Monthly Archives: June 2014

Soccer, The World Cup, And Biotech
June 30, 2014

Soccer is a fantastic sport – eleven players on a side, a hundred yards of pitch, one ball, and lots of emotion. Watching the World Cup this year has been fun; our children are just now old enough where they

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Operating Inside The Atlas Seed Portfolio
June 27, 2014

In early 2013, I enlisted as an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR) with the Atlas Venture life science investment team as the firm focused on a seed-led investing strategy as a core tenant of Fund IX (here).  I viewed it as a great

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Zafgen Supersizes Its Obesity-Focused IPO: An Early Investor’s Reflections
June 25, 2014

Last week we priced the IPO for Zafgen – embarking on a new phase for the company (here).  Upsized at the top of the range, the offering is a testimony to the great team and exciting story at Zafgen. In line

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A Tale of Disruptive Science, Irreproducibility, and Unanticipated Consequences
June 13, 2014

I’ve spent a significant amount of my career focused on the use of nucleic acids as therapeutic agents.  The ability of nucleic acids to act through exquisitely selective binding to other nucleic acids, proteins or other biologically active molecules provides

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Goldilocks & The Pace Of Biotech Startup Creation
June 11, 2014

How many new biotechs should the industry be starting per year?  It’s a perennially asked question, and obviously not one with an easy and straightforward answer. On the one hand, if you believe only transformational new ideas should get funding,

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Biotech’s Virtual Reality
June 4, 2014

Much has been written about the merits and demerits of the virtual biotech model.  In essence, a virtual biotech outsources all non-core activities and rejects the need for in-house laboratories.  Instead, a small internal team manages execution outside the company,

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