BioVenture VoiCes with Chris Garabedian Episode 24: Samsara Biocapital's Srini Akkaraju
Aug 11, 2025
Srini Akkaraju, founder and Managing General Partner of Samsara Biocapital and former Genentech scientist, investor and MD–PhD, discusses his journey from academia to industry. He talks about multi-stage, patient-focused investing; lessons learned at Genentech and venture firms; Samsara’s opportunistic evergreen fund model; case studies in deal-making; and views on China and first-in-class innovation.
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From PhD Lab To Genentech By Dumb Luck
- Srini describes his accidental path from an MD-PhD to industry after his PhD advisor launched a startup and later recruiting by David Eversman led him to Genentech.
- That early startup pivot and Felix Baker's seed investment steered Srini from academia toward long-term biotech investing and BD roles.
Genentech Trained Him To Focus On De‑risking Data
- Genentech was Srini's intensive on-the-job school for risk-aware drug development and prioritization.
- He learned to identify the single data points that meaningfully de-risk a program and structure decisions around those inflection points.
Seattle Genetics Taught Patience And Pro Rata Discipline
- Srini recounts co-investing with Baker Brothers in Seattle Genetics in 2003, joining its board and watching it grow to a $35B company over 13 years.
- The 2003 dose-escalation clinical responses (multiple CRs/PRs) validated ADCs and taught him patience and pro rata discipline.
