Wilbe

There’s never been a better time to build in science and back scientists. This is a new generation of scientist founder, inter-disciplinary, combining the best of science and engineering: who think and question like scientists and execute like engineers, who combine both disciplines to discover and achieve novel / better outcomes to very large problems. With the pace of development in science, ML and engineering, this is just the beginning. Over the past few years we have had the privilege of working with a few such founders, and incredible humans, as founding team members and investors, and are continually amazed with the speed and quality of decision-making, the world class teams assembled (regardless of location) and the integration of science and engineering in product roadmaps to take on some pretty big problems building sensory and chipless computers with Shamit, Anshika and team at Apoha, making fusion energy commercially viable with optimised stellerators with Francesco, Lucio and team at Proxima Fusion, creating affordable substitutes to rare-Earth nano-metals with Assia at Milvus Advanced pioneering high value protein therapeutics with Kärt, Rebecca, Leopold and Liliana at ExpressionEdits, delivering revolutionary cancer vaccines with Jonathan and team at Infinitopes restoring fertility to aged eggs in women with Alexandre, Chloe, Jordan at U-Ploid. And more and more to come at Wilbe 👀 Four years in and we are still all in on putting Scientists First. To 2025! till then, a (rather reflective) moment from our Wilbe Wrapped with our founders, BSF12 Fellows for an unscripted and 🌶️ conversation with our very own Francesco Sciortino and venture partners Annalisa Jenkins and Michael Jackson.

🚀 We are excited to kick off 2025 with an online workshop together with our friends at Wilbe to discuss what makes the new generation of scientists. What are the skills, mindset, and tools required to break away from traditional academic career paths and drive meaningful impact at scale?   Who is this for: PhD students, postdocs, and PIs When: January 9, 17.00-18.00 CET Where: Online, link provided to the registered attendees. Register here: lu.ma/dn3mfq9o #vbcindustry

What are the most exciting medical technology trends for 2025 onwards? Our Fellow and co-founder & CEO of U-Ploid Biotechnologies, Jordan Abdi, MD is exploring areas like precision therapeutics and the data-driven higher-resolution understanding of human biology. Access the full story and explore more industry insights on Wilbe Sandbox: wilbe.com/sandbox

Officially welcoming Paul Bolno to the Board of Directors at ExpressionEdits Joining as Chairman out of Cambridge, MA, Paul brings over two decades of leadership experience in the life sciences industry at GSK and from his most recent role as President and CEO at Wave Life Sciences. With his expertise in RNA medicine, drug development, and strategic growth, Paul joins our very own Kärt (BSF1) and Allan Bradley and investors on the board on their mission to revolutionize genetic medicine. Full press release here https://lnkd.in/d3KEbPMU

What is the mindset shift when transitioning from academia to a startup? Our friend and BSF Fellow, Giulia Pilla, Clinical Lead at Nostics, shares her journey of navigating the leap from academia to the world of startups. Access the full story and explore career paths beyond the bench on Wilbe Sandbox: wilbe.com/sandbox

For all aspiring scientist and deeptech founders in Europe, this interview from our very own Francesco co-founder and CEO of Proxima Fusion is worth a read in Sifted. "It's really a cultural problem that we have to fix in Europe. We need to get back to being competitive in mindset. We need people to get into the startup space and want to build things and not look for too much comfort. Competitiveness does mean getting out of the slow, big technology giants that have driven our economies for the last 100, 150 years. Fusion is that opportunity of building a more-than $100bn company, and we just have to get into it." If you're interested in joining the mission Proxima Fusion is hiring. https://lnkd.in/ec4QCCjW

Yes, we have something for all scientists. Are you career-curious? Join the global community of researchers and industry scientists on Wilbe Sandbox—an open-source platform where you can connect, learn, and explore career paths beyond academia ➡️ wilbe.com/sandbox Are you ready to build? The Bootcamp for Scientist Founders (BSF) is a high-intensity, practical crash course designed to help you make smart, fast decisions as you build your company. Applications are open until January 19 ➡️ wilbe.com/bsf #ScientistsFirst

Imagine running your startup from a 30-foot RV, not as a gimmick, but as a way to remember why you’re in this game at all. If you’re perfectly comfortable with the status quo and don’t like being challenged, maybe skip this. But if you’re curious about what happens when you swap the boardroom for a 30-foot RV and lean into uncertainty, I’ve got a story you might want to read. We started this RV trip as a way to meet scientists where they are, talk without pretense, and remember what it feels like to embrace uncertainty. I’ve written a full, candid piece about what we saw, learned, and felt during this RV journey—no PR gloss, just honest reflections on stepping off the beaten path. Give it a read if you’re curious. Hope it sparks some ideas about what’s possible when we allow ourselves to be a bit lost, a bit messy, and truly human in how we work. Ale Maiano Ali Farzanehfar Anna Vildaus Devika Thapar Wilbe

Fast and effective decision making from the heart 💚 That's the essence of the bootcamp for scientist founders (BSF) - wrapped up 2 weeks ago. This kind of thing can't be programatic, you can't put serious founders through a cookie-cutter system and expect them to feel empowered. We designed each little element based on what every single founder needed day by day, to really push both them, and us, beyond what we think is possible. You can see the BSF12 crew below - 12 founders, 7 companies, 4 industries from across the world - a lot of good will, a lot of good energy: Aaron, James, Hannah, Alexander, Alberto, James, Nicolas, Bryan, Roland, Silver, Sten Applications for the next one are live: wilbe.com/bsf 🚀 PS. I promise to join the sunday morning run next time.. #ScientistsFirst

Bootcamp for Scientist Founders (BSF) is back with its 13th edition! Are you a scientist (PhD student/ postdoc/ group leader/ industry scientist/ self-trained) and building your own business? BSF13 is tailored for scientist-founders (or soon-to-be founders) who want a crash course in fast and effective decision making while learning how to avoid expensive mistakes. Here are the key details: Intensity: High Time Commitment: 20 hours/week Format: Online & in-person in Boston, MA 🇺🇲 Application deadline: January 19 No geographic restrictions—apply now using the link in comments. #ScientistsFirst