Andrew Radin

What do bio and health applications mean for the next wave of AI -- specifically about compute? (I'm talking to you NVDA longs!) LifeX Ventures is hosting a super roundtable with some serious techbio leaders tomorrow along with Analog Century Management's Val Zlatev -- come hear Thomas Clozel Sean McClain Chetan Patel at 11am ET For the survey results based on asking 100 techbio CTOs and CEOs, join the call. Here, my own speculations after wrapping up the report: -- Amazon needs to have a GPU program on warp drive right now -- Nvidia needs to have a data center / cloud business in the works -- Edge AI chips are about to be everywhere -- in your watch, car, sneakers, thermostats, gene sequencers, spectroscopes -- All this compute needs way more data: expect a boom in sensors of all types -- Remember human genome moonshot that sequenced one person once? Now you can sequence your every cell one by one. Expect that for protein folding (AlphaFold was that moonshot) and other simulation uses, a full "twin" model of you, cell by cell -- Google has no angle here -- worse chips, worse cloud, worse models, worse phones / edge devices -- Specialty silicon for unique use-cases, lower-power, lower-memory are surely coming fast - like back in the day for mobile phones when Qualcomm, Broadcomm, Infineon, Mediatek, etc duked it out.

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Last month, Uncork Capital celebrated its 20th anniversary with a jubilant gathering attended by 420 guests, marking two decades of success in the venture capital realm. Over the years, the firm, alongside industry peers like First Round Capital and Felicis, has witnessed remarkable growth, now managing billions of dollars in assets. This expansion reflects the flourishing landscape of venture capital, with the industry experiencing exponential growth in investment. Moreover, positive shifts in VC norms, such as the evolving attitudes towards board seats, underscore a commitment to providing tailored support to startups, enhancing their growth prospects. Amidst discussions surrounding sectors like AI, optimism prevails, emphasizing a steadfast dedication to investing in innovative ventures with lasting impact. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/efN6-Spd Branded Hospitality Ventures Jeff Clavier Susan Liu Ashley Cravens Tripp Jones Sarah Du Andy McLoughlin Amy Saper #innovation #technology #management #venturecapital #startup

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On the latest Vital Signs, Nikhil Krishnan and I had a ton of fun chatting with Dr. Atul Butte. Dr. Butte is a professor at UCSF, Chief Data Scientist of the UC Health System, and a co-founder of numerous healthcare startups. In our conversation, Dr. Butte shared his takes on healthcare AI opportunities, challenges, hype, and more. A few highlights: ⚡LLM use cases, data, and growth LLMs are already helping to solve the “drudgery” aspects of medicine, such as automatically drafting SOAP notes and patient messages. Dr. Butte is excited about future applications of LLMs that can help with the “cognitive” aspects: with difficult medical problems an LLM might be able to stitch together disparate pieces of information to generate a potentially novel solution. He also highlights that prompt engineering will become the next “coding language” as so much of leveraging LLMs is knowing how to ask them the right questions. Additionally, Dr. Butte discusses how since 2016, UCSF has been working to deidentify its patient notes so that it can query them to answer clinical questions and ultimately enhance patient care. ⚡The need for patient-facing AI As patients are increasingly able to access their own personal health data in nicely structured formats (e.g., EHRs, wearables), they desperately need more tools to help them interpret and make decisions using that data. Dr. Butte understands that these patient-facing solutions are challenging to get funded but he emphasizes that patients need to receive the benefits of AI sooner. ⚡Evaluating healthcare AI solutions In order to evaluate AI solutions, we often put human specialists – such as medical professionals – on the same tasks. Understanding that specialists often disagree with each other, a significant challenge arises in figuring out how we can evaluate AI considering we can’t just “average” all the specialist opinions. Dr. Butte points out that there still remains a massive gap in AI evaluation tools. Additionally, there are so many organizations that want to have a say in how healthcare AI is regulated that the landscape is uncertain. An awesome conversation with an expert on all things AI meets healthcare. Listen to the full episode below: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wr3643 Apple: https://apple.co/4acwgan

