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.
"I walk around the world wanting to tell everyone that healing is possible. All types of healing are possible: physical healing, mental healing, spiritual healing. Healing is possible."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, we explore the remarkable journey of Sandra Shpilberg, Co-founder and COO at Adnexi, from her early childhood in Uruguay to becoming a serial entrepreneur in biotech. Sandra shares the profound experiences that shaped her leadership philosophy, beginning with her family's Holocaust survivor background and her grandparents' courageous decision to start over in a new country with nothing but hope.
Sandra opens up about the defining moments that forged her resilience - from a traumatic accident at age four that sparked her lifelong belief in healing, to her family's immigration to Brooklyn when she was 16. She describes navigating American education without knowing English, watching her parents rebuild their careers, and her own journey from Wall Street to Wharton to discovering her true calling in biotech during a transformative internship at Genentech. The conversation reveals how these experiences instilled the entrepreneurial mindset and fearless approach to starting over that continues to drive her success.
Key topics covered:

• Holocaust Legacy & Immigrant Entrepreneurship: How family history shaped her fearless approach to starting over
• The Power of Childhood Trauma: How a severe burn accident instilled her belief that healing is always possible
• Immigration at 16: Rebuilding life in Brooklyn and learning resilience through adversity
• Wall Street Foundation: Early career lessons about mentorship and strategic positioning
• Healthcare Calling: MBA experience and Genentech internship that confirmed biotech as her purpose

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, Sandra Shpilberg, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandra-shpilberg-b7b334/ Website: https://adnexi.com/  Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Remicade (infliximab) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infliximab Xolair (omalizumab) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omalizumab 
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:JPMorgan Chase & Co.: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/ Citigroup Inc.: https://www.citigroup.com/ Pace University: https://www.pace.edu/ Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania): https://www.wharton.upenn.edu/ Genentech: https://www.gene.com/ Johnson & Johnson: https://www.jnj.com/ BioMarin Pharmaceutical: https://www.biomarin.com/ 
Amy Burroughs https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyburroughs/ 
Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:59 Early Life and Family History08:09 Childhood Accident and Healing13:43 Immigrating to the United States19:49 Family Adjustments and Resilience23:53 Navigating U.S. High School and College Application28:49 First Job and College to JPMorgan31:46 JPMorgan Career Lessons33:59 Transition to Citigroup and Management37:35 Applying and Attending Wharton MBA41:09 Interning at Genentech and Career Pivot55:09 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 our real mission is to truly help companies get drugs to patients faster and cheaper, the amount of complexity we have to solve goes way beyond science.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Jon Chee talks with Andrey Doronichev about his leap from tech at YouTube and Google to launching OPTIC and reinventing it as BIOPTIC, an AI-powered drug discovery startup. 
Andrey shares the ups and downs of projects like AIorNot, the pivotal link between big data and drug development, and how “agentic AI” now drives BIOPTIC’s rapid progress—proving that real biotech breakthroughs require humility, adaptability, and big-picture thinking.
Key topics covered:

• Entrepreneurial Pivots: Navigating market shifts, spin-offs, and bold new directions
• Large-Scale Data Screening: Leveraging AI to rapidly unlock drug discovery
• Holistic Innovation: Fusing science, business, and regulation through agentic AI
• AI in Drug Discovery: Accelerating screening, evaluation, and clinical workflows
• Personal Reflections: Staying mission-driven, prioritizing health, and leading with humility

