ENTREPRENEUR STORIES
Jason Mellad, founder of Start Codon, tells Catalyst about the three professionals who were integral to his business success
opportunity. Start Codon now gives me the opportunity to pay forward everything I’ve learned over the years to help the next generation of life science entrepreneurs succeed. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that to succeed, it’s important to build a strong network of local partners
completed my PhD in Medicine at the University of Cambridge, but quickly realised that I was an entrepreneur at heart. During my postdoc at King’s College London, together with friends, I started a company called B-stable, which developed a novel, hands-free balance and mobility aid aimed at reducing falls in the elderly. With our business idea, we won the Lion’s Den business plan competition, which offers start-up capital to entrepreneurs. It was here I learned the fundamentals of starting up a company. In 2011, I joined Cambridge Enterprise and worked in tech transfer, helping patent and foster new university innovations and spin-out companies. I then transitioned to Cambridge Epigenetix, where I spent six years, two as CEO, re-focusing the company from selling research reagents into a leading liquid biopsy diagnostic test developer. I led two successful funding rounds, raising a total of $49m investment. When Cambridge Innovation Capital, the Milner Therapeutics Institute and Genentech approached me regarding a new strategic initiative to establish a leading healthcare accelerator in Cambridge, I leapt at the
to support you early on. On 13 May, I invited three colleagues, George Neville-Jones, Lorna Cuddon and Roop Chandwani, to join me as guest speakers at ideaSpace’s event, Basics of Building a Business. George, Lorna and Roop represent three important aspects
in an entrepreneur’s journey, from concept to commercialisation – finance, PR and marketing, and team. From working with
them at various companies, I’ve witnessed the importance of the strategy behind raising
investment, clearly communicating with different audiences, and building a team.
With our business idea, we won the Lion’s Den business plan competition, which offers start-up capital to entrepreneurs"
ISSUE 02 12
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