Becoming a Biotech VC: Otello Stampacchia on The Long Run

Today’s guest on The Long Run is Otello Stampacchia.

He’s the founder and managing director of Omega Funds.

Otello Stampacchia, founder, Omega Funds (illustration by Praveen Tipirneni)

Otello started Omega in 2004, and it’s now on Fund VI. Based in Boston, Omega has $1 billion under management, and invests in a wide variety of biotech companies – early stage, later stage, American, European, oncology, immunology, rare disease. There’s a lot going on here, in terms of different fields of science, and different kinds of business challenges at different stages in a company life cycle.

Otello, as you’ll pick up immediately from his accent, was born and raised in Italy. He got his PhD in molecular biology, then figured out what he really wanted to do – apply his scientific curiosity in the world of investments.

Readers of Timmerman Report will have seen Otello’s series of articles on the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s been consistently ahead of the curve. His writing has been a pleasure to edit and publish.

In this conversation, we talk about Otello’s early life influences, the beginning of Omega Funds, and the trends that make this the best time ever to do what he does. At the end, he and I ruminate a bit on luck – how important it is, how much is truly blind luck, and what kinds of fortuitous happenings are more the result of consciously preparing oneself to be in position to receive a lucky break.

Now, before we get started…a word from the sponsor — BIO-Europe.

Today, it’s more important than ever to CONNECT…to work together to discover new vaccines and advance drug development.

The biotech community makes connections at partnering conferences. Now, I don’t travel to many international events in an ordinary year, and I’m definitely not traveling internationally this year. But I’m excited to join BIO-Europe as it’s delivered digitally.

On October 26, I’m moderating a panel on “Innovating the Partnering Future” with Marianne De Backer from Bayer, Paul Stoffels from J&J, and Melanie Saville from CEPI.

Join us by registering at BIOEUROPE.com — use VIP code “LongRun” for $100 Off.

Now, please join me and Otello Stampacchia on The Long Run.