The Biotech Startups Podcast

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.Episode Description:"Building a deep tech company or building anything, pretty much, like being a founder in anything, it's like planning a bank robbery. It's like putting together a crew where, you know, you need a driver, you need someone to pick locks, you need someone to not sell, and you need someone who has the intellectual capacity to come up with a plan."In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Sergey Jakimov, Managing Partner at LongeVC, shares his journey from uncertain graduate student in Budapest to serial deep tech founder. He discusses launching his first startup at age 22 in the conservative oil and gas industry with zero experience, pioneering drug-eluting coatings for orthopedic implants, and building Lungesys—a clinical data platform that revolutionized trial patient recruitment and helped establish the world's largest biobank.Sergey challenges the "dropout culture" narrative while defending both formal education and learning by doing. He reveals why the least specialized person often makes the best founder and shares surprising truths about big pharma, including that only 14% of first-in-class cancer drugs are developed internally.Key topics covered:The "Bank Heist Model" of Team Building: Why founders should assemble specialists rather than be experts in everythingThree Startup Journey: From CFD engineering to medical devices to clinical data platformsEducation vs. Experience Debate: Defending formal education while emphasizing learning by doingClinical Trial Innovation: Streamlining patient recruitment and building the world's largest biobankBig Pharma Reality Check: Debunking misconceptions about how the pharmaceutical industry operatesIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Sergey Jakimov, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakimov/?originalSubdomain=lvhttps://longevc.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computational_Fluid_Dynamics Drug-Eluting Coatings for Medical Implants: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8070023/ Magnetron Sputtering Technology: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/magnetron-sputtering Clinical Trial Patient Recruitment Challenges: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-022-00070-5 Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Longenesis https://longenesis.com/McKinsey: https://www.mckinsey.com/ AstraZeneca: https://www.astrazeneca.com/ LongeVC: https://longevc.com/ Garri Zmudze https://www.linkedin.com/in/garri-zmudze-982a48138/ Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:52 Student Life in Budapest03:03 The "What's Next?" Uncertainty08:39 First Company: CFD Modeling and Oil & Gas at 2212:54 Second Company: Medical Devices and Drug-Eluting Coatings17:07 The Bank Heist Model of Assembling Teams20:25 The Value of Education vs. Dropout Culture25:46 Hard Skills and Breaking Paradigms28:41 Teaching IP and Venture Capital29:52 Third Company: Clinical Data and Lungesys38:10 Selling to Big Pharma41:14 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."Retrospectively, this was honestly the best childhood one can get, and it was absolutely without gadgets."In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, we explore the formative years of Sergey Jakimov, founding partner at LongeVC, as he takes us from his childhood in post-Soviet Latvia to his graduate studies in Budapest. Sergey shares what it was like growing up in a small rural town near the Russian border, where limited resources, no technology, and long winters shaped his resilience, diplomacy, and drive to succeed.​Sergey recounts his unlikely journey into competitive tennis under a retired national coach, training on concrete courts and turning the sport into both a discipline and a livelihood. He describes the grueling path to university admission—waking at 2 AM every Saturday for four-hour bus rides to attend prep courses in Riga—and the intense workload that followed, surviving on just three to four hours of sleep while juggling translation work and coaching gigs. A pivotal parliament internship shattered his idealistic views of government, leading him to embrace technocracy and meritocracy as guiding principles. Finally, Sergey reflects on earning his master's at Central European University in Budapest, where diverse perspectives and world-class academics further expanded his worldview and prepared him for entrepreneurship.​​Key topics covered:Post-Soviet Childhood: Growing up in rural Latvia with no gadgets, outdoor adventures, and resourcefulness as survival skillsAthletic Discipline: Training in tennis from age six on concrete courts under a retired national coach, developing grit and work ethicAcademic Journey: Finishing school early, grueling university workload at Riga Stradiņš University, and working multiple side hustlesPolitical Disillusionment: Parliament internship revealing bureaucratic inefficiency and cementing technocratic/meritocratic beliefsGraduate Education: Earning a scholarship to Central European University in Budapest, studying political economy and quantitative methodsIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Sergey Jakimov, at these links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakimov/?originalSubdomain=lvhttps://longevc.