Ep 53: Cradle CEO Stef van Grieken on the State of AI x Bio and Selling SaaS to Pharma

Jacob sits down with Stef van Grieken, Co-Founder & CEO of Cradle. Cradle has raised over $100M from investors like IVP and Index Ventures to build and expand their AI-enabled protein engineering platform. They discuss how Cradle plans to use their new Series B funding, what’s been happening in AI bio, the technical underpinnings of Cradle’s platform, and more. [0:00] Intro[0:22] Cradle Bio's Rapid Growth and AI Innovations[0:53] The State of AI in Drug Development[1:15] Challenges and Opportunities in AI Biospace[2:21] Cradle Bio's Approach to Biologics Development[3:11] AI's Role in Hit Identification and Lead Optimization[7:42] Cradle Bio's Software and Customer Base[10:33] Inside Cradle Bio's Lab and Data Strategy[24:10] Future Directions and Protein Modalities[26:21] Navigating the Pharma SaaS Market[28:48] Challenges in Adopting New Protocols[30:15] Software vs. Service Companies[31:47] Gaps in Drug Development[33:46] Advances in AI and Bio[41:28] Future of Drug Discovery[44:18] Advice for Aspiring Bio Entrepreneurs[48:03] Quickfire Out-Of-Pocket: https://www.outofpocket.health/