🧬 AI in Biotech: When Sustainable Growth Replaces Hype | Mati Gill (4/4)
June 25, 2026
In this final episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast series, Jon Chee sits down with Mati Gill, CEO of AION Labs, to unpack where AI value is actually being created in biopharma—and what comes next. Mati lays out three pillars driving a post-hype phase of sustainable growth, explains why the industry is structurally conservative for good reasons, and shares how AION Labs is already preparing for the quantum computing wave before it arrives.
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"It's only a question of when, not if, we will see the first drug that was designed by artificial intelligence approved by the FDA."
"It's only a question of when, not if, we will see the first drug that was designed by artificial intelligence approved by the FDA."
In this final episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast series, Jon Chee sits down with Mati Gill, CEO of AION Labs, to unpack where AI value is actually being created in biopharma—and what comes next. Mati lays out three pillars driving a post-hype phase of sustainable growth, explains why the industry is structurally conservative for good reasons, and shares how AION Labs is already preparing for the quantum computing wave before it arrives.
Key Topics Covered:
- Where AI Value Is Being Created: Why pharma has moved past the hype cycle into sustainable, evidence-based growth.
- The First FDA-Approved AI-Designed Drug: Why it's when, not if—and what 60+ AI clinical programs signal about the road ahead.
- Virtual Patients and Preclinical Innovation: How AI simulation of human disease biology could replace animal models that keep failing.
- Why Pharma Giants Don't Get Disrupted: What Pfizer, Novartis, and Roche lasting over a century means for startups aiming to go the distance.
- Building AION Labs to Outlast Its Founder: The sustainable venture studio model—and why quantum computing is next on the roadmap.
- The Best Advice Mati Ever Received: A mentor's ten-year framework—and the story of reminding that mentor of his own advice.
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Find our guest, Mati Gill, at these links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matigill/?originalSubdomain=il
Website: https://aionlabs.com/
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:
Top Equipment Needs in AI-Driven Drug Discovery Labs: https://www.excedr.com/blog/top-equipment-needs-in-ai-driven-drug-discovery-labs
FDA Artificial Intelligence in Drug Development: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/center-drug-evaluation-and-research-cder/artificial-intelligence-drug-development
Quantum-Machine-Assisted Drug Discovery: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44386-025-00033-2
2025 Trends in Biotech Venture Capital Funding: https://www.excedr.com/blog/trends-in-biotech-venture-capital-funding
Insilico Medicine's AI-Designed Drug Pipeline: https://insilico.com/about
Biolojic Design — First Computationally Designed Antibody in Clinical Trial: https://biolojic.com
Companies, Universities, & People Mentioned:
AION Labs: https://aionlabs.com
Teva Pharmaceuticals: https://www.tevapharm.com
Pfizer: https://www.pfizer.com
AstraZeneca: https://www.astrazeneca.com
Merck: https://www.merck.com
Amazon Web Services (AWS): https://aws.amazon.com
Biolojic Design: https://biolojic.com
Insilico Medicine: https://insilico.com
Xaira Therapeutics: https://www.xaira.com
BioMarin Pharmaceutical: https://www.biomarin.com
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals: https://www.alnylam.com
Biogen: https://www.biogen.com
Amgen: https://www.amgen.com
Novartis: https://www.novartis.com
Roche: https://www.roche.com
Israel Innovation Authority: https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:22 What's Overhyped and What's Underhyped in AI/ML
03:39 Sustainable Growth: The Post-Hype Phase of AI in Biotech
03:56 Three Pillars Unlocking AI Value in Drug Discovery
06:52 Will a New Generation of Pharma Giants Emerge?
09:45 The Money Furnace: Can Biotech Be Built Without Boatloads of Cash?
12:15 What's Next for AION Labs: Sustainable Models and Quantum Computing
15:02 Closing Questions: Shout-Outs and Best Advice Ever Received
18:04 The Mentor Story: Reminding Someone of Their Own Advice
18:10 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.