Raising Health

In this episode, a16z partners Jorge Conde and Jay Rughani sit down with Sajith Wickramasekara, CEO and cofounder of Benchling, to unpack the evolution of Benchling from idea to transformative software platform. Saji discusses his journey from software engineer to building Benchling and digitizing biotech workflows for industry giants like Sanofi. Together, they also talk about the increasing complexity of biology, the expanding role of AI in drug discovery, and the power of well-structured data. The 21st century isn't just the century of advanced biology—it's also the era of creating tools that supercharge scientific discovery.

Join healthcare expert Dan Rosenthal and a16z Bio + Health general partner Julie Yoo in a deep dive into the evolution of provider networks and their strategic importance in the health insurance ecosystem. Dan discusses how networks are built, managed, and optimized for both cost and quality—including the complexities of payor-provider contracts, the future impact of transparency laws, and opportunities for digital health startups to break into the network space. Dan also explores the possibility of AI-driven, personalized networks, challenging traditional models and paving the way for innovation. Whether you're building a health tech startup or seeking to modernize provider networks, this conversation offers a roadmap for navigating and disrupting healthcare's foundational structures.This episode was originally released in August 2023.

Chris Ellis, CEO and Adam Stevenson, president, both cofounders of Thatch, join Julie Yoo and Jay Rughani of a16z Bio + Health.In early 2020, a new policy called ICHRA altered the insurance market, which had remained largely unchanged for decades. As you’ll hear in the episode, it’s been slow to catch on — but the cofounders of Thatch think it’s a game changer. Together, they discuss these key takeaways:Consumers as a growing class of payor:Traditionally employers shouldered healthcare costs, but now consumers are paying more out of pocket and making purchasing decisions directly for their health coverage.ICHRA represents a major shift, allowing companies to give employees tax-free dollars to shop for personalized health plans.Distributed teams and geographic diversity are creating friction in providing effective healthcare via traditional group plans. Employees may find that certain doctors aren’t covered and plans aren’t tailored to their needs, making ICHRA an increasingly attractive option for employers.The fintech intersectionHow do you make spending healthcare dollars easy, secure, and efficient? By leveraging fintech solutions that ensure employees use healthcare dollars on what matters  most for them.This alignment between fintech and healthcare could enable more flexible, localized plans, with individuals choosing the add-ons that work best for them at that moment in their lives.

Jonathan Lim is the CEO of Erasca, but his career path took him on a fascinating journey from practicing as a surgeon to leading life science companies. In a recent conversation, Lim shared valuable insights about his transition to the biotech world, his leadership experiences, and the lessons he's learned while founding and guiding organizations through high-stakes decision making. Reflecting on a personal trip to the Galapagos Islands, Lim also drew parallels between Darwinian evolution and business. In today’s challenging biotech environment, entrepreneurs need to adapt or die, consistently evolving by reprioritizing, raising funds smartly, and staying agile to survive and thrive. 

In this episode, Vijay Pande and Daisy Wolf of a16z Bio + Health join a16z Podcast host Steph Smith to make a provocative case for why technologists—not just medical professionals—are key to reinventing healthcare. They argue that to transform a sector representing 20% of U.S. GDP, innovation must move beyond curing diseases toward tackling healthcare’s broken systems. By likening the healthcare industry to a logistics challenge, Vijay and Daisy outline how technologists can leverage their expertise in consumer engagement, operational efficiency, and AI to drive the next frontier of health innovation. They also explore high-impact opportunities like improving patient experiences and deploying AI for behavioral change at scale. If you’re ready to explore new paths in healthcare, this episode is essential listening for understanding the powerful role technologists can play in shaping its future.

Marta Bralic Kerns, founder and CEO of Pomelo Care, joins Will Shrank, MD, a16z Bio + Health venture partner.Together, they talk about the innovator’s dilemma with building in the Medicaid space, how Pomelo partners with managed care plans, and the opportunity to potentially lower costs through providing additional support to pregnant women.This is the third episode in our Medicaid Matters series. Listen to previous guests Mark Smith, MD, and Nikita Singareddy in the Raising Health feed.

Nikita Singareddy, cofounder and CEO of Fortuna Health, joins Will Shrank, MD, a16z Bio + Health venture partner.Together, they discuss building a useful and convenient platform for Medicaid enrollees, listening to patient feedback to improve, and the complexities of different states’ Medicaid processes. This is the second episode in our Medicaid Matters series. Listen to previous guest Mark Smith, MD, to hear about Medicaid from a provider's perspective.

Over the next three episodes, we’re going to talk about why Medicaid matters, and the potential for technology to make it easier for enrollees to access and utilize the program. Our first guest is Mark Smith, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF. He was the founding President and former CEO of the California HealthCare Foundation from 1996-2013, which is where he began his work to improve Medicaid. He experienced Medicaid from a provider perspective when he began his residency during the early days of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco in the 1980s. In this interview, he is joined by a16z Bio + Health venture partner Will Shrank, MD. Together, they discuss Mark's time at CHCF, how Medicaid works, and how founders can potentially partner with the Medicaid program. In future episodes, we’ll also hear from Marta Bralic Kerns, founder and CEO of Pomelo Care, and Nikita Singareddy, cofounder and CEO of Fortuna Health. Both companies are directly working with Medicaid patients to make their lives easier.

