Despite some recent troubles, biotechnology startups are confident about the future, the Guardian reports.
"It sucks Theranos has given us a black eye," Arvind Gupta, the founder of IndieBio tells the Guardian, referring to the embattled blood-testing firm. "But who gives a shit? The truth is still: whoever wins in biology wins the 21st century."
IndieBio recently held a public meeting that showcased its 14 startups, each of which has received $250,000 in funding, but were hoping to raise even more. One startup said it has reprogrammed cancer cells to die while another said it developed fake shrimp from plant material and yet another said it had a cheaper cell assay technology. There's also talk of dinosaur protein gummy bears.
Rohit Sharma, a venture capitalist with True Ventures, tells the Guardian that biotech is currently a safer bet for investors than other tech sectors "In biotech, we're not in the same up and down cadence as the rest of the industries. Companies are more aware of the longevity of their endeavor in biotech," Sharma says. "And behind each cycle of computing there's a bump in biotech, which is just starting now."
"Hype tends to precede the reality in biotech, but the reality does follow," Gupta adds. "Usually."