Hardware Podcasts

Moderna and Flagship Pioneering: Noubar Afeyan

How I Built This · 11 Oct 2021 · 1h 06m

What this episode covers

Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of Moderna and founder of Flagship Pioneering, explains how his venture studio model incubated Moderna by combining scientific research, entrepreneurial talent, and capital under one roof. He details the rapid development of the mRNA-1273 COVID-19 vaccine, from receiving the viral sequence to generating a computer model in two days, and the subsequent scaling of manufacturing to billions of doses. Afeyan also reflects on his early career, including founding Perceptive Biosystems and his pivotal meeting with David Packard, which shaped his approach to innovation and risk-taking.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Moderna, Flagship Pioneering, Perceptive Biosystems, NIH, Novartis
Products
mRNA-1273
Also
David Packard

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Global Medical Device Podcast · 42m

    #473: The MedTech Odyssey: Bridging Academic Science to Series A Success

    Jordi Martorell, CEO and co-founder of Aortyx, discusses his journey from mapping arterial blood flow at the Harvard-MIT Biomedical Engineering Center to raising a Series A for his Class III medical device company. He explains how Aortyx sustained its multi-year development of bioresorbable endovascular patches for aortic dissection by leveraging friends-and-family rounds, Capital Cell equity crowdfunding, and European Innovation Council (EIC) grants. Martorell details the structural challenges of managing a cap table with hundreds of retail investors via syndication and SPVs to maintain clean negotiation lines for institutional VCs. He also reflects on the realities of closing a Series A in a non-traditional VC hub, facing post-pandemic inflation, and the critical importance of resilience and visibility at conferences like LSI.

    Fundraising & investorsValidation & product-market fit
    8 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 48m

    S6E14 Russ Aldridge | Robot Cinematography, 16-day Ventilators, & Identifying the REAL problem

    Russ Aldridge, CEO and co-founder of Sisu (with co-founder Marc Christenson), details the company's evolution from a garage startup to a specialized robotics integrator. He highlights key projects including the OmniSharp knife-sharpening robot, which uses 3D modeling and force-torque sensing, and a custom cinematography robot arm controlled via an intuitive hand-held interface. Aldridge also recounts the rapid development of 100 emergency ventilators in 16 days during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the team's parallel engineering approach and use of industrial-grade components.

    Robotics & autonomyDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    8 chapters

  • EMS@C-LEVEL · 21m

    EMS@C-LEVEL Season #1 Episode #2 with Creative Electron's Dr. Bill Cardoso

    Dr. Bill Cardoso, CEO of Creative Electron, explains how his company pivoted its manufacturing operations during the COVID-19 crisis by decentralizing assembly to eight locations in San Diego County to maintain production of x-ray systems. He details the adoption of AI-driven autonomous inspection and the shift to 'X-ray as a Service' (XAS), allowing remote operation of equipment via virtual laboratories. Cardoso also discusses leadership strategies, including a '20-mile march' philosophy and a results-oriented culture, which allowed the company to avoid layoffs and sustain growth despite supply chain disruptions.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringAI & machine learning
    8 chapters

  • The Hardware Entrepreneur · 41m

    #026 - Connected lab - a startup bringing IoT to R&D environments, with Alok Tayi of TetraScience, USA

    Alok Tayi, co-founder and CEO of TetraScience, explains how the startup connects scientific instruments to a cloud dashboard to modernize R&D workflows. He details the 'Eureka moment' derived from his experience as a scientist, the validation process involving 50+ interviews, and the decision to price the product for fast adoption. Tayi also discusses the transition from using commercial electronics to designing their own hardware module, the TetraScience Link, and the strategic benefits of the Y Combinator accelerator.

    Starting a product companyConnected products & IoT
    9 chapters

  • Let's Combinate · 47m

    067 - mRNA, Flu Vaccines, Good Presentations, and Non-Linear Career Paths with Jane M. True

    Jane M. True, VP of mRNA Commercial Strategy at Pfizer, discusses her non-linear career path from choral conducting to pharmaceutical leadership, emphasizing the importance of hiring for 'brains' and strategic thinking over rigid activity-based experience. She details the operational and commercial differences between traditional flu vaccines and emerging mRNA technologies, highlighting how platform approaches could streamline manufacturing and regulatory pathways. True also shares practical advice on presentation skills, advocating for storyboarding and the Minto Principle to communicate complex data effectively to diverse audiences.

    Leadership, teams & cultureCareers & education
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.