HARVARD ALUMNI ENTREPRENEURS

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Deep Tech: Money Matters

Regina Ryan

In This Episode:

In this podcast episode, host Philip Guarino speaks with Andrew Lo, a distinguished professor at MIT and an entrepreneur with a focus on healthcare and deep tech ventures. Andrew shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, detailing his transition from economics to founding a quantitative investment firm and later exploring the financial challenges of drug development. He discusses the fundraising challenges for deep tech entrepreneurs, how investors’ risk calculation differs for more complex ventures and how this requires continuous investor communication and learning. Lo also highlights the vibrant innovation ecosystem in the Boston-Cambridge area and his passion for mentoring students in entrepreneurial projects.

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A Glimpse of What You’ll Learn

  • What led to Professor Lo's transition from academia to entrepreneurship?

  • What inspired his move from teaching finance to founding an investment management firm?

  • How did personal experiences with cancer influence his interest in healthcare?

  • What is unique about deeptech and what are the main challenges faced by deeptech startups?

  • How do investors measure and how do entrepreneurs manage risk for deep tech ventures?

  • Why is continuous fundraising crucial for startup success?

  • What communication strategies are important for deep tech entrepreneurs?

  • What skills do founders need beyond scientific expertise?

  • What groundbreaking projects is Professor Lo currently involved in?

  • How are large language models reshaping financial advice, and what challenges do they face?


    RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Andrew W. Lo is the Charles E. and Susan T. Harris Professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, director of MIT’s Laboratory for Financial Engineering, and principal investigator at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. He is a co-founder and director of BridgeBio Pharma, a director of AbCellera, Atomwise, and Vesalius, a co-founder and chairman of QLS Advisors, and a member of the advisory board to the American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Impact Fund. Dr. Lo received his B.A. in economics from Yale University and his A.M. and Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.