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🧬 Oguzhan Atay - Part 2 | From Immigrant to Biotech Innovator | Battling Deportation with Nobel Laureate Support | Building a $140M Prenatal Testing Empire
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast, brought to you by Excedr—empowering life science startups with founder-friendly equipment leasing to fast-track R&D and drive commercialization success.
🔬 Know someone in need of lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give your friends $1,000 and earn $1,000 for every qualified referral! 💸
🔗 Get your unique referral link here: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.Â
Part 2 of 2: Our guest today is Oguzhan Atay, Co-founder & CEO of BillionToOne. BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company that quantifies biology to create powerful molecular diagnostics. They work to improve disease detection by counting molecules with their proprietary molecular counting platform. They place patients at the forefront of everything they do and are currently applying their proprietary technology to non-invasive prenatal screening and liquid biopsy.
Oguzhan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford in Systems Biology, where he implemented machine learning algorithms and mathematical models to solve specific problems in cellular biology and developed a data-driven mathematical framework to simplify the analysis of complex biological networks. He also has a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton, as well as minors in Computer Science, Physics, and Applied Mathematics.
Oguzhan not only combines deep technical expertise with visionary leadership, but he also has an incredibly inspirational immigrant journey, which makes this series a must-listen for first-time founders, scientists, and industry leaders alike.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
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: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4
Find Our Guest, Oguzhan Atay, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/oatay/Â https://billiontoone.com/Â
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/Â
Enriched Notes:Â
Topics Mentioned:BillionToOne https://billiontoone.com/ Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/ Common Mistakes Biotechs Make & How to Avoid Them https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-business-mistakes How to Fund an R&D Startup https://www.excedr.com/resources/rd-startup-funding-first-steps Guide to the Venture Capitalist Decision https://www.excedr.com/resources/guide-to-the-venture-capitalist-decision-making-processÂ
People Mentioned:David Tsao https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtsao/Jim Collins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._CollinsÂ
Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro02:28 - The origin of BillionToOne and early challenges06:48 - Y Combinator's role and initial funding struggles12:24 - Meeting co-founders and pivoting based on market needs17:17 - Realizing the importance of the problem in the United States24:11 - Building physical infrastructure and scaling operations32:04 - Company culture, hiring philosophy, and growth strategy38:55 - Expanding into oncology and future product lines46:40 - Plans for going public and becoming a generational company53:42 - Shoutouts to supporters and overcoming immigration challenges59:34 - Advice to his 21-year-old self: keeping an open mind01:02:51 - 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.
🔬 Know someone in need of lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give your friends $1,000 and earn $1,000 for every qualified referral! 💸
🔗 Get your unique referral link here: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.Â
Part 2 of 2: Our guest today is Oguzhan Atay, Co-founder & CEO of BillionToOne. BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company that quantifies biology to create powerful molecular diagnostics. They work to improve disease detection by counting molecules with their proprietary molecular counting platform. They place patients at the forefront of everything they do and are currently applying their proprietary technology to non-invasive prenatal screening and liquid biopsy.
Oguzhan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford in Systems Biology, where he implemented machine learning algorithms and mathematical models to solve specific problems in cellular biology and developed a data-driven mathematical framework to simplify the analysis of complex biological networks. He also has a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton, as well as minors in Computer Science, Physics, and Applied Mathematics.
Oguzhan not only combines deep technical expertise with visionary leadership, but he also has an incredibly inspirational immigrant journey, which makes this series a must-listen for first-time founders, scientists, and industry leaders alike.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Oguzhan's journey from Turkey to Stanford
- BillionToOne's origin, including Y Combinator's role and initial funding challenges
- The company's innovative prenatal testing approach
- Expansion into oncology with blood tests for therapy selection and monitoring
- Oguzhan's personal struggles with immigration issues while starting the company and the support of his mentors
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: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4
Find Our Guest, Oguzhan Atay, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/oatay/Â https://billiontoone.com/Â
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/Â
Enriched Notes:Â
Topics Mentioned:BillionToOne https://billiontoone.com/ Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/ Common Mistakes Biotechs Make & How to Avoid Them https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-business-mistakes How to Fund an R&D Startup https://www.excedr.com/resources/rd-startup-funding-first-steps Guide to the Venture Capitalist Decision https://www.excedr.com/resources/guide-to-the-venture-capitalist-decision-making-processÂ
People Mentioned:David Tsao https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtsao/Jim Collins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._CollinsÂ
Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro02:28 - The origin of BillionToOne and early challenges06:48 - Y Combinator's role and initial funding struggles12:24 - Meeting co-founders and pivoting based on market needs17:17 - Realizing the importance of the problem in the United States24:11 - Building physical infrastructure and scaling operations32:04 - Company culture, hiring philosophy, and growth strategy38:55 - Expanding into oncology and future product lines46:40 - Plans for going public and becoming a generational company53:42 - Shoutouts to supporters and overcoming immigration challenges59:34 - Advice to his 21-year-old self: keeping an open mind01:02:51 - 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.
