Episode 215
𧏠How Curiosity Creates Breakthroughs in AI, Data & Biotech | Caleb Appleton (Part 4/4)
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Partner at Bison Ventures, Caleb Appleton shares how Bison Ventures is rethinking biotech investing through âTechBio,â backing revenue-generating platforms that validate product-market fit like software rather than relying solely on therapeutic risk. He lays out a practical framework for data platform foundersâwhen to sell their technology versus build drugsâusing examples like Eikon Therapeuticsâ in-house super-resolution microscopy and Vivodyneâs ambition to become the âAWS of biology.â Caleb also reflects on how leading a turnaround at TuneIn made him more empathetic to founders and explains why, amid exuberance in physical world AI and tougher biotech markets, teams must identify their superpower and double down on it instead of trying to be everything at once.
The Biotech Startups Podcast · Excedr
February 12, 202637m 51s
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Show Notes
𧏠The Biotech Startups Podcast is powered by Excedrâhelping 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 Excedrâs partner networkâspecial savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
"When you allow curiosity to lead the way, it might take longer, it might be circuitous, it might not always be clear, but what will be true is you're enjoying the thing that you're doing along the way."
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Partner at Bison Ventures, Caleb Appleton shares how Bison Ventures is rethinking biotech investing through âTechBio,â backing revenue-generating platforms that validate product-market fit like software rather than relying solely on therapeutic risk. He lays out a practical framework for data platform foundersâwhen to sell their technology versus build drugsâusing examples like Eikon Therapeuticsâ in-house super-resolution microscopy and Vivodyneâs ambition to become the âAWS of biology.â Caleb also reflects on how leading a turnaround at TuneIn made him more empathetic to founders and explains why, amid exuberance in physical world AI and tougher biotech markets, teams must identify their superpower and double down on it instead of trying to be everything at once.
Key topics covered:
- Revenue-Generating Biotech: Why companies that create 10x deeper or cheaper data should focus on product-market fit through sales rather than purely therapeutic risk
- Data Platforms Framework: How to decide whether to sell technology as an enabling tool or use it exclusively for drug discovery
- Market Dynamics: Navigating the contrast between robotics/AI exuberance and challenging biotech fundraising conditions
- Team DNA and Superpowers: Why founders must lean into their core strengthsâtechnology building vs. drug developmentârather than trying to do both
- Bison's Investment Approach: Focusing on frontier tech across TechBio, Climate & Sustainability, and AI in the Physical World with $5M average checks from pre-seed through Series B
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, Caleb Appleton at these links:
Website: https://www.bison.vc/
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:
The Case for Revenue-Focused Platforms in Life Sciences:
Deep Tech and Frontier Tech Venture Capital:
AWS Business Model: https://vizologi.com/business-strategy-canvas/aws-ec2-business-model-canvas/
Scale AI for Data Labeling: https://labelyourdata.com/articles/scale-ai-review
Spatial Biology Applications: https://www.quanterix.com/why-spatial-biology/
Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:
Vivodyne: https://www.kairosventures.com/vivodyne/
Eikon Therapeutics: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eikon-therapeutics-inc
Innovation Endeavors: https://www.innovationendeavors.com/
Illumina: https://www.illumina.com/
Eric Schmidt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-e-schmidt
Ben Hemani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhemani/
Tom Biegala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombiegala/
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
02:20 Bison Ventures' Mission and Investment Focus
04:57 Current State of TechBio vs. AI Markets
08:44 The Case for Revenue-Generating Biotech
11:23 Data Platforms: When to Sell Tech vs. Build Drugs
14:11 Vivodyne: Becoming the AWS of Biology
17:17 Revenue Solves All Known Problems
21:35 Building Bison's Culture and Team
25:50 Looking Ahead: AI Co-pilots for Technical Users
31:46 Advice to 21-Year-Old Self: Follow Your Curiosities
35:12 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 companyâfrom pre-seed to IPO.