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:Technocracy vs Democracy https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/technocracy.aspPolitical Economy Studies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_economy Meritocracy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meritocracy Cognitive Biases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Longenesis https://longenesis.com/Longevity Science Foundation https://longevity.foundation/ Riga Stradiņš University: https://www.rsu.lv/en Central European University (CEU): https://www.ceu.edu/ Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:42 Growing Up in Post-Soviet Latvia06:56 Childhood Without Technology: Tennis and Diplomacy11:20 Training on Concrete Courts14:47 Choosing University and International Relations17:49 Weekly Bus Rides to Riga for University Prep19:32 University Experience: Three-Hour Sleep Nights21:59 Side Hustles: Translation Work and Tennis Coaching22:47 University Professors and Merit-Based Learning27:02 Parliament Internship: Idealism Meets Reality31:31 From Politics to Grad School Abroad34:16 Central European University in Budapest35:26 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."Risk management is really just planning for when things go wrong."In this final episode with Jimmy Sastra, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Monomer Bio, host Jon Chee explores how Jimmy redefines biotech leadership by treating fundraising as a strategic tool rather than a necessity. The conversation dives into building a company that combines scalable software with hands-on lab services, the importance of creativity and risk management in uncertain times, and Monomer’s bold vision for "autonomous science"—where AI and robotics revolutionize experimentation.Alongside deep biotech insights, Jimmy shares personal reflections on balancing entrepreneurship, family, and his immigrant journey while pushing the boundaries of automation in life sciences.Key topics covered:Capital Strategy in Biotech: Fundraising as a flexible tool, not a necessityBalancing Services and Software: Merging real-world work with scalable techThe Entrepreneurial Mindset: Leading through risk and uncertaintyBuilding for the Future: Pioneering automation and autonomous sciencePersonal Growth and Resilience: Balancing ambition, family, and new beginningsIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Jimmy Sastra, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-sastra-phd-11a0521/Website: https://monomerbio.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:DARPA Grand Challenge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Grand_ChallengeAI Scientist Cell Culture Hackathon: https://luma.com/qe0vfc7bWaymo Autonomous Rides in San Francisco: https://waymo.com/rides/san-francisco/Charlie Munger’s Mental Models and Multidisciplinary Thinking: https://www.playforthoughts.com/blog/charlie-munger-improve-live-by-multidisciplinary-approachCompanies, Universities, & People mentioned:Monomer Bio: https://www.monomerbio.com/Sandy Paige: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielsandypaige/Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:12 Fundraising as a Strategic Tool03:53 The Power of Bootstrapping and Creativity in Biotech04:31 Lessons from Asimov: Why Services Strengthen Software05:41 Launching the AI Scientist Cell Culture Hackathon07:43 Balancing Investor Pressure and Founder Independence09:44 Risk Management: Planning for When Things Go Wrong11:33 Learning Through New Challenges in Business and Life14:07 Decision-Making with Limited Information16:16 Leadership, Autonomy, and Mental Models18:25 The Future of Monomer Bio and the Vision for Autonomous Science20:46 Personal Reflections, Family, and Global Journey22:34 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."People are looking at cells, making decisions, and then acting on them—that’s a robotics loop. I felt it could be done autonomously."In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee sits down with Jimmy Sastra, co-founder and CEO of Monomer, to discuss how his team transformed hands-on lab automation consulting into a breakthrough biotech robotics company. Jimmy shares how Monomer’s vertically integrated platform unites robotics, software, and biology to automate cell culture, cut reliance on animal models, and boost reproducibility. He also explains the company’s adaptive go-to-market strategy—ranging from software-only pilots to full robotic deployments—and reflects on the power of cross-disciplinary teamwork, global collaboration, and flexibility in navigating today’s challenging biotech landscape.Key topics covered:Founding Monomer: Turning early consulting insights into a mission-driven biotech ventureAutonomizing Cell Culture: Merging biology and robotics to automate complex lab workflowsVertical Integration: Unifying hardware, software, and biology into a single seamless systemGo-to-Market Strategy: Offering tailored engagement paths—software, pilots, or full automationCross-Cultural Collaboration: Using global experience to strengthen communication and leadershipIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Jimmy Sastra, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-sastra-phd-11a0521/Website: https://monomerbio.