Biotech founder turned investor | Entrepreneur

It is said that a strong nation-state is built because of its enterprising people. India is poised to experience the fastest growth in the coming years, and this is becoming possible thanks to our great and enterprising youth.

India is growing in the biotechnology sector, with advances in areas such as gene editing, immunotherapy, artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, and personalized medicine. India has talented young professionals who ensure continuous innovation.

Talented CEOs and founders working in biotech are creating wonders. Some of these companies, due to their enterprising attitudes, have become innovators and investors in the biotechnology field.

Arun Asaitambi is an innovative biotech founder turned investor on a mission to revolutionize healthcare.

he was an innovator. He is transforming industries through entrepreneurship and bold investments in emerging technologies and startups. In the United States, he has been successfully founding innovative biotech startups for over 10 years.

Arun founded Lantern Pharma Inc. [NASDAQ: LTRN]Dr. Asaitambi also works as an early stage biotechnology investor.

As an 18-year-old teenager growing up in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, his father’s cancer diagnosis and death at a young age inspired him to pursue a Ph.D. and postdoctoral research in the field of drugs in the United States. became. Discovery and computational biology.

During the course of his research, Arun realized the challenges in developing new drugs, their high cost, and limited effectiveness. This inspired him to form his Lantern Pharma Inc. with scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). It aims to accelerate drug discovery and development, make it more affordable, and personalize treatments for appropriate patients in the United States and potentially elsewhere. Applied worldwide.

As Founder and CEO, he conceptualized and led the company’s early-stage growth by developing innovative AI-driven biomarker discovery technology and biomarker-based clinical-stage precision medicines. Arun’s original argument was that some good drugs had shown promise in clinical trials but failed to meet FDA approval standards. Identifying and recovering these shelved medicines and rescuing them using the latest computational techniques such as machine learning and biomarker-based diagnostics can lead to specific drug delivery at a fraction of the cost and schedule. Target responsive patient populations and accelerate approval. With the help of his team, Arun conceptualized and developed a computational algorithm to identify patients who would respond to a particular drug. Lantern also identified and approved several promising “shelf” drugs for rescue.

The company ultimately went public in 2020, listing on NASDAQ to support the clinical advancement of its lead drug development program in multiple cancer indications based on biomarkers under an experienced management team. The company has raised more than $100 million in both private and public funding rounds in the US since its founding in 2013, and is one of the early pioneers of AI-driven drug discovery.

Arun was a 35-year-old young entrepreneur when Lantern went public on the NASDAQ. This success led him to become an experienced angel investor with a strong interest in early-stage startups with a strong focus on innovation, similar to Lantern. Dr. Asaitambi has already invested in approximately 20+ biotech startups in the U.S. and around the world, including Hypergiant Industries Inc., Mission Bio Inc., and Lantern Pharma Inc., as an interested party, angel investor, and partner in his limited company. We have supported you.

Mr. Arun recently founded Gyre Tech Ventures (JT Ventures) in India with Anand Asaitambi to support and empower startups and innovators in the technology and healthcare industries through angel investments. JT Ventures aims to find innovative solutions and early stage companies at Seed and Series A stages that can improve the quality of life for people in India and around the world.

Jaia Tech Venture is only interested in research-driven Indian entrepreneurs, with or without a PhD. These are people working on disruptive deep technology solutions that address unmet industry needs. These startups are leveraging emerging technologies such as automation and machine learning to create novel solutions that have the potential to revolutionize their respective industries. JT Ventures’ current investments include Fleek Technologies, Landeed and his IVEPOS in India. JT Ventures supports startups through investments, advisors, global expansion, and partnerships.

Arun believes that investing in early-stage technology startups comes with risks, but the rewards can be high. New precision drug therapies, medical devices, AI and automation, semiconductors, space technology, and advanced software development are some of Arun’s key areas of focus.

When investing in any company, Arun and his team conduct thorough due diligence. Investing in companies with strong teams, clear vision and viable business models is always preferred. These strong early-stage startups can grow and scale rapidly. This can also generate sustainable returns for investors.

With tools to detect disease earlier, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs, biotechnology holds great promise for a better world and healthcare. We expect to see further transformative advances in biotechnology and other deep technology fields in the coming years that will positively impact human health, quality of life, and well-being. Continued investment in biotechnology and other deep technology research will bring health and technology equity to all people, including in emerging countries like India.