#33 - Building the next TechBio venture - Mati Gill - AION Labs

AI and computational science are revolutionizing the biotechnology sector. From identifying new therapeutic approaches to their production and accelerating the administrative processes for bringing them to market, the entire value chain of this sector is impacted! These recent advancements have given rise to a new field in the industry: TechBio. But what lies behind this futuristic term? And how exactly do these technologies accelerate the development and introduction of new treatments? These two questions are at the heart of this episode featuring Mati Gill from AION Labs. With a background in law and in the pharmaceutical industry, Mati is the CEO of this venture builder focused on this emerging field, at the cutting edge of computer science and biology. A true startup factory for TechBio, formed around partnerships with the world's largest Tech and Biotechnology companies. Unlike conventional innovation platforms such as incubators or startup accelerators, AION Labs enables Founders to accelerate the development of their companies through a holistic range of services and tools: Anchoring the startup’s mission around a clear R&D issue identified by industrial partners Funding new ventures at the pre-seed or seed stage Assisting Founders in identifying and recruiting talent Providing the infrastructure and resources necessary for co-developing new solutions with industrial partners A masterclass on innovation in TechBio and what this industry will change for health and patients soon! Timeline: 00:02:43 - Mati’s background from studying law to entering the TechBio field 00:07:00 - A new way to discover medical treatments and drugs 00:12:42 - The current impact of TechBio on the pharmaceutical industry 00:15:58 - The attitude of regulators toward TechBio and how they adapt to it 00:19:00 - Breaking down fantasies around TechBio and its promises 00:23:54 - AION Lab’s operating model and how to build the next TechBio success 00:34:06 - Relationships and investments between startups and partners from AION Labs 00:41:30 - Advice for TechBio enthusiasts and future entrepreneurs in the field What we also talked about with Mati: Sharon Kredo-Russo Nature’s article on AI’s potential to accelerate drug discovery (from October 2023) FDA EMA DenovAI Biotech Kashif Sadiq PromiseBio Prof. Yifat Merbl We cited with Mati some of the past episodes of the series: #8 - Using organoids to transform drug discovery - Nikolce Gjorevski - Roche This episode was made possible with the support of HLTH Europe! As Mati mentioned during the episode, you can learn more about the latest in TechBio through Christian Tidona’s work with Biomed X. You can follow AION Labs’ activities on LinkedIn and X, and get in touch with Mati via LinkedIn. If you want to give me feedback on the episode or suggest potential guests, contact me over LinkedIn or via email! And if you liked the episode, please share it, subscribe to the podcast, and leave a 5-star review on streaming platforms! 🙏 There’s now a bi-monthly newsletter around the podcast where you will be informed of the latest episodes and kept posted on the latest medical tech progress, subscribe here! Lastly, don’t forget to follow our activities on LinkedIn and our website!