🧬 AI, Mentors & the Future of Biotech: Teambuilding, Investing, & Innovation | Johnny Hu (Part 4/4)
June 5, 2025
“It's the partnership all the way down, and everyone needs to be around the table to enable the ecosystem.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Johnny Hu reflects on his path to becoming a Principle at Menlo Ventures, what it's been like returning to gene editing after years away, and how he's thinking about unlocking true platform potential in life sciences. He also shares his outlook on early-stage biotech, the importance of mentorship, intellectual range and curiosity, and what's ahead as he continues building at the intersection of biology, computation, and company creation
🧬 The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedr—helping life science startups accelerate R&D and commercialization with founder-friendly equipment leasing. Skip the upfront costs, stay lean, and focus on breakthrough science.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
“It's the partnership all the way down, and everyone needs to be around the table to enable the ecosystem.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Johnny Hu reflects on his path to becoming a Principle at Menlo Ventures, what it's been like returning to gene editing after years away, and how he's thinking about unlocking true platform potential in life sciences. He also shares his outlook on early-stage biotech, the importance of mentorship, intellectual range and curiosity, and what's ahead as he continues building at the intersection of biology, computation, and company creation
Key topics covered:
- Firm building: Building a venture firm from the ground up
- AI & Bio: Looking at the intersection of AI and Biology
- Gene Editing: The clinical success of gene editing
- Mentorship: The importance of mentors and advisors
- Career Advice: Tips and common pitfalls to avoid when starting a career in venture investing
If you enjoy The Biotech Startups Podcast, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with your friends. Thanks for listening.
Subscribe to the Podcast:
Find our guest, Johnny Hu, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnnyhhu/
Find our host, Jon Chee, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonchee
Learn more about Excedr:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/excedr/
Website: https://www.excedr.com
Intro & Outro Songs Created by OkKyojin, Owned by Excedr:
Website: https://flow.page/kyojin
Resources & Articles:
Institute for Protein Design: https://www.bakerlab.org/
Merck’s PCSK9 Program: https://www.merck.com/news/merck-initiates-phase-3-clinical-program-for-oral-pcsk9-inhibitor-candidate-mk-0616/
RF Diffusion Paper: https://www.bakerlab.org/2023/07/11/diffusion-model-for-protein-design/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Menlo Ventures: https://www.menlovc.com/
Genentech: https://www.gene.com/
Vilya: http://vilyatx.com/
Synthego: https://www.synthego.com/
Recursion Pharmaceuticals: https://www.recursion.com/
Beam Therapeutics: https://beamtx.com/
Protein Data Bank: https://www.rcsb.org/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:14 Building Boston Office at Omega Funds
03:34 Move to West Coast and Joining Menlo Ventures
13:34 Current State of Life Sciences Venture Landscape
15:00 Focus on AI and Life Sciences Intersection
18:26 Most Fun and Least Fun Aspects of Venture Investing
20:04 Advice for Aspiring Venture Investors
23:19 Future Plans and Return to Gene Editing
25:01 Clinical Success and Market Challenges in Gene Editing
30:01 Advice to 21-Year-Old Self: Intellectual Curiosity
35:58 Outro
The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.