Episode Description
🧬 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 can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
“Every moment is like this opportunity to, like, do the right thing and make something better.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Richard Yu, co-founder and CEO of Abalone Bio, reflects on building a company around a bold scientific vision — and the personal moments that shaped his leadership along the way. He unpacks the core insight behind Abalone Bio's yeast-based screening platform: that conventional antibody discovery optimizes for binding over function, like grabbing scissors by the blades. Richard also opens up about the devastating loss of co-founder Gustavo Pesce in a 2021 skiing accident, how the team and investors rallied with unwavering support, and how that crisis ultimately sharpened his sense of purpose and focus. From weathering hundreds of investor rejections to landing partnerships with Pfizer and Sichuan Pharma, Richard offers an honest look at running a biotech startup with a platform-driven, portfolio-management mindset.
Key topics covered:
Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/
Find our guest, Richard Yu at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-c-yu/Website: https://www.abalonebio.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:G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_protein-coupled_receptorBinding Affinity vs. Functional Efficacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_(pharmacology)Molecular Dynamics Simulations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_dynamicsDe Novo Drug Design and Artificial Intelligence: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl5364Platform vs. Pipeline Business Models in Biotech: https://ergobio.substack.com/p/founders-of-drug-discovery-engineDilutive vs. Non-Dilutive Funding for Startups: https://eqvista.com/startup-fundraising/dilutive-vs-non-dilutive-funding/Memento Mori and Stoicism: https://orionphilosophy.com/memento-mori/Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Pfizer: https://www.pfizer.comAbCellera: https://www.abcellera.comAdimab: https://www.adimab.comQB3: https://qb3.org
Toshihiko Takeuchi https://www.linkedin.com/in/toshihiko-takeuchi-3135711/ Monica Schwartz https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-schwartz-67761b44/ Lauren Schwimmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenschwimmer/ Sameer Soi https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameersoi/
Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:03 Abalone's Mission and the GPCR Drug Development Vision02:36 The Real Founding Team: Richard and Gustavo03:42 The Devastating Loss of Co-Founder Gustavo Martinez06:39 Finding Clarity and Focus Through Grief09:16 Running Out of Money and Leaning on Core Values11:13 Building the Team After Gustavo's Passing12:18 The State of the GPCR Antibody Market14:05 Why Binding Affinity Is the Wrong KPI15:44 Yeast-Based Screening Technology and Functional Data20:06 Balancing Platform Development vs. Pipeline Products21:01 Revenue Strategy and Business Philosophy25:05 Ideal Collaboration Partners: Pfizer, Sichuan, and Beyond25:41 OutroThe 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.
As a TBSP listener, you can get exclusive perks through Excedr’s partner network—special savings, promotions, and more. Explore these offers today: https://www.excedr.com/partners.
“Every moment is like this opportunity to, like, do the right thing and make something better.”
In this episode of The Biotech Startups Podcast, Richard Yu, co-founder and CEO of Abalone Bio, reflects on building a company around a bold scientific vision — and the personal moments that shaped his leadership along the way. He unpacks the core insight behind Abalone Bio's yeast-based screening platform: that conventional antibody discovery optimizes for binding over function, like grabbing scissors by the blades. Richard also opens up about the devastating loss of co-founder Gustavo Pesce in a 2021 skiing accident, how the team and investors rallied with unwavering support, and how that crisis ultimately sharpened his sense of purpose and focus. From weathering hundreds of investor rejections to landing partnerships with Pfizer and Sichuan Pharma, Richard offers an honest look at running a biotech startup with a platform-driven, portfolio-management mindset.
Key topics covered:
- Function Over Binding: Why traditional antibody discovery chases binding, while Abalone Bio screens directly for functional impact.
- Loss & Leadership: How Gustavo Pesce’s sudden passing in 2021 reshaped Richard’s priorities and leadership style.
- Team & Resilience: How a tight-knit core team, including CSO Toshi and AI lead Samir, rallied to keep the science moving.
- Platform vs. Pipeline: How Richard balances building the platform with advancing products that prove its value.
- Revenue & Partnerships: How Abalone Bio uses partnerships like Pfizer and Shichuan Pharma to blend near-term cash with long-term upside.
Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-biotech-startups-podcast/id1679591994Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PSL162R2s0zOwU5913Zv4Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thebiotechstartupspodcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/
Find our guest, Richard Yu at these links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-c-yu/Website: https://www.abalonebio.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:G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G_protein-coupled_receptorBinding Affinity vs. Functional Efficacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affinity_(pharmacology)Molecular Dynamics Simulations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_dynamicsDe Novo Drug Design and Artificial Intelligence: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl5364Platform vs. Pipeline Business Models in Biotech: https://ergobio.substack.com/p/founders-of-drug-discovery-engineDilutive vs. Non-Dilutive Funding for Startups: https://eqvista.com/startup-fundraising/dilutive-vs-non-dilutive-funding/Memento Mori and Stoicism: https://orionphilosophy.com/memento-mori/Companies, Universities, & People mentioned:Pfizer: https://www.pfizer.comAbCellera: https://www.abcellera.comAdimab: https://www.adimab.comQB3: https://qb3.org
Toshihiko Takeuchi https://www.linkedin.com/in/toshihiko-takeuchi-3135711/ Monica Schwartz https://www.linkedin.com/in/monica-schwartz-67761b44/ Lauren Schwimmer https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenschwimmer/ Sameer Soi https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameersoi/
Timestamps: 00:00 Intro02:03 Abalone's Mission and the GPCR Drug Development Vision02:36 The Real Founding Team: Richard and Gustavo03:42 The Devastating Loss of Co-Founder Gustavo Martinez06:39 Finding Clarity and Focus Through Grief09:16 Running Out of Money and Leaning on Core Values11:13 Building the Team After Gustavo's Passing12:18 The State of the GPCR Antibody Market14:05 Why Binding Affinity Is the Wrong KPI15:44 Yeast-Based Screening Technology and Functional Data20:06 Balancing Platform Development vs. Pipeline Products21:01 Revenue Strategy and Business Philosophy25:05 Ideal Collaboration Partners: Pfizer, Sichuan, and Beyond25:41 OutroThe 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.