When Loyal founder Celine Halioua told people she was building a dog longevity startup, they laughed in her face. Now she's running what could be the largest-ever clinical trial to extend canine lifespans — pursuing FDA approval for multiple drugs to help senior and large dogs live two years longer or more.
Celine shares her unusual journey to raising $250 million for a startup that defies easy labels, her Upstart Moment taking her biggest fear head-on, and the example she hopes to set for another generation of women deep tech founders.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro to Celine and Loyal
1:42 Celine’s origins in human longevity
12:44 Breaking Silicon Valley patterns
14:51 The largest clinical trial for pets
18:13 Handling founder highs and lows
20:53 Celine’s Upstart Moment
24:53 Overcoming her biggest fear
30:56 Finding the right people
34:49 Loyal’s healthier future
38:24: Setting a new example
For more, visit https://www.upstartsmedia.com/
Season 1 of the Upstarts Podcast is presented by Mercury: https://mercury.com/
Produced & edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/
