In this series “Meet the people behind Biotech Booster” we introduce you to the passionate people who are involved in our mission.
A big part of our team consists of Biotech Booster business- and impact developers. They operate on a national level within five distinct Thematic Clusters (TC’s) that each represent specific biotech focus areas. Our business- and impact developers collaborate nationally on a daily basis to identify early stage high-potential biotechnology findings. They guide scientists and aspiring entrepreneurs in their journey to transform their ideas into successful biotech businesses so that biotechnology findings have more and a faster positive impact on society.
Name
Eva Moreno Iglesias
What is your role within Biotech Booster?
I am a Business Developer for Biotech Booster at Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. I am part of Thematic Cluster 5, and we focus on Vaccines, Small Molecules and Platform Technologies.
Can you describe your role in a nutshell?
As a Business Developer at Biotech Booster, my primary role involves identifying promising biotech innovations and guiding the teams through the process of creating strong -and hopefully successful- value propositions, to maximize both their commercial impact and societal benefit. I collaborate nationally with academic institutions, research centers and industry stakeholders to scout ideas, assess their potential and promote their successful valorization.
On a daily basis, I work closely with researchers, supporting them in translating their scientific discoveries into marketable solutions. This includes helping them navigate the complexities of commercialization, securing funding, and forging strategic partnerships. Additionally, I collaborate with other business and impact developers from Biotech Booster and my TC5 fellows to continuously assess and refine our selection of biotech projects, ensuring we support innovations that offer the highest impact.
My ultimate goal is to create a bridge between scientists and entrepreneurs with groundbreaking biotech research to reach patients and society.
What motivated you to join Biotech Booster’s mission?
I am excited about the prospect of guiding and coaching founders from the initial stages of ideation to the creation of commercial propositions.
I believe Biotech Booster has the ability to make a real difference by creating a robust ecosystem where researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders collaborate to fast-track biotech innovations.
What do you love most about your role? Pick one thing!
What I love most about my role is the opportunity to work at the intersection of science and business. It’s exciting to see how an idea that usually starts in the lab can evolve into something that could solve critical global challenges. Knowing that I play a part in that journey keeps me very motivated.
You recently joined the team. What are your ambitions and what do you hope to achieve in the coming years?
As a new member of the Biotech Booster team, my ambition is to help accelerate the commercialization of cutting-edge biotech innovations that have the potential to address global health challenges, like increasing access to -better- medicines and vaccines for everyone.
Over the coming years, I aim to build a strong national and international network and guide scientists and entrepreneurs through the process of valorization of ideas, ensuring that the most promising research doesn’t just remain in the lab but makes its way to the market.
If you had a few million to invest in biotech, what type of company would you start yourself or in which company would you invest and why?
If I had a few million to invest in biotech, I would focus on platform technologies that accelerate the development of new compounds. For instance, I would be very keen on investing in a company developing AI-driven drug discovery platforms or next-gen vaccine delivery systems. These technologies have the potential to significantly shorten the timeline from discovery to market, making treatments and vaccines more accessible and scalable.
If you could have dinner with any scientist, living or dead, who would it be, what would you ask them and why?
If I could have dinner with any scientist, it would be Dr. Katalin Karikó, whose pioneering work on mRNA technology laid the foundation for the COVID-19 vaccines. I would ask her: ‘What kept you motivated during the years when your research faced skepticism and limited funding, and how did you maintain your belief in its potential to revolutionize medicine?
Curious about the rest of the people behind Biotech Booster? Keep an eye out on our LinkedIn page or sign up for our newsletter below to stay up-to-date!