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, Andrey Doronichev, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doronichev/Website: https://bioptic.io/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:AlphaFold: https://deepmind.google/science/alphafold/Enamine REAL Database: https://enamine.net/compound-collections/real-compounds/real-databaseSchrödinger (computational chemistry & drug discovery software): https://www.schrodinger.com/platform/OpenAI: https://openai.com/index/introducing-deep-research/Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-perplexity-deep-research
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:OPTIC: https://bioptic.io/Google: https://www.google.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/AIorNot: https://aiornot.com/Insilico Medicine: https://insilico.com/Atomwise: https://www.atomwise.com/BenevolentAI: https://www.benevolent.com/Schrödinger: https://www.schrodinger.com/PureTech: https://puretechhealth.com/
Artem Cherkasov: https://www.linkedin.com/in/artem-cherkasov-155165b/?originalSubdomain=caDavid Thacker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thackerd/Anna Kostikova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakostikova/?originalSubdomain=nlEric Elenko: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-elenko-560b1b44/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:45 OPTIC’s Market Collapse and AIorNot Spinout07:02 Startup Pivots and Lessons from Tech History09:42 TED Inspiration: Moving OPTIC to Drug Discovery10:36 Winning a Kaggle Protein Function Challenge15:20 Pivot to BiOptic and New AI Mission16:35 Surfing Metaphors and Startup Timing21:22 BiOptic Platform’s Early Technology Roadmap26:18 Research Collaborations and Platform Expansion36:29 Holistic, Agentic AI Vision for Biotech46:55 Search/Evaluation Agent and Industry Strategy55:50 Surviving Pivots, Focusing the Next Phase59:15 Shout-outs, Mentors, and Advice01:02:45 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 as a leader of a startup—no matter how small—or you as an employee of a big organization, you could be the agent of change."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Andrey Doronichev traces his path from launching mobile content in Russia to transforming YouTube for mobile, overcoming fierce Google-Apple rivalry to deliver the iOS app, and pioneering VR at Google. He candidly shares lessons in resilience, startup highs and lows, and the critical role of personal influence behind major milestones, culminating in his pivot to AI-powered biotech with OPTIC. 
Listeners get practical insights into team-building, dealmaking psychology, and the dynamic realities of entrepreneurship in fast-changing industries.
Key topics covered:

• The Power of Personal Agency: Individuals spark big change
• Navigating Corporate Rivalry: Launching YouTube iOS amid fierce competition
• Transitioning to VR at Google: Scrappy teams driving breakthrough ideas
• Embracing Entrepreneurial Hardship: Surviving the startup ups and downs
• Finding the Next Frontier: Pivoting from blockchain to AI biotech innovation

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, Andrey Doronichev, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doronichev/Website: https://bioptic.io/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Google Cardboard (VR and AR project): https://vr.google.com/cardboard/Oculus VR (now Meta Quest): https://www.meta.com/quest/Google Earth VR: https://www.meta.com/experiences/pcvr/google-earth-vr/1513995308673845/?srsltid=AfmBOoowOgA142QolPTP6W8-r4HUczHdvqIEoSi_s3VtWBDsWRXyO0tmGoogle Expeditions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_ExpeditionsStadia (Google’s cloud gaming platform): https://stadia.google.com/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:OPTIC: https://bioptic.io/Google: https://www.google.com/Apple: https://www.apple.com/Kleiner Perkins: https://www.kleinerperkins.com/Greylock: https://greylock.com/
Eric Schmidt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-e-schmidt/
Timestamps:

00:00 Intro01:43 The Power of Personal Experience and Early Insights03:42 Hypergrowth at YouTube and the Mobile Internet Explosion05:15 Leading YouTube Mobile: Challenges and Triumphs07:11 The Google-Apple Rift and Negotiating the YouTube iOS App08:39 Focusing On User Experience to Resolve Corporate Rivalry10:44 Lessons in Change-Making and Deal Psychology12:38 Post-YouTube: Entrepreneurial Yearning and VR Vision at Google18:02 The Reality of Starting Over (Again and Again)21:06 Entrepreneurial Mindset: Why You Should Join a Startup22:37 Leaving Google: Seeking the Next Big Thing and Exploring AI27:31 The OPTIC Journey: Blockchain Bet, Pivot, and Investor Lessons31:36 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 genuinely passionate and curious about things, people will feed that curiosity. Do not underestimate that."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Andrey Doronichev takes us from his formative years hustling in post-Soviet Russia to launching a mobile startup amid economic chaos, emigrating as political tides shifted, and boldly landing a role at Google—all powered by grit, curiosity, and risk-taking. 
Andrey reveals how bootstrapping in Russia’s early Internet boom, betting on mobile YouTube before smartphones were mainstream, and championing innovation at Google transformed both his life and the way billions interact with online video.

