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A narrative podcast series hosted by journalist Surani Fernando that goes beyond the headlines to explore how biotech companies are really built — from bold ideas and impressive fundraises to the science that could reshape healthcare. Surani speaks with founders, CEOs, investors, and experts to…
In this episode, Surani explores the unconventional start-up story of Infinimmune, an antibody discovery company founded in 2022 by five former 10x Genomics scientists. Starting with a scientific hunch that advances in single-cell sequencing were revealing previously overlooked antibody biology, the team went from…
In this July summer episode, we slow things down again and revisit a conversation from the Raising Biotech archive. Today's episode is a replay from November 2023, featuring Synchron, a company developing implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to restore communication and digital independence for people living…
In this special Investor Spotlight edition of Raising Biotech, Surani sits down with Dr. Jakob Dupont, Executive Partner at Sofinnova Investments, to explore one of the most unusual career trajectories in biotech. Before becoming a venture investor, Dupont spent decades as a physician, cancer researcher, biotech…
In this episode, Surani explores one of biotech’s most controversial and ambitious frontiers: psychedelic medicine. At the center of the story is Compass Pathways, the London-based biotech attempting to bring synthetic psilocybin through the modern drug approval system for treatment-resistant depression. What began as…
In this episode, Surani takes a deep dive with experts into biotechs hottest new hype cycle -- GLP-1s. Over the past couple years, biotech investing has felt like it’s entering a new gravitational field, with GLP-1s at the center. Once a niche diabetes therapy, these drugs have evolved into a commercial juggernaut…
In this episode, Surani speaks with George Magrath, CEO of Opus Genetics, about the realities of leading a public biotech company through a major strategic pivot and intense market scrutiny. Opus Genetics emerged from a 2024 reverse merger between Nasdaq-listed Ocuphire Pharma and a private gene therapy company…
In this episode, we focus on the personal journey of Sheila Gujrathi, a physician turned biotech builder whose career spans medicine, big pharma, rapid IPOs, and billion dollar exits. We explore what it takes to raise biotech across cycles, from early clinical development to public markets, and how Sheila navigated…
In this early-January episode, we slow things down, and reflect... Today’s episode is a replay from the Raising Biotech archive — a conversation originally recorded in November 2023 with eGenesis, a company working at the frontier of xenotransplantation, or transplanting genetically modified animal organs into humans…
In this episode, we dive into one of the most universal aesthetic concerns on the planet: pattern hair loss. Despite affecting more than 80 million people in the US and over a billion globally, innovations in treatment have barely moved in decades. Veradermics is aiming to change that with an extended release…
In this special on-the-ground episode of Raising Biotech, Surani takes you inside BIO-Europe 2025 in Vienna — the dealmaking, the caffeine, and the cautious optimism shaping Europe’s biotech landscape right now. Over three packed days, 6,000+ attendees from more than 60 countries gathered to broker partnerships, court…
In this episode, we dive into ReproNovo’s “trash to treasure” biotech story. Founded in Switzerland in 2021, the company is reimagining reproductive medicine, one of the most underserved areas in biotech, by reviving overlooked and discarded assets. Earlier this year, ReproNovo raised a $65M Series A from a syndicate…
In this episode, we look at AltruBio’s Cinderella story. While the company officially launched in 2020, its roots go back more than 20 years with a rich immunology pipeline stuck in “academic-style experiments.” On the brink of bankruptcy, a team of executives — including Dr. Judy Chou — stepped in to reboot the…
This episode of Raising Biotech takes a different turn — not just the story of a biotech, but of a partnership. Steve Butts, CEO of Arrivo BioVentures, and Dr. Dave Adair, Co‑Founder and Managing Partner of Solas BioVentures, have built ten companies together over nearly two decades. From Steve's first shaky startup…
In this episode, we go inside the creation of Xaira Therapeutics — the biotech startup that raised over a billion dollars at launch without a product or clinical data. Speaking with Vik Bajaj, CEO and co-founder of Foresite Labs (and one of the people behind Xaira’s creation), Surani explores how Xaira’s approach…
In this bonus episode, Surani shares an honest update on what’s been happening behind the scenes at Raising Biotech, why Season 3 took longer than planned, and what to expect going forward. From reflections on building the podcast solo to plans for the future, it’s a candid check-in for listeners who’ve been waiting…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani finally delves into the scary zone of cancer with German biotech iOmx. The company has raised a total of EUR 115 million (Series A and B) since its inception in 2016 and is hoping to take immuno-oncology drug development to new heights. CEO Apollon Papadimitriou joins the…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani delves into the world of CNS and Parkinson's disease with Cerevance. CEO Craig Thompson joins the podcast to speak about Cerevance's unique mission and use of its NETSseq platform to develop more targeted precision medicines for CNS diseases, particularly targeting the GPR6…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani learns that it's never too late to launch a biotech as Sparrow Pharmaceuticals was born when its founder, Dr David Katz, was ready to retire. During his long career within big pharma, David had always had his eye on solving the 75-year old puzzle of steroid side-effects. The…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani explores the fascinating world of vision restoration and optogenetics with Ray Therapeutics. The company raised an oversubscribed $100m Series A in May 2023, which was particularly noteworthy during a extremely grim year for fundraising. Surani speaks with CEO and Co-Founder…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani explores the truly unique story of Fauna Bio -- a female trio founding team that is studying evolution and the intersection of animal and human genomics to unlock powerful new therapeutics to treat complex human diseases. The company has raised a total of $19 million in…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani explores the multi-layered start-up story of Israeli lipid nanoparticle biotech Mana.bio. This is a tech meets biotech story, where AI and machine learning is being leveraged to develop novel lipid nanoparticle formulations to get nucleic-acid based therapies (DNA, RNA…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani explores the untapped world of tRNA therapeutics with Flagship Pioneering-founded company Alltrna. The company raised $109 million in a series B in August 2023. Surani talks to CEO Michelle Werner about the inception of Alltrna, the company's tRNA therapeutic thesis and her…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani delves into Arialys and its mission to revive an autoimmune encephalitis drug from the grave after big pharma no longer wanted it. The company founders are a bunch of venture capitalists (Avalon Ventures, MPM Capital & Catalys Pacific) who saw potential in pursuing the…
In this episode of Raising Biotech, Surani delves into Synchron and its mission to develop a potential first-in-class implantable brain computer interface (BCI) that allows people with motor impairment to communicate their thoughts through a device. Founded in 2012, Synchron has raised $145 million since inception…
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