Argobio: the venture model building Europe’s next biotech champions

Our guest today is Thierry Laugel, Managing Partner of Kurma & Chairman of Argobio. With a PharmD, PhD in pharmacology, and an INSEAD MBA, Thierry has spent more than two decades bridging cutting-edge science and commercial success—first in pharma R&D, then as co-founder of Kurma Partners, and now leading Argobio’s unique venture-builder model.Since raising €50 million in 2021, Argobio has co-founded and accelerated several companies from top European academic labs. Three of them—Enodia, Laigo Bio, and Elkedonia—have already closed seed rounds totaling more than €43 million, advancing novel platforms in targeted protein degradation, precision membrane protein degraders, and non-hallucinogenic neuroplasticity enhancers for depression. Thierry shares how Argobio reduces execution risk, embeds operational expertise, and turns promising science into investable companies that can compete worldwide. 04:02 Blending pharmacology expertise with business07:50 Vision behind starting Kurma Partners12:53 Launching Argobio to address gaps in European biotech 17:40 What makes the Argobio operational venture builder model unique25:02 Criteria for selecting academic scientific breakthroughs27:34 Changing dynamics of commercializing European research35:30 Europe vs US biotech investment climates37:47 Role of venture studios in Europe’s biotech futureInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: M Ventures: pharma CVC and biotech innovation in 2026Inside Flagship Pioneering's strategy: How this VC turns ideas into biotech giantsVenture capital co-creation: The next big thing in biotech investment?