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:Clayton Christensen “The Innovator’s Dilemma”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Innovator%27s_DilemmaPrime Medicine & David R. Liu’s Prime Editing Research: https://primemedicine.com/Excedr’s Equipment Leasing Model: https://www.excedr.com/leasingExecdr’s TBSP: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Transcriptic (now Strateos): https://www.strateos.com/Monomer Bio: https://www.monomerbio.com/Excedr: https://www.excedr.com/Rosebud Biosciences: https://www.rosebudbio.com/Prime Medicine: https://www.primemedicine.com/ASML: https://www.asml.com/Cloudflare: https://www.cloudflare.com/Mark Zhang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-zhang-1726361b/Carter Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/b-carter-allen/Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:13 Founding Monomer & Early Consulting Days03:31 Defining the Thesis: Automating Cell Culture05:56 The Robotics Loop: Connecting Biology with Automation07:37 Building Cross-Functional Teams & Integration Challenges08:43 Lessons from ASML & the Power of Vertical Integration12:04 Clayton Christensen’s “Innovator’s Dilemma” in Biotech12:46 Monomer’s Go-To-Market Strategy & Adaptation14:55 Targeting the Pain: Stem Cell Automation Challenges16:51 Selling to Startups, Biotechs & Big Pharma17:58 Software-Only Deployments & Fast Land Strategy19:52 Monomer’s San Francisco Lab & Pilot Projects21:29 Cross-Cultural Collaboration & Building Global Partnerships27:37 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."Life is amazing, but it’s also very fragile. I could not think of a more important mission than trying to understand how life works."In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee continues his conversation with Jimmy Sastra, CEO and co-founder of Monomer Bio, tracing his evolution from a self-taught PhD student to a Silicon Valley engineer at the forefront of robotics and biotech innovation. Jimmy recounts his time at Willow Garage during the rise of ROS, his groundbreaking work at Transcriptic—where he helped build the world’s first robotic cloud lab—and how those experiences shaped his vision for Monomer Bio. He also explores the power of hiring for personal mission alignment and shares how a life-changing moment involving his brother inspired a career dedicated to understanding life through technology.Key topics covered:From Academia to Industry: Lessons in grit, self-teaching, and applied innovationWillow Garage Era: Entering Silicon Valley’s robotics scene and shaping ROSTranscriptic and Strateos: Creating the first robotic cloud lab uniting bio and automationLeadership and Mission: Building teams around shared purpose and passionFounding Monomer: Turning personal inspiration into a biotech automation visionIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Jimmy Sastra, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-sastra-phd-11a0521/Website: https://monomerbio.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:(HBR) Case Studies – Pandemic Entrepreneurship Meetup: https://hbr.org/2024/01/how-the-pandemic-rebooted-entrepreneurship-in-the-u-sASML and Philips – Stories of Innovation in Engineering: https://www.asml.com/news/stories/2024/asml-founding-storyCompanies, Universities, & People mentioned:Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/Willow Garage: https://www.willowgarage.com/Transcriptic (now Strateos): https://www.strateos.com/Monomer Bio: https://www.monomerbio.com/Ginkgo Bioworks: https://www.ginkgobioworks.com/Built Robotics: https://www.builtrobotics.com/Robust AI: https://www.robust.ai/Sachin Chitta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachinchitta/Rodney Brooks: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodney-brooks-1a137517/Mark Zhang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-zhang-1726361b/Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:03 Grad School Challenges & Learning Grit05:51 Self-Teaching and Confidence in Coding06:48 Willow Garage Opportunity & Culture08:39 Engineering Impact at Willow Garage11:39 Transition to Transcriptic and Robotics Cloud Lab15:35 Mission and Inspiration: Family Influence18:24 Challenges and Focus at Strateos18:42 Scaling Startups and Raising Capital21:36 Short Stints: Built Robotics, Robust AI, Ginkgo22:55 Pandemic Meetups and Finding a Co-founder23:32 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."Maybe because of that experience, we still keep in touch. I feel fortunate that my friends and I built something together back then—even if it started with murals and late nights, it taught me about creativity, risk, and teamwork."In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Jimmy