Bio

Ron Shigeta, Principal

Ron Shigeta PhD
Forward Looking Biotechnology Investor

As Science Officer of the founding team of three that created IndieBio SF, the first Synthetic Biology Accelerator. IndieBio largely sparked the Startup Biotech venture trend with our first class in 2015. 

Operations at IndieBio required versatility and agility.  I designed and handled the build for two labs, and performed primary technical diligence on the entire portfolio.  I created three week sprints to add capabilities to the firm.

In my spare time I teach Food Innovation course at Santa Clara University's Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship;
and Synthetic Biology at Laney College in Oakland, CA.

Acceleration

During the program I helped the startups create scientific plans which optimized value gain over the 3-4 month program. 95% of teams succeeded in meeting technical milestones needed for demo day.  My scientific training was at Princeton, Harvard Med School and Stanford, yet it was stunning how quickly the science could progress with the right mindset. 

The result: IndieBio built a substantial brand and proved it’s thesis that Biotechnology companies could start with a pre-seed of $250,000.  

My 4 years as Chief Science Officer

In the 4 years as Chief Science Officer, I made investments in over 80 companies with the team.  That portfolio was 70% funded, with 50% of the companies filling their seed rounds within 6 months of the program end. As of Q1 2020, Market Cap of the portfolio is ~ $2.2B from $15M deployed investments.

More than our fundraising record, IndieBio SF is well known first money on trends that have become global since. 

News

iAccelerate Portfolio Company Revela is acquired by Oddity.

May 16, 2023

iAccelerate Health and Beauty innovator Revela has been acquired by Oddity, parent to Il Makiage and Spoiled Child.

Read More

Evolution’s Secret Ingredient

June 22, 2021

We exist in a sea of living things, inside us and all around us. There may be a trillion species of microbes on Earth — floating in...

Read More

Protein is the Killer App for Synthetic Biology

June 22, 2021

Engineering pathways is still an art; commercializing the products is a black art. The protein production pathway is a remarkable exception,

Read More