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ICYMI: Verne co-founder and CTO David Jaramillo wrote about the importance of helping entrepreneurial scientists cross the first "Valley of Death". In his mind, this first valley is the lab bench where many scientists and academics develop breakthrough technologies and products. Unfortunately, many of these science breakthroughs don’t see the light of day. It can be difficult for PhD students to independently determine whether the new material they have discovered or idea they have been developing has merit in the real world. Fortunately, there are many fantastic institutions working on solving this challenge. Activate, Breakthrough Energy Fellows, The Engine’s The Blueprint, and many others are leading examples of fellowships that aim to instruct scientists and create entrepreneurial communities. We agree with David. Investing in more programs to develop scientist-to-founder ecosystems is the best way to address some of the world’s toughest problems and to mitigate climate change. This is why Collaborative Fund created The Shared Future Fund back in 2022. We know that by backing climate startups that have earned a place among some of the world’s leading accelerators and fellowships, we can help provide rapid, catalytic capital to this emerging class of founders. https://lnkd.in/g_wXMHbX

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Check out the latest issue of my investor-focused newsletter Not From Concentrate!

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Exciting news! We just sent out the inaugural newsletter for Future Frontier Capital, our pre-seed venture fund backing frontier tech startups. As I hit "send," I realized how launching FFC parallels the path of the founders we support. Starting FFC has required the same passion, perseverance, and self-belief that drive entrepreneurs. Just like a startup, getting a VC fund off the ground demands relentless hustle—building the brand, perfecting the pitch, and networking tirelessly. There are constant challenges that test your resolve and endless hours of unglamorous work behind the scenes. And perhaps most daunting - the self-doubt, wondering if you're crazy for attempting something so bold. Pushing through that negative self-talk requires unshakable faith in your mission. Raising this VC fund reminds me of starting our IP strategy and patent analytics firm two decades ago. It’s a powerful reminder of the perseverance, creativity, and resilience needed to turn an ambitious idea into reality. This experience makes us more empathetic partners, ready to support the founders we back. Our work is just beginning, and this inaugural newsletter underscores our commitment to supporting frontier tech startups every step of the way. #startups #VentureCapital #EmergingManagers #Entrepreneurship #InnovationMindSet

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Calling all #Founders: Venture Capital Association of Alberta (VCAA)’s Deal Flow Calls represent a great opportunity for #PreSeed to #SeriesA companies to gain exposure to some of the countries most active Venture Capital #investors. If your company is raising equity capital, I strongly encourage you to check out the link below!

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🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

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A SAFE and convertible note had a baby and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati was the midwife- out popped the D-SAFE! 👶🏽🎉 A new #climatetech funding instrument was announced by Elemental Excelerator last week. One of the company’s main goals is to support smaller, up and coming companies during the awkward “Scale Gap” phase between #VC funding and natural growth. It’s called the #DSAFE (Development Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and it aims to aid the process by giving companies a small amount of cash to overcome initial risks and expenses during the developmental stages of a product launch or company. How does it work? D-SAFE has a redemption clause meaning companies can choose to have their payments offered as a loan or convert to equity at the investor’s discretion. Funders and companies will have clear communication and expectations about where the money is going and how it will be applied to either the company or the projects at hand. Financiers and companies will work together with more #transparency, and that’s a great boon for #startups and VC alike. As of this month, Elemental has already invested using D-SAFE in eight different companies, including Dimensional Energy and Origen — both companies investing in innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to environmental issues! Seems like a win-win on the surface. What do you all think about the D-SAFE? Alfredo Coppola Momoka Ueda Tim Wagner Stephen D. Torres Olya Irzak Natsuho Toyama Noriya Tarutani Shin Ogawa

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The Capital Access for Seed & Early Stage Investments Vs Later Stage Investments; ---> Roll Call for International Partners wanting to Add Value in the Region. https://hubs.ly/Q02CLVS90

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The healthcare landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in technology and a deeper understanding of patient care. I had the pleasure of speaking with Ambar Bhattacharyya, Co-Managing Partner at Maverick Ventures, on the latest episode of The Full Ratchet. Ambar has partnered with numerous billion-dollar companies like hims & hers, Cityblock Health, Devoted Health, and ConcertAI. His unique journey from rural America to becoming a prominent figure in venture capital offers invaluable insights into the future of healthcare and technology. We discuss his investment strategy at Maverick Ventures, the megatrends shaping healthcare, the impact of AI on the industry, and the importance of integrated care. Ambar also shares his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in healthcare investment, offering a comprehensive view of what lies ahead. Check out TFR Episode 438 to catch our conversation. You'll be glad you listened.

