Meet Venture Leader Andrej Babic and find out which lake inspires great ideas

30.07.2020 08:21, Isabelle Mitchell

Venture Leader Life Sciences Andrej Babic co-founded Adiposs, a biotech startup that develops medical imaging products and technologies for the early detection of cachexia, a fatal body-wasting syndrome. Learn more about Andrej’s expectations for the Boston roadshow and how he gets energized by outdoor sports, great teamwork, and marzipan chocolate.

In November, the Venture Leaders Life Sciences 2020 will embark on their week-long roadshow to accelerate their expansion into the US market and build a business network through meetings with top-notch investors and industry leaders in Boston. To shorten the waiting time, we will introduce you to the members of the Swiss National Startup Team. We asked each entrepreneur to complete a short profile and choose five questions from a questionnaire about their personal and professional life: 

Name: Andrej Babic 
Job title: CEO of Adiposs
Location: Geneva
Nationality: Slovenia
Graduated from: University of Geneva
Number of employees: 3 (as of 07/2020)
First touchpoint with Venturelab: Business Creation Biotech course in February 2019 

“Adiposs is a biotech startup that develops breakthrough products for early detection of body wasting – cachexia.” 

How and where did you come up with the idea for your startup?   
The idea for the startup came whilst working on the brown-fat project as a senior lecturer at the University of Geneva. I understood the potential and impact of this technology from the beginning. The challenge is to bring it to the market. I like challenges like that. 
 
What do you expect from the Venture Leaders roadshow, and how will it help you achieve your vision? 
Adiposs is raising its seed financing round, and the Venture Leaders roadshow is a great opportunity for Adiposs to pitch to top-level US investors and other stakeholders in the biotech and healthcare field. Additionally, it will give us the opportunity to meet the key opinion leaders based in Boston to kick start partnerships for the clinical development of the product in the US. 
 
How and where do you clear your mind? 
Skiing in the Alps in winter and sailing on Lac Leman in summer. Lac Leman is a special place where great ideas take shape after the mind has been cleared. 
 
What is the most rewarding aspect of being a founder? 
The fact that you have the opportunity to develop products that impact and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide: from the idea all the way to commercialization, with everything in between. 
 
Which business person do you admire and why?
I admire Ricardo Semler, a Brazilian businessman known for his highly innovative approach to management and leadership. He puts people before everything else, and I think that is what really makes him a great business leader. One of the most important lessons I have learned as a founder is that the team is the most important thing in any startup. A great team can overcome anything. 
 
What is your favorite movie or show and why? 
Drive. Because it has everything done well: plot, action, aesthetics, cinematography, and music. All that gives the movie a special feel.  
 
What is always in your fridge?
Marzipan chocolate. Unfortunately, it is not always in the fridge because the stock sometimes disappears unusually fast. 

Last but not least, can you show us your workspace? 



For more information and updates on Adiposs and the Venture Leaders Life Sciences, follow the Venture Leaders Life Sciences 2020 team with #VleadersLifeSciences on social media or subscribe to our newsletter. 
 
This year’s Venture Leaders Life Sciences roadshow to Boston is supported by EPF Lausanne, ETH Zurich, Hansjörg Wyss, Kellerhals Carrard, Paul Scherrer Institut, swissnex Boston, University of Zurich, Canton Vaud, YPSOMED, and the Canton of Zurich.