Challenges leaving academia for startups

Timestamps: 

10:22 - Navigating the Shift from Academia to Startup

16:47 - Innovative Skin Tissue Therapy: The NovoSkin Product

33:53 - Navigating Growth Challenges

41:37 - Investment Journey and Strategies

This episode is part of the Swisspreneur Scale-up Circle content, our curated community of Swiss Series A + founders and operators where you can get operator grade insight.

Episode Summary:

Daniela Marino is the co-founder and CEO of Cutiss, a Swiss late-stage tech bio company developing personalized skin tissue therapies for reconstructive surgery. With a background in biotechnology and years in academia, Daniela transitioned from research into entrepreneurship to bring a breakthrough innovation to patients. Today, Cutiss is advancing through clinical trials, working to turn regenerative science into real-world medical impact.

In this episode, Daniela shares why cutting-edge scientific research often struggles to become companies, what it takes to transition from academia into building a startup, and how Cutiss scaled into a late-stage tech bio through an unconventional path - raising over CHF 100 million without relying on traditional venture capital. Daniela also shares insights on navigating the European regulatory landscape and why Switzerland can be a unique advantage for deep tech founders.

Beyond the business, Daniela reflects on the personal reality of becoming a founder without prior startup experience, including learning the fundamentals while building the company in real time. She talks about the importance of resilience, surrounding yourself with the right people, and leading a growing team through uncertainty. The conversation also touches on the real-world impact of Cutiss’ work - including supporting patients with severe burns, such as victims of the recent Crans-Montana tragedy - and what it means to build a company with a deeply human mission.

The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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