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What do you think about having an AI judge review startups along with human judges in the inaugural ClimaTech Great Global Innovation Challenge? We have posted information on how we are doing this, including the AI prompt, and you can share feedback through the form on this page: https://lnkd.in/ezVnvGiG While AI will play a role, our human judges will make the final decisions, ensuring a balanced and fair evaluation process. We're committed to learning from this experience and sharing our insights. Please reach out to me if you are interested in helping with the competition in any way. Research has demonstrated that "Data-driven initiatives have been shown to help VC firms reduce gender bias and make better, fairer investment decisions" (https://lnkd.in/ecfqqgj3). Additionally, "Machine learning models have already been proven to outperform human investors in deal screening" (https://lnkd.in/exicBiTR), helping to identify high-potential startups more effectively. By incorporating AI into our evaluation process, we aim to support an objective selection of startups. As a reminder, applications are due on May 26th. Daniela G., MIT Climate and Energy Prize, #Innovation #AI #Startups #ClimateTech #GlobalChallenge #TechForGood #Sustainability #Climatechlive #MITCEP #MIT #AIJudge #Pitch

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🤖 Have you ever heard of an #AIJudge at a pitch competition? We're excited to announce that the inaugural ClimaTech Great Global Innovation Challenge will feature an AI judge alongside our incredible panel of human judges. Learn more about our approach and provide your feedback here: https://lnkd.in/ezVnvGiG While AI will assist 🤖, our human judges will make the final calls, ensuring a fair ⚖️ and balanced evaluation. We're interested to learn from this and share our insights 💡. Research shows that data-driven methods help reduce gender bias and make fairer investment decisions 📊 (https://lnkd.in/ecfqqgj3), and machine learning models can outperform human investors in deal screening 🤖 (https://lnkd.in/exicBiTR). By leveraging AI 🤖, we aim to objectively identify high-potential startups. Reminder: Applications are due May 26th. 📅

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Another great #webinar has been added to the Pismo Ventures Life Science Startup Symposium - Education Day - featuring John Weatherspoon and Quan Nguyen from NTIP Patent Law Firm. FREE to attend for all #startup #founders and #entrepreneurs. You don't want to miss John speaking about "Important Considerations for Maximizing the Value of your Life Science Patent Portfolio". Register FREE here: https://lnkd.in/gKQ32E-C There is still time to register and apply to the Symposium. This is your last chance. The deadline is today. Dozen of #lifesciences only investors | Great #prizes to help with startup journey | Excellent #education for startups Register here: https://lnkd.in/dHFRAgE2 #LifeSciences #LifeScience #Investment #Innovation #PismoVentures #Startups #VentureCapital #gwsmhs #Angels #AngelGroup #TCAVentureGroup #CapitalRaise #Founders #Entrepreneurs #WomenFounders

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An interesting article below, that demonstrates out how San Diego is punching above its weight.  And how Connect's strategy and execution over time, contintues to be central to that success. The article describes the current state of the market in Seattle.  (And i love Seattle.) It's a market that we tend to track with relative to venture fundings.  They used to kick our butts, we outraised them each of the last three years.  This despite the fact they have 3x as many funds there, and 9x the amount of resident capital there. (per pitchbook) Some key takeaways:  * They continue to compare themselves to SIlicon Valley. Instead, we leverage our proximity. *They whine there's not enough local investors (see note above - they have more than us). We bring over 200 VCs to SD annually! * They say founders are not connected with one another. We bring CEOs together regularly, in a variety of ways - private dinners and through our Springboard program. * They say they need to elevate their image on a national & international stage. Why we created and continue to build Five.Ten.Thirty (aka Inno Day).  * And the last paragraph - they need to concentrate on making their region a great place to live. Our mantra: "It's about Better, not Bigger." (See XEO, TL Fund). THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE ON A MISSION TOGETHER!!!  (Comments, whining, suggestions on SD always welcome.) https://lnkd.in/g6Rq_f2Y