Sastra, CEO and co-founder of Monomer Bio, unpacks his global journey from The Netherlands and Japan to transforming lab automation in biotech. Shaped by his father’s engineering legacy at Philips and ASML, Jimmy recalls lessons in creativity, rebellion, and resilience that guided his path from the University of Pennsylvania to a PhD in robotics. His story reveals how curiosity and systems thinking became the foundation for Monomer Bio’s mission to empower scientists through smarter, automated lab solutions.Key topics covered:Early Influences: Growing up in an engineering household sparked Jimmy’s lifelong curiosity and drive to build.International Perspective: Moving between The Netherlands, Japan, and the U.S. taught adaptability and openness.The Rebellious Years: Graffiti turned creative defiance into problem-solving instincts.Academic Foundations: UPenn and his robotics PhD honed discipline and innovation.Engineering Meets Biology: The vision to automate labs and empower scientists was born.If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Jimmy Sastra, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmy-sastra-phd-11a0521/Website: https://monomerbio.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:Good to Great: https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.htmlThe Innovator’s Dilemma: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=46The World Is Flat: https://www.thomaslfriedman.com/the-world-is-flat-3-0/Emotional Intelligence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_IntelligenceMark Yim’s Robotics Lab at UPenn: https://www.grasp.upenn.edu/people/mark-yim/Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:HKUST: https://hkust.edu.hk/TileDB: https://tiledb.com/MIT: https://www.mit.edu/Intel: https://www.intel.com/Boston Dynamics: https://www.bostondynamics.com/Xerox PARC: https://www.parc.com/University of Pennsylvania: https://www.upenn.edu/Robot Operating System: https://www.ros.org/Strateos: https://strateos.com/Parul Bordia Doshi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parul-b-doshi/Sachin Chitta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachinchitta/Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:34 International Upbringing and Three Defining Traits06:05 Growing Up in Eindhoven: Philips and ASML Stories07:46 Moving to Japan at 15: A Cultural Reset08:34 Early Exposure to Business Strategy Books11:14 Rebellious Phase: Graffiti Crew and Getting Arrested14:07 High School Years and Academic Interests15:41 Choosing Bioengineering: An Endless Frontier17:47 Wet Lab Experience and Manual Labor Reality19:22 PhD Journey: Robotics and Parameter Optimization23:04 Simplifying Complex Systems Through Mathematical Models26:34 Graduate School Mentorship and Peer Support27:35 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."If anyone comes to me and says, 'Hey, I’ve got this idea. I think we could do something with it,' I’m like, 'You gotta take the I-Corps class first... it really changes your mindset.'"In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Darren Cooke, Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer and Executive Director of the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center at the University of California, Berkeley, reveals how 100 discovery interviews turned a $3 million campus experiment into a powerhouse for biotech innovation. He shares the creation of Berkeley’s flagship fellows program, the launch of speed teaming and venture grants, and how simple ideas like fostering connection and collaboration transformed campus culture. Darren also reflects on the leadership of Chancellor Rich Lyons and offers candid lessons on perseverance, mentorship, and the art of “showing up.”Key topics covered:Launching the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center: Transforming a blank-slate idea into a thriving biotech launchpadBuilding Transformative Programs: Creating standout tracks like fellows, I-Corps, speed teaming, and venture grantsChanging Campus Culture: Flipping Berkeley’s outlook to embrace innovation and collaborationThe Power of Connection: Sparking new partnerships and opportunities across the campus ecosystemReflections and Advice: Actionable mentorship lessons and founder tips for real-world impactIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Darren Cooke, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddcooke/Website: http://berkeley.edu/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:How UC Berkeley Became an Unexpected Leader in Entrepreneurship and Startups: https://iande.berkeley.edu/StartupCampusStartup Campus (How UC Berkeley became a leader in entrepreneurship) https://a.co/d/5pCg83q Berkeley SkyDeck Demo Day: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/tag/demo_day/Bakar Faculty Fellows Program: https://bakarfellows.berkeley.edu/QB3 Speed Teaming program: https://qb3.org/event/bio-startup-speed-teaming/Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:UC Berkeley: https://www.berkeley.edu/Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley Haas): https://haas.berkeley.edu/Venture