Episode 125

🧬Stavros Papadopoulos: How Serendipity Sparked TileDB's Startup Journey (Part 2/4)

"Serendipity plays a big role, but you need to chase it, man. You need to [chase it] and you need to perform. You need to deliver [on] your end of the deal." In part two of our conversation with Stavros Papadopoulos, founder of TileDB, we delve into his journey from academia to entrepreneurship. Stavros shares his experiences at MIT and Intel, and the serendipitous events that led to the founding of his company. He details the transition from working on cutting-edge database systems to identifying a market need in the life sciences sector, particularly in handling complex genomic data. Stavros's background in computer science and his work at the intersection of Intel and MIT uniquely positioned him to tackle the challenges of building a new type of database system. His journey highlights the importance of proactivity, networking, and being prepared for unexpected opportunities. He also shares valuable insights on the realities of starting a database company, including the significant funding requirements and the necessity of continuous learning.

The Biotech Startups Podcast · Excedr

March 6, 202541m 40s

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Show Notes

🧬 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 get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.

"Serendipity plays a big role, but you need to chase it, man. You need to [chase it] and you need to perform. You need to deliver [on] your end of the deal."

In part two of our conversation with Stavros Papadopoulos, founder of TileDB, we delve into his journey from academia to entrepreneurship. Stavros shares his experiences at MIT and Intel, and the serendipitous events that led to the founding of his company. He details the transition from working on cutting-edge database systems to identifying a market need in the life sciences sector, particularly in handling complex genomic data.

Stavros's background in computer science and his work at the intersection of Intel and MIT uniquely positioned him to tackle the challenges of building a new type of database system. His journey highlights the importance of proactivity, networking, and being prepared for unexpected opportunities. He also shares valuable insights on the realities of starting a database company, including the significant funding requirements and the necessity of continuous learning.

Key topics covered:

Transition from academia to entrepreneurship: Seizing opportunities at MIT and Intel
Developing TileDB: Creating a novel database system for complex data types
Fundraising journey: From angel investors to venture capital
Challenges of starting a database company: High costs and talent requirements
Importance of mentorship and building win-win relationships in tech entrepreneurship: Key strategies for success

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Find our guest, Stavros Papadopoulos, at these links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stavrospap/

Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tiledb-inc/

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

Mentions:

Resources & Articles:

Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 Steps to a Successful Startup by Bill Aulet: https://www.d-eship.com/

Zero to IPO by Frederic Kerrest: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/book-day-zero-ipo-frederic-kerrest-summary-mircea-ioan-soit-kvspe/

TileDB database technology: https://cloud.tiledb.com/academy/what-is-tiledb/

Genomics DB (precursor to TileDB): https://www.tiledb.com/blog/population-genomics-data-with-tiledb

MIT Technology Licensing Office: https://tlo.mit.edu/

Broad Institute's VCF (Variant Call Format): https://www.broadinstitute.org/publications/broad12186

Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine (RCIGM): https://radygenomics.org/begin-ngs-newborn-sequencing/

UK Biobank: https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/

Companies & People:

Intel: https://www.intel.com/

MIT: https://www.mit.edu/

TileDB: https://tiledb.com/

Broad Institute: https://www.broadinstitute.org/

Nexus Venture Partners: https://nexusvp.com/

Sam Madden: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-madden-8ba0835/

Frederic Kerrest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fkerrest/

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:24 Transitioning from Hong Kong to MIT/Intel

11:30 The importance of proactivity and hustle in seizing opportunities

20:59 Working on database systems at MIT/Intel

29:08 The serendipitous encounter that led to starting TileDB

32:16 Developing TileDB: A database for non-tabular data and machine learning

35:30 Solving scalability issues for the Broad Institute

36:55 Raising initial funding and spinning out TileDB from MIT/Intel

37:26 Challenges of starting a database business

38:15 Structuring TileDB's launch as a win-win for all stakeholders

39:47 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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