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I recently sat down with Michael Batko, CEO at Startmate and Founder of Puddle Pod for Episode 11 of Insane Ambition. Startmate has invested in 230+ startups, much of it under Michael's leadership, and now has $3.5b in value across its portfolio companies. In this episode, we discussed: - Michael's journey from consulting, then living in the Amazon rainforest, to leading Australia's biggest startup accelerator - The future of Australia's startup ecosystem - The labour government's very stupid plan to make it harder for people to qualify as sophisticated investors (now thankfully shelved) - Startmate City! Startmate's plan to build Australia's first startup city. Probably the most ambitious idea I've ever heard from a startup accelerator. - The balance between visionary thinking and traditional startup advice (think Elon Musk's plan to colonise Mars, vs Y Combinator's problem/customer obsession) - "The Courage to Be Disliked", and its influence on Michael's approach to life and business. Links in the description below 👇

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I'm so excited to continue supporting Prolific Machines, Inc., and the incredible Deniz Kent, PhD ,Max Huisman, and Declan Jones. Today's cellular biology processes are incredibly expensive, inefficient, imprecise, and sometimes purely ineffective. These processes are used from everything from making antibodies to treat diseases, to fermentation used to make high-value nutritional proteins in baby formula, to whole cuts of cultured meat. Prolific has developed a biology platform that leverages light to guide cell behavior and optimize performance over time using AI. By combining light, bioengineering, hardware, and AI in fundamentally new ways, Prolific can help pharmaceutical, nutritional, and therapeutics companies get to market faster, less expensively, and more efficiently — ultimately in hopes of helping improve outcomes — a mission any of us can get behind. Mark Cuban Peter T. Frederick Blackford Cooper Rinzler David Adelman Darco Capital Breakthrough Energy Michael Schulson Kevin Love Tobias Harris Breyer Capital Charles Besser Brennan Besser Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants https://lnkd.in/ea2TqdQk

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The GLP-1 space has continued to explode, with the potential for impact expanding to cardiovascular risk, sleep apnea, and liver disease. So who are the emerging players poised to challenge Lilly and Novo? The incoming players to watch are a mix of startups and incumbents. In the startup realm, Viking Therapeutics, Inc., and Altimmune, Inc. have gained significant attention as their GLP-1 candidates demonstrate solid weight-loss outcomes. For San Diego based Viking, weekly doses of VK2735 delivered weight loss of up to 13% compared to placebo in a Phase 2 trial. Perhaps most exciting, the weight loss did not plateau at any time during the 13 week study, suggesting longer duration doses would result in further weight loss. Meanwhile, Altimmune's Pemvidutide (being studied for both obesity and MASH) is on track for an end of phase 2 FDA meeting in Q3 of this year. Notably, Pemvidutide has showed promise in limiting the amount of weight loss derived from muscle, which is a notable problem with the existing GLP-1s. A recent phase 2 trial showed only ~25% of weight loss was from lean mass, more in line with the ratio seen in typical diet & exercise programs. There are also several incumbents working hard to establish their presence. Roche's $2.7B acquisition of California-based Carmot Therapeutics, Inc. Therapeutics in December and Amgen's MariTide are both notable. Roche recently announced data from a Phase 1B study for CT-388 showing placebo-adjusted weight loss of ~19%, with 85% of participants seeing weight loss of more than 10%. Not to be left out, Amgen has recently advanced MariTide into Phase 2 studies, with Phase 1 results published in February showing weight loss of up to 15% in 12 weeks, with some dosage levels only required once a month. To have a credible chance at challenging the existing market leaders, new GLP-1s will have to demonstrate meaningful improvements on the following: 1. Dosage - most approved therapies today (with the exception of Rybelsus) are subcutaneous injections, given weekly. Having an easier form (tablet) or frequency (bi-weekly or even monthly) would be a big advantage. 2. Preservation of lean muscle mass - helping patients derive weight gain from regular adipose tissue instead of muscle mass. 3. Benefits beyond weight loss. Novo's recent FDA label expansion for Wegovy for reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular events provides a blueprint of how to expand the area these medicines can be helpful in. While there are many companies active in the space, it's worth noting just how large a lead Lilly and Novo have in this future $100B+ market. A recent GlobalData report noted that even by 2029, these two giants will have ~80% of the market between them. That said, 20% of a $100B market is still a sizable prize for other innovators, and continued innovation will only help patients.

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POV: Critical role of community and education in the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystems.

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