• Grit and Adaptation: Turning setbacks into fuel for ambition
• Early Internet Entrepreneurship: Bootstrapping and thriving in Russia’s nascent digital market
• The Power of Curiosity: Letting eagerness and adaptability spark growth and opportunity
• Betting on Mobile: Doubling down on YouTube’s mobile potential before it was obvious
• Emigration and Perspective: Escaping Russia’s constraints to embrace global possibilities

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, Andrey Doronichev, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doronichev/Website: https://bioptic.io/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:The Art of Computer Programming: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Computer_ProgrammingJAVA Programming for Mobile Devices: https://www.java.com/en/download/help/java_mobile.html
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Google: https://www.google.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/Picasa (archived): https://picasa.google.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Redfin: https://www.redfin.com/Nokia: https://www.nokia.com/BlackBerry: https://www.blackberry.com/
Hugo Barra: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbarra/Eric Schmidt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-e-schmidt/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:42 Early Career Hustle and Academic Setbacks05:34 Entering Russia’s Early Internet Industry08:15 Breaking Into Tech Through Curiosity12:40 Balancing Work and Study14:28 The Shift Toward Entrepreneurship16:40 Betting Big on Mobile Apps20:47 Bootstrapping a Startup and Finding Success23:43 Emigrating from Russia for a Better Future26:25 Getting Hired by Google with a Cold Email29:48 Taking the Risk on YouTube Mobile33:55 The Transformation to Mobile-First Platforms34:57 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.

"If you leave the queue, you lose your place, and you wait for, like, four hours outside in winter in Moscow to buy some butter, literally. So those kinds of things, it's a massive change."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee speaks with Andrey Doronichev, Founder and CEO of OPTIC, about his journey from surviving the chaos and scarcity of the collapsing Soviet Union to leading a cutting-edge AI-powered drug discovery platform. 
Andrey reveals how his upbringing amid upheaval and restricted information, paired with a strong science-driven family, forged his resilience and bold approach to leadership—traits that now drive his ambitious efforts at the intersection of technology and biotech entrepreneurship.
Key topics covered:

• Formative Experiences: Growing up amid chaos, building resilience
• Information Control: Living under censorship and its impact
• Entrepreneurship Mindset: Thriving through uncertainty
• Tech Roots: Turning coding passion into opportunity
• Transition to Biotech: Navigating the jump from software to drug discovery

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, Andrey Doronichev, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doronichev/Website: https://bioptic.io/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/130440.Doctor_ZhivagoRambo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambo_(franchise)ZX Spectrum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZX_SpectrumEnterprise 128: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enterprise_(computer)BASIC Programming Language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASICThe Challenges of Crystallizing Proteins: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2992350/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Google: https://www.google.com/Silicon Valley Bank: https://www.svb.com/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro03:31 Growing Up in the Soviet Union: A Different Story05:30 Country Disappearing: USSR to Russia Transition07:21 Bread Lines and Economic Collapse: Building Resilience08:51 Information Control and Censorship: The Rambo Incident11:49 Entrepreneurship as a Path of Uncertainty12:59 Silicon Valley Bank Crisis: Childhood Trauma Revisited15:29 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital: Different Paths18:53 Post-Soviet Academia: From Elite to Struggling21:24 Early Computing: Enterprise 128 and BASIC Programming25:13 Finding Your Tribe: The Lyceum Experience26:45 Math vs. Biology: Choosing Certainty Over Chaos30:05 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 lose that passion, why would somebody else do this? And it comes down to how hungry you are. How bad do you want it?"
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee talks with Eswar Iyer, co-founder of Aikium, about launching a biotech platform during a market downturn and building a resourceful, mission-driven team focused on data-rich therapeutic design. 
Eswar shares hard-won lessons on blending computational and experimental innovation, maintaining intentional focus, forging the right partnerships, and fostering a culture of resilience and critical thinking. They also explore fundraising strategies, the rapidly evolving biotech landscape, and the personal leadership philosophies that shape success in early-stage company building.
Key topics covered:

• Founding Aikium: Overcoming early hurdles and launching in tough times
• Data-Driven Therapeutics: Harnessing AI and experiments to create smarter molecules
• Team & Culture: Building a focused, resilient, and mission-driven team
• Strategic Partnerships: Tackling hard problems with top industry and clinical partners
• Fundraising & Personal Philosophy: Staying passionate and disciplined to fuel growth

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, Eswar Iyer, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eswar-iyer/Website: https://www.aikium.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:OpenAI Scaling Laws Research: https://openai.com/index/scaling-laws-for-neural-language-models/Common Mistakes Biotech Startups Make & How to Avoid Them https://www.excedr.com/blog/common-business-mistakes How to Outfit a New Lab on a Startup Budget https://www.excedr.com/resources/how-to-outfit-a-new-lab-on-a-startup-budget 
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Aikium: https://aikium.com/D. E. Shaw Research: https://www.deshawresearch.com/Bakar Labs: https://bakarlabs.berkeley.edu/
Shankar Shastry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shankarshastry/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:52 The Scientific Challenge: Modeling Protein Interactions04:00 Founding Aikium: Launching in a Market Crash06:44 Building the Platform & The Power of a Critical Team10:19 Aikium's Unique Approach: Solving the Hardest Problems12:54 Partnering with Top Hospitals & Pharma to Go-to-Market14:40 Fundraising Philosophy: The Non-Negotiable Role of Passion18:02 The Founder's Journey: High Stakes and High Responsibility20:00 The Future of Aikium: Scaling with Agentic AI & Taking on New Targets23:09 Shout-Outs to Family, Co-Founders, and Investors25:19 Advice to a 21-Year-Old Self: Doubt Less, Move Faster32:19 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 gain so much knowledge in each of your respective fields, you should be pushing something deeper. Yes, it's harder, but isn't that what you really want to do?"
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Eswar Iyer shares his journey from George Church’s groundbreaking lab to launching spatial biology at 10x Genomics and founding Aikium, candidly revealing how mentorship, bold decision-making, and cross-functional teamwork drive innovation and company creation. 
He explores navigating tough challenges, learning the business side of biotech, and embracing risk to tackle unsolved problems in drug discovery using AI and high-throughput data, delivering an insider’s perspective on both technology evolution and startup disruption in the life sciences sector.
Key topics covered:

• The Role of Mentorship: George Church’s advice fueled Eswar’s bold career moves
• Building Spatial Biology at 10x Genomics: Turning concepts into breakthrough products
• Startup Culture & Team Building: Forming agile expert teams to solve tough problems
• Commercializing Innovation: Rapidly bringing ideas to market and securing IP
• Rethinking Drug Discovery: Using AI to unlock new therapeutic targets

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, Eswar Iyer, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eswar-iyer/Website: https://www.aikium.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:10x Genomics Platform Development and Visium HD: https://www.10xgenomics.com/platforms/visiumHigh-Throughput Data Generation in Protein Engineering: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4632782/Do You Need a Co-Founder https://www.excedr.com/resources/do-you-need-a-co-founder-for-your-startup
How Do VCs Evaluate Founders & Co-Founders
https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-do-vcs-evaluate-founders-co-founders 
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:10x Genomics: https://www.10xgenomics.com/Cartana (Part of 10x genomics): https://cartana.se/Broad Institute: https://www.broadinstitute.org/D. E. Shaw Research: https://www.deshawresearch.com/Atomwise: https://www.atomwise.com/Nvidia: https://www.nvidia.com/
Tarjei Mikkelsen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarjei-mikkelsen-b448265b/Shankar Shastry: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shankarshastry/Venkatesh Mysore: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkatesh-mysore-27ab08160/Ben Hindson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-hindson-09739813/Josephine Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephineylee/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro01:40 Reflections on Opportunity and Mentorship03:23 Transition from George Church’s Lab to Industry08:04 Discovering 10x Genomics and Career Decision-Making09:33 Moving to California and Settling In11:29 Early Days and Company Culture at 10x Genomics13:11 Building Spatial Biology Platforms and Prototyping16:30 Learning the Business Side of Biotech18:28 Key Takeaways from 10x Genomics—Innovation and Teamwork22:43 Deciding to Leave 10x Genomics and Pursue Startups25:31 Assembling the Aikium Co-Founder Team and Mission27:57 Rethinking Drug Discovery with AI and Data29:46 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 fearful, what is something that you could do? If you're not worried about just publications or things, you could really spend a few years. What could you do?"
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee explores Eswar Iyer’s dynamic journey from an inquisitive graduate student in India to a trailblazing builder at Harvard’s Wyss Institute. 
Eswar reveals how hands-on problem-solving and a commitment to non-transactional relationships fueled his scientific evolution, leading to transformative roles where serendipity, mentorship, and neurodiversity powered groundbreaking innovation and fostered a vibrant, high-performing lab culture in biotech’s most exciting environments.
Key topics covered:

• From Manual to Automated: Turbocharging lab research with homegrown automation
• Philosophy of Opportunity: Humility, gratitude, and giving back drive impact
• The Power of Connection: Serendipity and mentorship unlock pivotal moments
• Inside Harvard’s Wyss & Church Labs: Neurodiverse, startup-inspired innovation culture
• Breaking Moore’s Law: Multiplexing tech slashes genomics costs and speeds progress

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, Eswar Iyer, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eswar-iyer/Website: https://www.aikium.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Moore’s Law: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moore%27s_lawMultiplexing in DNA Sequencing: https://arep.med.harvard.edu/pdf/Church88.pdfImageJ: https://imagej.net/ij/Laser Capture Microdissection: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17406286/Next-Generation Sequencing 101 https://www.excedr.com/blog/next-generation-sequencing-101 
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:The Wyss Institute at Harvard: https://wyss.harvard.edu/George Church Lab, Harvard Medical School: https://arep.med.harvard.edu/gmc/Genentech: https://www.gene.com/
Don Ingber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-ingber-m-d-ph-d-4a47a5318/Lance Liotta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-liotta-5788559b/Virginia Espina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-ginny-espina-187baa7a/Kevin Kit Parker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kit-parker-a18a1b162/George Church: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-church-2b86301/Joe Davis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joedavis5/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:45 Breakthrough Moments: From Manual to Automated Lab Research06:33 Transitioning from Biology to Tool Building08:49 Learning Machining Skills and the Art of Prototyping11:57 The Wyss Institute: How Connections Open Doors14:26 Philosophy of Opportunity: Putting Good into the Universe15:45 The Power of Gratitude and Flexibility in Science20:02 Meeting George Church: A Serendipitous Encounter in Kendall Square22:51 Joining George Church's Lab: Supportive Leadership Culture27:41 Inside the Legendary Church Lab: Neurodiversity and Innovation30:47 Breaking Moore's Law: The Power of Multiplexing in Genomics34:44 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.
"I was just very naive, and I just wanted to get down and do things. I was not thinking of how to finish my PhD fast; I just wanted to do something that was meaningful."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Eswar Iyer takes us from his curious childhood in India through academic ups and downs at BITS Pilani and George Mason University to co-founding Aikium, a leader in AI-driven synthetic biology. Eswar shares how creative problem-solving, building custom scientific tools, and resourceful learning environments fueled his growth, while supportive mentors and cultural adaptation guided his path. 
His story reveals how adversity and persistence, combined with a resourceful “startup” mindset, inspire innovation and resilience for biotech founders at every stage.
Key topics covered:

• Pivotal Childhood Experiences: Curiosity and hands-on tinkering ignited Eswar’s scientific drive.
• Overcoming Academic Setbacks: Failing ninth grade fueled resilience and deeper learning.
• Mentorship and Inspiration: Support from family and professors guided Eswar’s growth.
• Resourcefulness in Research: Creativity flourished amid constraints and tool-building.
• Navigating Cultural Transitions: Adapting to new environments powered personal and professional evolution.

