Excedr Monthly | August, 2024

We're back with the latest edition of Excedr Monthly, a biotech newsletter for founders, scientists, and the broader life sciences community—full of resources to help you navigate the ins and outs of a tough industry. Let's jump into it.

In today's newsletter:

• Quick biotech news roundup ??
• The latest from The Biotech Startups Podcast ???
• Editor's picks from the blog ??

Quick Biotech News Roundup—

A short roundup of noteworthy events in Biotech this month.

• NSF grants $22M to form a research hub for extreme microbes (Fierce Biotech)
• Updated COVID shots from Pfizer, Moderna cleared by FDA (BioPharma Dive)
• Pfizer partners with Flagship genetics startup Quotient on heart and kidney drugs (Endpoints)
• Slaughter-free meat hits the grocery shelf (Nature Biotechnology)
• Top 5 AI & Digital Biotech Companies (Securities.io)
• Versant Ventures and Novartis Launch Borealis Biosciences With $150 Million in Funding (Business Wire)
• Kane Biotech Announces Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results (GlobalNewswire)
• Noetik raises $40M Series A to advance AI ambitions in cancer (Endpoints)

Latest from the Biotech Startups Podcast—

Presented by Excedr, a podcast for scientist-entrepreneurs.

This month, we had three guests on the show:

• Shekhar Mitra,?the former Senior Vice President of Global Innovation and Chief of Innovation at Procter & Gamble and current President and Founder of InnoPreneur, a strategic advisory firm that enables development of innovation capabilities, ideation, and organizational development for Fortune 500 corporations and new ventures.?
• Noam Solomon, the CEO and co-founder at Immunai, a pioneering biotech company that is comprehensively mapping and reprogramming the immune system with single-cell biology and AI to power new therapeutic discoveries, accelerate drug development, and improve patient outcomes.?
• Doug Drysdale, the CEO at Cybin, a clinical-stage biopharma company on a mission to create safe and effective psychedelic-based therapeutics, whose goal is to address the large unmet need for new and innovative treatment options for people who suffer from mental health conditions.

Every guest we have on has a conversation with Jon over a four part series. All four parts of Shekhar and Noam's episodes are live. Parts one and two of Jon's conversation with Doug are available, with parts three and four coming next week!

Find all the latest episodes of The Biotech Startups Podcast here.

Blog Posts—

Editor's Picks from the Excedr Blog.

Understanding Debt & Equity Options for Startup Funding

Companies often fund their operations and asset purchases through a combination of debt and equity financing, which together form the financial structure of the business. This structure includes both short-term and long-term debt and equity, with each type offering distinct advantages and disadvantages. For startup founders, understanding these options is crucial for making informed financing decisions.

How to Raise Funding from Angel Investors

When your startup has gathered early data and gained momentum, it may be time to seek angel funding. This early capital can cover initial costs and provide runway for operations. Angel investors can often be more flexible in negotiations than VCs, which might be what you're looking for. However, you might not get access to the same level of additional resources. Nonetheless, securing funding from a reputable angel investor can boost your credibility and open valuable networking opportunities.

What Should Founders & Investors Expect from Each Other?

As an early-stage life science company founder, raising funds from investors is often necessary to drive growth. However, understanding what investors expect from you and what you should expect from them can be challenging. Clarifying these expectations during and after fundraising can help simplify and strengthen relationships between both parties.

A Guide to Grant Funding for Biotech Startups

There are various fundraising options biotechs can tap into, from VCs to grants and public funding. While securing a grant can be challenging, it offers valuable benefits such as funding specific projects, building industry relationships, receiving peer feedback, and enhancing credibility. Knowing which grants you are eligible for is the just first step to securing some capital for your startup.

Till next time.

-Tom & the team at Excedr ??????