell types.In addition to bit.bio, Mark is also the Co-Founder of Meatable, Scientific Founder and Chairman of rejuvenation start-up clock.bio, and Co-Founder and trustee of Myelopathy.org, the first charity dedicated to a common yet often overseen condition causing a “slow motion spinal cord injury.” Mark has also been a professor and researcher at Cambridge for more than 15 years. His diverse experience as an academic and serial entrepreneur offers a wealth of insights aspiring scientist-founders can draw from. Join us this week and hear about Mark’s:Transition from his PhD studies at Cambridge to the Medical University of Vienna, where he became a resident in neurosurgery and ran his own research groupExperience at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental MedicineReturn to Cambridge, where he combined clinical practice with researchShift from academia to entrepreneurship, which led to the founding of his first biotech startupPlease enjoy my conversation with Mark Kotter.Timestamps:00:28 Intro 01:54 Mark’s spinal cord injury research in Vienna, setting up a lab, and avoiding rigid hierarchy03:26 Working at the Max Planck Institute, getting noticed again at Cambridge 04:34 Going from no supervisor to teaching PhD students while running a lab 05:36 Starting a new role at Cambridge, the impact of sharing information 08:11 Two different worlds: the research world and the clinical world 09:57 The value of being exposed to and combining the newest tech and patient samples 11:37 Complexity around protocols, cell programming history, and contradictory data 14:18 The translation gap between research and the clinic 16:34 Juggling a teaching role at Cambridge while conducting research, studying in Toronto18:56 Shifting to the startup world from academia and clinical research 20:23 Starting a family business, understanding financial models and cash flow 21:58 OutroEnriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine https://maxplanckneuroscience.org/institute/mpi-exp-medicine/University of Cambridge https://www.cam.ac.uk/Neurosurgery https://www.ohsu.edu/school-of-medicine/neurosurgery/what-neurosurgeryCell Programing https://youtu.be/jrVQXHmxH7Y?si=csFYmCfaqkQFm95yDifferentiation Protocols https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9405110/Direct reprogramming protocols https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8161510/Synthetic Biology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_biologyOpti-ox Technology https://www.bit.bio/platformHow to Spin Out of Academia https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-spin-out-of-academia-and-into-a-startupPeople Mentioned:Roger Pedersen https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-pedersen-0b231115/ Harold Weintraub https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_M._WeintraubMarius Wernig https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/marius-wernigThomas Südhof https://med.stanford.edu/sudhoflab/about-thomas-sudhof.htmlShinya Yamanaka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinya_YamanakaThe 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.My guest for this week’s episode is Mark Kotter, neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and CEO and founder of bit.bio. Bit.bio is an award-winning human synthetic biology company providing human cells for research, drug discovery, and cell therapy. Bit.bio applies a patented safe harbor gene targeting approach to inducibly express transcription factor combinations that reprogram human-induced pluripotent stem cells into highly defined and mature human cell types. Bit.bio spun out of the University of Cambridge in 2016 and has since raised approximately $200 million from Arch Ventures, Foresight Capital, Milky Way, Charles River Laboratories, National Resilience, Tencent, and Pulau Capital, among others.In addition to bit.bio, Mark is also the co-founder of Meatable, scientific founder and chairman of rejuvenation startup clock.bio, and co-founder and trustee of Myelopathy.org, the first charity dedicated to a common yet often overseen condition causing a slow-motion spinal cord injury. Mark has also been a professor and researcher at Cambridge for more than 15 years. His diverse experience as an academic and serial entrepreneur offers a wealth of insights aspiring scientist founders can draw from. Join us this week and hear about:Mark's upbringing as a curious child in Canada and his exposure to a broad range of cultures and perspectivesHis experiences growing up with dyslexia and how it led him to focus on science and mathematics at an early age His experience as a researcher and PhD student at Cambridge, where he transitioned from medicine to synthetic biology and stem cell researchAnd much more!Please enjoy my conversation with Mark Kotter.Find Our Guest, Mark Kotter, at these links: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mark-kotterhttps://www.bit.bio/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comTimestamps:00:28 Intro2:42 Episode starts, early days experiencing different