Episode 190

🧬 $25M Fund, 20 Companies, Zero Failures: A Biotech Investing Secret | Sergey Jakimov (3/4)

"If you die, all your crypto doesn't make sense. All your sustainability doesn't make sense. You have not solved the major existential issue or the major existential threat that you have." In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee continues his conversation with Sergey Jakimov, Managing Partner at LongeVC, as he reveals launching a $25 million longevity fund. Leveraging relationships with top universities and a scientific advisory board featuring Nobel Prize winners, Sergey built a fund with an unconventional thesis: tackle age-related diseases one at a time, investing solely based on patient outcomes. The results—20 companies, zero write-offs in 3.5 years, with portfolio companies approaching unicorn status. The conversation turns personal when Sergey shares his experience as a rare disease patient. At 28, a rare autoimmune neurodegenerative condition left him partially paralyzed, forcing him through a healthcare system offering only outdated treatments. This experience fundamentally reshaped his investment philosophy and cemented his belief that biotech is the most important industry. Sergey also discusses expanding his platform with Ani.vc and the Longevity Science Foundation, while reflecting on why health span and "joy span" matter more than simply extending lifespan.

The Biotech Startups Podcast · Excedr

November 17, 202535m 33s

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Show Notes

"If you die, all your crypto doesn't make sense. All your sustainability doesn't make sense. You have not solved the major existential issue or the major existential threat that you have."

In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, host Jon Chee continues his conversation with Sergey Jakimov, Managing Partner at LongeVC, as he reveals launching a $25 million longevity fund. Leveraging relationships with top universities and a scientific advisory board featuring Nobel Prize winners, Sergey built a fund with an unconventional thesis: tackle age-related diseases one at a time, investing solely based on patient outcomes. The results—20 companies, zero write-offs in 3.5 years, with portfolio companies approaching unicorn status.

The conversation turns personal when Sergey shares his experience as a rare disease patient. At 28, a rare autoimmune neurodegenerative condition left him partially paralyzed, forcing him through a healthcare system offering only outdated treatments. This experience fundamentally reshaped his investment philosophy and cemented his belief that biotech is the most important industry. Sergey also discusses expanding his platform with Ani.vc and the Longevity Science Foundation, while reflecting on why health span and "joy span" matter more than simply extending lifespan.

Key topics covered:

From Angel to Institution: Launching a $25M longevity fund with deal access, KOL relationships, and a science-first thesis
Disease-by-Disease vs. Curing Aging: Why pragmatic, disease-focused investments outperform holistic longevity approaches
A Founder's Health Crisis: How becoming a rare disease patient at 28 transformed Sergey's investment philosophy
Exceptional Fund Performance: Achieving zero write-offs across 20 companies, with portfolio highlights in ADCs and cancer diagnostics
Expanding the Platform: Building Ani.vc for animal health and the Longevity Science Foundation for fundamental research grants

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Find our guest, Sergey Jakimov, at these links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakimov/?originalSubdomain=lv

https://longevc.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:

Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) in Cancer Treatment: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/antibody-drug-conjugates

Longevity Investing and Healthy Aging Economics: https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/the-economic-benefits-of-investing-in-healthy-aging

Rare Autoimmune Neurological Disorders: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/autoimmune-disease

Blood-Based Cancer Diagnostics and Early Detection: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/screening/research/blood-tests

Health Span vs. Lifespan: Quality of Life in Longevity Research: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-aging/what-do-we-know-about-healthy-aging

Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:

UC Berkeley: https://www.berkeley.edu/

Harvard University: https://www.harvard.edu/

Stanford University: https://www.stanford.edu/

Insilico Medicine: https://insilico.com/

AOA Diagnostics (AOA Dx): https://aoadx.com/

Longevity Science Foundation (LSF): https://longevity.foundation/

Garri Zmudze https://www.linkedin.com/in/garri-zmudze-982a48138/
Alex Zhavoronkov https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhavoronkov/

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:54 Transition from Founder to Investor

07:46 Health Span vs. Lifespan: A Philosophical Approach

10:35 Why Biotech Matters Most

14:50 Personal Health Crisis and Patient Perspective

23:39 Building a Science-First Investment Fund

25:09 Fund One: Portfolio and Strategy

28:07 Antibody-Drug Conjugates and Early-Stage Diagnostics

30:46 Fund Two and Animal Health Ventures

34:09 Longevity Science Foundation: Supporting Fundamental Research

34:14 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.

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