Announcing the finalists for the 2022 BioBuzz Awards. Vote in 6 Categories for doers making an impact in the BioHealth Capital Region and Greater Philadelphia.
Fifty Years: The Journey from PhD to VC
With the availability of academic positions on the decline, and a boom in startups resulting from disruptive technologies, some PhDs are looking to utilize their unique set of skills in a slightly nontraditional way – venture capitalism (VC). One VC firm, called Fifty Years, has recently concluded its inaugural program (PhD to VC), which aimed at preparing young scientists with the skills needed to jumpstart their VC careers.
Venture capital is a form of private equity financing to startups, early-stage or emerging companies. Venture capitalists take the risk of investing in these companies, in exchange for equity or ownership stake, with the hope that they will be successful. These individuals often operate through venture capital funds such as limited partnerships (LPs). LPs rely heavily on in-house experts with backgrounds (i.e. scientists), business training, and/or industry experience to identify novel/disruptive technologies worth i