countries and cultures, family influence as entrepreneurs, growing up with dyslexia 7:14 Despite strong mathematical skills, Mark’s desire to make an impact leads to a pivot to medicine10:38 The impact of experiences in other countries while overcoming the struggles of dyslexia12:29 Developing a passion for science and medicine, Mark’s exposure to spinal cord injuries as a nursing assistant14:39 Changes in academic career at the University of Graz in Austria to pursue medicine18:26 Experience at the University of Cambridge as a researcher23:21 The culture at Cambridge supporting a sense of curiosity, lab experience as a PhD student28:45 Understanding your purpose while navigating unique opportunities 30:52 OutroSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:What is Dyslexia?https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/Spinal Cord Injurieshttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/spinal-cord-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20377890University of Grazhttps://www.uni-graz.at/en/University of Cambridgehttps://www.cam.ac.uk/Single Cell Analysis: Considerations & Applicationshttps://www.excedr.com/blog/single-cell-analysis-101Lab Equipment for Genetic Engineering Researchhttps://www.excedr.com/blog/lab-equipment-list-for-genetic-engineering-researchWhat is Live-Cell Imaging & How Does It Work?https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-live-cell-imagingCommon Lab Equipment for Life Sciences Research in 2024 https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-lab-equipment 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 4 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is Quin Wills, CSO and Co-Founder of Ochre Bio, a pioneering biotechnology company developing RNA therapies for chronic liver diseases. Using a combination of genomic deep phenotyping, precision RNA medicine, and testing in live human donor livers, Ochre is developing therapies for liver health challenges ranging from increasing donor liver supply to reducing cirrhosis complications.In addition to his work at Ochre, Quin is also a highly accomplished academic with a medical degree from Witwatersrand University and doctoral degrees from Cambridge and Oxford in computational biology, mathematics, and statistical genomics. Along with his academic accomplishments, Quin also co-founded SimuGen and has worked at the University College London, the Mayo Clinic, and Novo Nordisk before he went on to co-found Ochre Bio. Quin's diverse experiences offer a wealth of insights that everyone can draw inspiration from.Join us this week and hear about Quin’s:Unique journey through Y Combinator and its impactThoughts about empathy’s role in organizational and team dynamicsStrategies for adapting as an entrepreneur in a shifting biotech landscapeExperience expanding Ochre Bio globally and the challenges of scalingFundraising journey and his unconventional tips for aspiring entrepreneursPlease enjoy my conversation with Quin Wills.Find Our Guest, Quin Wills, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinwills/https://www.ochre-bio.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comTimestamps:00:28 Intro01:46 Applying to and joining Y Combinator03:19 Building a full stack solution for Ochre Bio and generating critical data05:04 The impact of COVID-19, expanding globally to Taiwan and the US08:48 Day-to-day operations and scientific structure of Ochre Bio09:42 Investing in chemistry, establishing XLAB and its role in innovation and decision-making11:42 Balancing innovation and value-driven projects, defining metrics of success12:38 Quin’s fundraising journey, insights, and philosophy13:49 The importance of focus and ending unproductive projects quickly16:11 Ochre Bio’s evolution and future plans17:19 Quin’s shoutouts and advice to his 21-year-old self20:03 OutroSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:JP Morgan https://www.jpmorgan.com/globalY Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/Ochre Bio https://www.ochre-bio.com/Covid 19 Pandemic https://www.who.int/europe/emergencies/situations/covid-19Biotech Accelerators https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-acceleratorsFull-Stack Solution in Biotech https://www.synthego.com/blog/full-stack-genome-engineeringNHS https://www.nationalhonorsociety.org/Tissue Cell Culture https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843260/How Much Does Lab Space Cost? https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-much-does-lab-space-costSeed Series https://www.excedr.com/resources/seed-round-funding-explainedSeries A, B, & C https://www.excedr.com/resources/series-funding-explainedBiotech Fundraising https://www.excedr.com/resources/biotech-startup-funding-optionsWhen & How to Pivot a Biotech https://www.excedr.com/blog/when-how-to-pivot-a-biotech-startupPeople Mentioned:Jacob Glanville https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobglanvilleVinod Khosla https://www.linkedin.com/in/vinod-khosla-65387416/ 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.