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, Eswar Iyer, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eswar-iyer/Website: https://www.aikium.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Laser Capture Microdissection Technique: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_capture_microdissectionMicroarray Technology: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3467903/CRISPR Screening Fundamentals: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7036479/What is CRISPR https://www.excedr.com/resources/what-is-crispr-cas9-definition-and-overview
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:BITS Pilani: https://www.bits-pilani.ac.in/George Mason University: https://www.gmu.edu/
Lance Liotta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lance-liotta-5788559b/Emmanuel Petricoin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emanuel-petricoin-8b4aa04/Virginia Espina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginia-ginny-espina-187baa7a/Ashish Das: https://www.linkedin.com/in/das-ashis/?originalSubdomain=inAncha Baranova: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ancha-baranova-4227b21b/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro04:01 Eswar's Upbringing in India: A Childhood of Tinkering and Curiosity06:12 The Pivotal Moment: Failing Ninth Grade and Finding Resilience08:58 Embracing Curiosity and the Entrepreneurial Mindset10:36 Early Lab Experience: Challenges and Self-Introspection13:36 Influential Mentors: Family and the Power of Great Teaching17:10 Choosing Graduate Studies: Following Passion Over Options19:56 Getting into George Mason University: Stars Aligning21:41 Cultural Transition: Moving from India to Virginia23:49 Finding the Right Lab: From Proteomics to Developmental Biology29:18 The Startup Lab Experience: Resourcefulness and Innovation33:13 PhD Challenges and Triumphs: Patents and Problem-Solving36:44 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.
"We're not making a more sustainable leather. Yes, we do that. What we're making is a better leather. It's real leather, but it comes completely uniform in rectangular sheets that you can then work with super efficiently."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Qorium CEO Michael Newton reveals how his mission-driven team is reinventing leather through synthetic biology and tissue engineering, producing uniform, high-quality material. 
He draws on his Nike experience to discuss the realities of scaling deeptech, overcoming fundraising and market-entry challenges, forging key partnerships, and stresses the value of mentorship and bold early-career risks.
Key topics covered:

• Disrupting the Leather Industry: Using synthetic biology for scalable, high-quality, sustainable leather
• Scaling Deeptech Innovation: Overcoming engineering and manufacturing hurdles from lab to factory
• Navigating Fundraising Challenges: Securing Series A for bold biotech in a tough market
• Team Building & Culture: Building resilient teams through values and clear mission
• Advice & Reflections: Lessons in mentorship, growth, and the power of risk-taking

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, Michael Newton, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelanewton/Website: http://www.qorium.com/ Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/ Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:Website: https://flow.page/kyojin 
Resources & Articles:Make Trouble by Cecile Richards: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35721620-make-troubleThe “Acquired” Podcast: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/googleInsights and leadership from Jensen Huang: https://www.mba.ust.hk/mba-programs/mba-pulse/leadership-lessons-jensen-huang-insights-next-generation-leadersCRISPR Screening and Tissue Engineering at Harvard and the Wyss Institute: https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/crisprs-impact-today/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Planned Parenthood Federation of America: https://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-usQorium: https://qorium.com/Nike: https://www.nike.com/Mosa Meat: https://www.mosameat.com/
Dr. Mark Post: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markpost1/?originalSubdomain=nlRamanan Raghavendran: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramananraghavendran/
Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:43 Qorium’s Mission: Reinventing Leather with Real, Sustainable Material03:03 The Leather Industry: State, Problems, and Qorium’s Disruption07:41 Product First: Making Better Leather, Not Just Sustainable Leather08:09 The Technology Behind Qorium: Cultivation and Tissue Engineering11:24 Go-to-Market Strategy: Partnerships, Scaling, and Industry Adoption16:57 Industry Resistance and the Need for Progress20:47 Fundraising for Deeptech: Challenges and Realities in the Current Climate24:46 Reflecting on Macro Trends and the Importance of Persistence32:24 Shoutouts: Mentors, Family, and Influential Figures36:50 Advice to Younger Self: Taking Risks and Riding Trends39:23 Closing Thoughts and Gratitude40:09 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.