Events

In 2003 Todd Zion founded SmartCells based on his PhD thesis work at MIT. Todd had created the first glucose-regulated, injectable insulin formulation. His venture was aimed at developing SmartInsulin and bringing the technology to market to deliver significant benefits in treating diabetes.

Todd took advantage of the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem at MIT and in the region to help navigate through many challenges. The young startup faced near-death more than once from critical issues, both organizational and technical. As CEO, Todd built a team, directed the research and led his team to overcome the challenges. He raised nearly $10M from angel investors and another $10M in government and foundation grants to support basic research and clinical development. In 2010, Merck and Co. acquired SmartCells for over $500M in cash and clinical milestone payments.

In this riveting talk, Todd will provide engineering and science researchers with a first-hand account of the challenges, risks and excitement of starting up a fledgling technology company and the journey to achieve a successful outcome.

We’ll hear about:
– Developing a novel technology within a university laboratory
– Licensing the intellectual property from an academic institution
– Creating a team
– Raising funding
– How to find help and resources
– Identifying and achieving value-creating milestones
– Navigating to a successful acquisition and beyond

 

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