As a podcast listener, you can redeem exclusive discounts with a growing list of biotech vendors and get $500 off your first equipment lease by using promo code “TBSP” on https://www.excedr.com/rewards.Part 3 of 4. My guest for this week’s episode is Quin Wills, CSO and Co-Founder of Ochre Bio, a pioneering biotechnology company developing RNA therapies for chronic liver diseases. Using a combination of genomic deep phenotyping, precision RNA medicine, and testing in live human donor livers, Ochre is developing therapies for liver health challenges ranging from increasing donor liver supply to reducing cirrhosis complications.In addition to his work at Ochre, Quin is also a highly accomplished academic with a medical degree from Witwatersrand University and doctoral degrees from Cambridge and Oxford in computational biology, mathematics, and statistical genomics. Along with his academic accomplishments, Quin also co-founded SimuGen and has worked at the University College London, the Mayo Clinic, and Novo Nordisk before he went on to co-found Ochre Bio. Quin's diverse experiences offer a wealth of insights that everyone can draw inspiration from.Join us this week and hear about Quin’s:Working at the Mayo Clinic’s Single Cell Consortium at The University of OxfordThe dynamics of collaboration between academia and industry, including lessons learned from his time at Novo NordiskThe founding principles and evolution of Ochre BioPivoting towards a bioinformatics approachPlease enjoy my conversation with Quin Wills.Find Our Guest, Quin Wills, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinwills/https://www.ochre-bio.com/Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.comTimestamps: 00:28 Intro01:46 Dealing with a rapidly evolving company and Quin’s decision to move to America02:58 Transitioning from the Mayo Clinic back to Oxford to work at their Single Cell Consortium04:51 Learning when to make waves and when to ride the waves and the pitfalls of “Californian entrepreneurship” 08:10 Experience working at Novo Nordisk in collaboration with Oxford and building an innovation center that behaved like a biotech11:35 Learning to focus more on the people element of building his department and other lessons learned from Novo Nordisk12:57 How a chance dinner table conversation turned into Ochre Bio14:36 Finding his co-founder and how they built Ochre from an idea to a company17:11 The deceptively simple laws that Ochre Bio is built upon and why a good failure culture is so important to innovation20:10 OutroSocial & WebsiteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@excedr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excedr_inc Twitter: https://twitter.com/ExcedrInc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/excedr TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@excedr Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Enriched Notes:Topics Mentioned:Ochre Bio https://www.ochre-bio.com/ Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/ Pharmacogenomics https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharmacogenomics Oxford Single Cell Consortium https://www.imm.ox.ac.uk/research/oxford-single-cell-biology-consortium Novo Nordisk Research Center https://www.novonordisk.com/science-and-technology/research-and-technology-centres/oxford-research-centre.html Bioinformatics & Computational Biology https://www.excedr.com/blog/what-is-bioinformatics-and-computational-biologySingle-Cell Genomics https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-0960-xSingle-Cell Epigenomics https://www.excedr.com/blog/single-cell-epigenomicsSpinning Out of Academia https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-spin-out-of-academia-and-into-a-startupCommon Mistakes of First-Time Founders & Biotechs https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-business-mistakesPeople Mentioned:Chris Holmes https://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/people/chris-holmes Jack O’Meara https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackomeara/?originalSubdomain=uk 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.