Ep. 83: Landscape of Biotech Startups and Investment Trends in China, with Stephen Mallon of Triwise Capital Investment

Stephen "Steve" Mallon studied molecular biology of viral infections and oncology for PhD and post-doc at the University of Chicago before moving to China in 2016 to help start a biotechnology incubator and work for the biomedical team at Triwise Capital Management. His background is in infectious disease and oncology

Triwise Capital Management is a venture capital and private equity fund focused on funding innovative enterprises in the biomedical, technology and clean tech space. They are located in the Nanshan District of Shenzhen and are chaired by Tang DaJie.

Episode Content:
Steve shares why he moved to China in 2016 after spending most of his life in the U.S. and what opportunities brought him to China

• Steve tells us more about Triwise Capital Management and his role in the company
• You helped start a biotechnology incubator here. How’s it working now? What’s the incubating model and what projects came out of it?
• What involvements does the government have in this project? Any support, if any in this incubator project?
• Last year, the industry was shocked by the blood testing startup Theranos that turned out to be mostly a scam. Do you think something like this would happen in China too? Do investors in China have the tools to fully gauge the legitimacy or feasibility of a rising startup?
• What’s your view on the investment trends in biotech?
• Do you think working with big medical or pharmaceutical companies would be a good way for small labs to jump start? What are the pros and cons in working with them?
• What are the things the entrepreneurs should really look out for when starting a new startup that will lower their risk of failing?
• Are you enjoying your time in China? What is your plan in China and what would you recommend others coming out?

Episode Mentions:

Intro

• Join CBC WeChat group
• AppInChina
• Amazon FBA

Interview

• Shenzhen International Institute of Biomedical Research (SIIBR)
• Triwise Capital Management

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Big thanks to our awesome production team Grace, Jessa, Boban, Honey and Verena!