View all episodes
By Excedr
4.6
2222 ratings
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast, brought to you by Excedr—empowering life science startups with founder-friendly equipment leasing to fast-track R&D and drive commercialization success.
🔬 Know someone in need of lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give your friends $1,000 and earn $1,000 for every qualified referral! 💸
🔗 Get your unique referral link here: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.Â
Part 2 of 2: Our guest today is Oguzhan Atay, Co-founder & CEO of BillionToOne. BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company that quantifies biology to create powerful molecular diagnostics. They work to improve disease detection by counting molecules with their proprietary molecular counting platform. They place patients at the forefront of everything they do and are currently applying their proprietary technology to non-invasive prenatal screening and liquid biopsy.
Oguzhan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford in Systems Biology, where he implemented machine learning algorithms and mathematical models to solve specific problems in cellular biology and developed a data-driven mathematical framework to simplify the analysis of complex biological networks. He also has a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton, as well as minors in Computer Science, Physics, and Applied Mathematics.
Oguzhan not only combines deep technical expertise with visionary leadership, but he also has an incredibly inspirational immigrant journey, which makes this series a must-listen for first-time founders, scientists, and industry leaders alike.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
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: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4
Find Our Guest, Oguzhan Atay, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/oatay/Â https://billiontoone.com/Â
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/Â
Enriched Notes:Â
Topics Mentioned:BillionToOne https://billiontoone.com/ Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/ Common Mistakes Biotechs Make & How to Avoid Them https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-business-mistakes How to Fund an R&D Startup https://www.excedr.com/resources/rd-startup-funding-first-steps Guide to the Venture Capitalist Decision https://www.excedr.com/resources/guide-to-the-venture-capitalist-decision-making-processÂ
People Mentioned:David Tsao https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtsao/Jim Collins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._CollinsÂ
Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro02:28 - The origin of BillionToOne and early challenges06:48 - Y Combinator's role and initial funding struggles12:24 - Meeting co-founders and pivoting based on market needs17:17 - Realizing the importance of the problem in the United States24:11 - Building physical infrastructure and scaling operations32:04 - Company culture, hiring philosophy, and growth strategy38:55 - Expanding into oncology and future product lines46:40 - Plans for going public and becoming a generational company53:42 - Shoutouts to supporters and overcoming immigration challenges59:34 - Advice to his 21-year-old self: keeping an open mind01:02:51 - 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.
🔬 Know someone in need of lab equipment? Join Excedr’s referral program: Give your friends $1,000 and earn $1,000 for every qualified referral! 💸
🔗 Get your unique referral link here: refer.excedr.com/ZTHETY.Â
Part 2 of 2: Our guest today is Oguzhan Atay, Co-founder & CEO of BillionToOne. BillionToOne is a precision diagnostics company that quantifies biology to create powerful molecular diagnostics. They work to improve disease detection by counting molecules with their proprietary molecular counting platform. They place patients at the forefront of everything they do and are currently applying their proprietary technology to non-invasive prenatal screening and liquid biopsy.
Oguzhan holds a Ph.D. from Stanford in Systems Biology, where he implemented machine learning algorithms and mathematical models to solve specific problems in cellular biology and developed a data-driven mathematical framework to simplify the analysis of complex biological networks. He also has a degree in Molecular Biology from Princeton, as well as minors in Computer Science, Physics, and Applied Mathematics.
Oguzhan not only combines deep technical expertise with visionary leadership, but he also has an incredibly inspirational immigrant journey, which makes this series a must-listen for first-time founders, scientists, and industry leaders alike.
In this episode, you'll hear about:
- Oguzhan's journey from Turkey to Stanford
- BillionToOne's origin, including Y Combinator's role and initial funding challenges
- The company's innovative prenatal testing approach
- Expansion into oncology with blood tests for therapy selection and monitoring
- Oguzhan's personal struggles with immigration issues while starting the company and the support of his mentors
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: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4
Find Our Guest, Oguzhan Atay, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/oatay/Â https://billiontoone.com/Â
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:Â https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncheehttps://www.excedr.com
Excedr Socials & 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/Â
Enriched Notes:Â
Topics Mentioned:BillionToOne https://billiontoone.com/ Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/ Common Mistakes Biotechs Make & How to Avoid Them https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-business-mistakes How to Fund an R&D Startup https://www.excedr.com/resources/rd-startup-funding-first-steps Guide to the Venture Capitalist Decision https://www.excedr.com/resources/guide-to-the-venture-capitalist-decision-making-processÂ
People Mentioned:David Tsao https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtsao/Jim Collins https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._CollinsÂ
Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro02:28 - The origin of BillionToOne and early challenges06:48 - Y Combinator's role and initial funding struggles12:24 - Meeting co-founders and pivoting based on market needs17:17 - Realizing the importance of the problem in the United States24:11 - Building physical infrastructure and scaling operations32:04 - Company culture, hiring philosophy, and growth strategy38:55 - Expanding into oncology and future product lines46:40 - Plans for going public and becoming a generational company53:42 - Shoutouts to supporters and overcoming immigration challenges59:34 - Advice to his 21-year-old self: keeping an open mind01:02:51 - 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.
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