Capital Fund: https://tinyurl.com/29dnsjpbBerkeley SkyDeck: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/QB3 (California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences): https://qb3.org/Bakar Labs: https://bakarlabs.berkeley.edu/Rich Lyons: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-lyons-30332b1/David Kirn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkirnmd/Tobias Schmid: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taschmid/Paul Alivisatos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-alivisatos-4b313b6/Ariel Notcovic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-notcovich/Justin Reese,: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-reese-3419b24/Hannah Weber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-weber001/Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:01 Darren’s Berkeley Faculty Journey03:03 The $3 Million Startup Experiment05:24 Launching the Fellows Program08:43 The I-Corps Mindset Shift10:25 Signature Berkeley Showcase Event11:51 Speed Teaming for Startup Connections14:17 Haas & Life Sciences Cross-Campus Partnerships17:18 Startup Success Story: Reese & Weber20:10 Berkeley’s Shift Toward Entrepreneurship24:45 Chancellor Lyons’ Impact & Venture Fund27:38 Scaling Programs and Entrepreneur in Residence32:24 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."If you’re not challenging what you’ve always done, you’re not going to move forward or innovate."In this episode, Darren Cooke, Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer and Executive Director of the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center at the University of California, Berkeley, reveals how he’s navigated the fast-changing world of financial advice by embracing regulatory shifts, championing innovation, and building trust through integrity and open communication, sharing hard-won lessons on personal growth, resilience, and finding new opportunities amid uncertainty and change.Key topics covered:Embracing Regulatory Change: Adapting to new rules and complianceClient Trust and Communication: Building and rebuilding relationship credibilityThe Innovation Mindset: Challenging routines for growthTechnology in Practice: Staying ahead with smarter toolsLeadership Lessons: Cultivating resilience and empathyIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Darren Cooke, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddcooke/Website: http://berkeley.edu/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41881472-the-psychology-of-moneyThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slowThe Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26160019-the-innovator-s-dilemma(FCA) Guidance Papers: https://www.fca.org.uk/publicationsTRAP: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trap-the-real-adviser-podcast/id1648027651Startup Campus (How UC Berkeley became a leader in entrepreneurship) https://a.co/d/5pCg83q Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:UC Berkeley: https://www.berkeley.edu/Genentech: https://www.gene.com/NSF I-Corps (National Science Foundation I-Corps): https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley Haas): https://haas.berkeley.edu/Errol Arkilic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/errol-arkilic-350b8/Rhonda Schrader: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhondashrader/Timestamps:00:00  Intro02:09  Building a Solo Law Practice03:46  University Tech Transfer – Bayh-Dole and Licensing05:31  Demystifying License Agreements07:46  Investor Perspectives & Startup De-Risking08:42  Transition to Mentorship and Teaching at Haas09:31  First Encounter with NSF I‑Corps10:39  Becoming a National I‑Corps Instructor14:26  “The Magic of Showing Up” in Academia15:41  Volunteering, Guest Lecturing, and Faculty Careers17:18  Student Stories: Breaking Into Top Biotech Labs19:55  Navigating Networking Barriers23:32  OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.Episode Description:"If you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re busy and bored, you really should be doing something else."In this episode, Darren Cooke, Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer and Executive Director of the Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center at the University of California, Berkeley, traces his bold path from high-stakes law firm litigation to in-house IP leadership at Bio-Rad Laboratories, eventually launching his own practice to guide biotech startups. He dives into career pivots, lessons from Berkeley’s entrepreneurial scene, startup investing, and why simply showing up is often the secret to transformative opportunities and growth.Key topics covered:Career Lessons: How rigorous mentors and big-law rigor fueled personal growthLife at Bio-Rad: Unique culture and hands-on IP leadership at a family-founded biotechPivot to Startups: Startup exposure—and a key acquisition—sparked Darren’s leap to entrepreneurshipBuilding Networks: Persistence and showing up lead to game-changing connectionsAngel Investing & IP Strategy: The real ingredients behind investable, resilient biotech