Vijay Pande, PhD, founding partner of a16z Bio + Health, joins Derrick Harris, host of the AI + a16z podcast. Together, they discuss how computer science has subsumed biotech.

Casey Means, MD, a Stanford-trained physician, cofounder of Levels, and author of the new book Good Energy, joins Vijay Pande,  PhD, founding partner of a16z Bio + Health.Together, they discuss the downsides of physician specialization, the rising tide of chronic illness in the U.S., and how tracking biomarkers might allow people to determine the best nutrition options for their unique physiology. Casey's book is available here.

Greg Meyers, EVP and Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Bristol Myers Squibb, or BMS, joins Jorge Conde, general partner at a16z.This is a follow-up to their 2023 episode, where they discussed how biopharma can adapt to AI. Now, they revisit the conversation to see what’s changed and what hasn’t.Together, they chat through tech as a competitive differentiator for large companies, generative AI for drug development, and what Greg and BMS look for in potential partners. They also highlight the importance of being agile and adaptable while navigating the changing landscape of biotech, providing valuable insights for founders.

Michael Crackower, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Ventus Therapeutics, and Jason Burch, PhD, join Vineeta Agarwala, MD, PhD, general partner at a16z Bio + Health.Together, they talk about how Ventus approaches drug discovery and why they believe we’re in the early stages of small molecule innovation. Specifically, we’ll hear about the ReSOLVE platform, which enables the drug hunting team to more accurately design and iterate on small molecular compounds for therapeutic applications. They also talk about the current candidates in the pipeline and how they’re able to go from idea to IND in record time. 

Bowen Liu, PhD, investing partner, and Surya Ganguli, PhD, venture partner, join Vijay Pande, PhD, general partner of a16z Bio + Health.Together, they detail different methods through which AI could assist drug development, the opportunity for AI to flag new targets and compounds for scientists to investigate, and the science fiction-sounding notion of developing a foundation model that untangles biology.This is an in-depth conversation from three AI experts and biologists, so we’ll also publish the transcript alongside the episode on our website if you want to follow along. 

Bruce Levine, PhD, the Barbara and Edward Netter Professor in Cancer Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania, joins Jorge Conde, general partner, and Ginger Liau, partner at a16z Bio + Health.Bruce talks about how his time working in a lab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia inspired him to work on translational therapies. Together, they also discuss barriers to access for cancer therapeutics and how the fight against cancer is progressing.Additional disclosures for Bruce include:Scientific Advisory Boards: Avectas, Capstan (Chair), Immuneel, Immusoft, In8bio, Ori Biotech, Oxford Biomedica, ThermoFisher Pharma Services, UTC Therapeutics. Scientific Advisor: Kite. Past: Akron, VycellixCo-Founder and equity holder: Tmunity Therapeutics (acquired by Kite), Capstan TherapeuticsBoard of Directors: Alliance for Cancer Gene TherapyConflict of interest is managed in accordance with University of Pennsylvania policy and oversight.

In this episode, a follow-up to our episode Grand Challenges in Healthcare AI, Julie Yoo and Vijay Pande, a16z general partners, answer audience questions about AI applications in healthcare.Together, they dive into cost and implementation challenges, the data landscape, and what the patient experience might look like.If you liked this episode, listen to Grand Challenges in Healthcare AI here or wherever you get your podcasts.

John Crowley, President and CEO of Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), joined Jorge Conde, general partner at a16z Bio + Health.Together, they talk about John’s entry into biotech and his time as a founder, all motivated by his determination to discover and develop a treatment for his children, who have Pompe disease.They also talk about John’s priorities as head of BIO and how that could translate into policy.

Lawrence Ingrassia, author and journalist, joins Vineeta Agarwala, general partner, and Kris Tatiossian, editorial lead at a16z Bio + Health. Together, they discuss Larry's recently published book, A Fatal Inheritance: How A Family Misfortune Revealed A Deadly Medical Mystery. In the book, Larry recounts the story of the p53 cancer suppressor gene, also known as the “guardian of the genome.” Mutations in this gene, which can be inherited, remove a natural tumor defense, making it more likely for an individual to get cancer during their lifetime.He tells the story of the search for this gene and the scientists who unlocked the mystery of high familial incidences of cancer, Drs. Li and Fraumeni. He also shares a more personal aspect of the story: many members of his family inherited Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and suffered from multiple cancers themselves.

Jonathan Swerdlin, cofounder and CEO, and Mark Hyman, MD, cofounder and Chief Medical Officer of Function Health join Vijay Pande, general partner, and Daisy Wolf, investment partner of a16z Bio + Health.Together, they discuss their personal health journeys that led to founding Function, how they’re planning to scale Function, and what the future could look like.

Jonathan Bush, founder and CEO of Zus Health, and Chris Severn, cofounder and CEO of Turquoise Health, join Julie Yoo, general partner, and Colin Rom, head of public policy for a16z Bio + Health.We’ve long believed that regulatory change can be a catalyst for company creation. In this episode, Jonathan and Chris detail how that was true for them. They also outline a few key takeaways for founders hoping to leverage regulatory change themselves.

In this episode, originally recorded for the a16z Podcast, host Steph Smith interviews Pushmeet Kohli, DeepMind's VP of Research focused on AI for science. They are joined by a16z Bio + Health founding partner Vijay Pande.Together, they discuss AI at scale, and its power to transform science.