startupsIf you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Darren Cooke, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddcooke/Website: http://berkeley.edu/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:The Recorder: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recorder/Patent Prosecution Fundamentals: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/basicsStartup Campus (How UC Berkeley became a leader in entrepreneurship) https://a.co/d/5pCg83q Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Bio-Rad Laboratories: https://www.bio-rad.com/Covington (Covington & Burling LLP): https://www.cov.com/QuantaLife: https://www.bio-rad.com/en-us/category/life-science-research/pcr/plastic-consumables-for-pcr/ddpcr-plastics?ID=OERYLNYQYBerkeley Angel Network: https://berkeleyangelnetwork.com/Life Science Angels: https://lifescienceangels.com/Berkeley SkyDeck: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/Alan Blankenheimer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-blankenheimer-a6761194/Rich Lyons: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-lyons-30332b1/Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:46 Key Lessons from Law Firm Experience04:32 Moving to Covington in San Francisco08:56 Balancing Big Law with Family Life10:39 How the Bio-Rad Opportunity Came About14:00 Going In-House: Culture and Day-to-Day Life17:19 Learning Patent Prosecution and Working with Inventors21:09 The QuantaLife Acquisition Sparks Startup Interest25:08 Launching a Solo Practice and Finding Zero Clients28:48 Joining Life Science Angels and Berkeley Angel Network32:33 Running LSA Investment Meetings: Trial by Fire34:42 What Makes Life Science Startups Investable37:38 OutroThe 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.

🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners."If you go down a road and then you realize, Ah, shoot. This was not what I expected, or Why am I doing this? you can do something else. Right? Yeah. Don't sweat it."In this episode, Jon Chee interviews Darren Cooke, UC Berkeley’s Interim Chief Innovation & Entrepreneurship Officer, whose journey spans engineering cochlear implants, high-stakes patent law, and leading innovation at Berkeley. Darren shares how formative moments, career pivots, and mentorship shaped his approach to entrepreneurship, offering practical wisdom and behind-the-scenes stories from working with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor to building collaborative biotech communities. His multifaceted perspective inspires listeners to embrace change, seek hands-on experiences, and build networks that drive biotech innovation.Key topics covered:Formative Experiences: Early engineering curiosity drives hands-on problem solving.Career Pivots: Bold shifts unlock new strengths and passions.Mentorship Matters: Guidance from experts accelerates growth and insight.Building Startup Ecosystems: Leading collaborative innovation across Berkeley’s biotech landscape.Lessons for Founders: Embrace change, stay humble, and unite tech and business for success.If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.Links:Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ Find our guest, Darren Cooke, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddcooke/Website: http://berkeley.edu/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheeLearn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.comIntro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin Resources & Articles:Cal Poly San Luis Obispo "Learn by Doing" Engineering Program: https://www.calpoly.edu/learn-by-doingUCSF Department of Otolaryngology: Projects on Cochlear Implants: https://ohns.ucsf.edu/otology-neurotology/cochlear-implant-centerThe Gates Cambridge Scholarship: https://www.gatescambridge.org/apply/criteria/Columbia Law School’s Pro Bono Requirement: https://www.law.columbia.edu/careers/public-interest/pro-bono-requirement-and-programBerkeley’s BioTrack at SkyDeck Startup Accelerator: https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/biohealth-track/NIH and NSF I-Corps Entrepreneurship Programs: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corpsStartup Campus (How UC Berkeley became a leader in entrepreneurship) https://a.co/d/5pCg83q Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Life Science Angels: https://www.lifescienceangels.com/UCSF: https://www.ucsf.edu/Columbia Law School: https://www.law.columbia.edu/Brown & Bain (now part of Perkins Coie): https://www.perkinscoie.com/UC Berkeley: https://www.berkeley.edu/Sonia Sotomayor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-sotomayor-6b7a56117/Timestamps:00:00 Intro03:48 Early Life in Livermore and Lafayette07:53 Hobbies and Mechanical Curiosity10:36 Choosing Cal Poly and “Learn by Doing”13:07 Pivoting from Engineering to Medicine17:11 Early Experiences at UCSF and Mentorship22:55 Moving Toward Law and Columbia Law School27:37 Working with Sonia Sotomayor35:27 First Patent Litigation Roles in Phoenix42:10 Lessons from Brown & Bain and Team Culture44:50 OutroThe 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.