202. Setting Sail for Biotech Scale: Jenny Rooke Steers Innovators at Genoa Venture

Genoa Ventures founder and managing director Jenny Rooke joins Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez to explore bioconvergence, the expanding frontier where biology meets AI, automation, materials science, and real world business building. Drawing on her journey from physics and genetics to venture capital, Jenny explains why durable bio based companies must pair novel science with clear customer demand, disciplined scale up, and a path to meaningful commercial value. The conversation examines lessons from early synthetic biology, the realities of biomanufacturing at scale, next generation clinical assessment tools, and why founders working between traditional tech and biotech categories need investors who understand both.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and speak with the leaders and innovators using biology to change the world. Biology is the world’s oldest technology, and it can be engineered. So, what are we growing?

Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.messaginglab.com/groweverything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Climate Week, bioliteracy, and biology as a climate solution
• (00:03:00) America’s Living Library Act and the case for sampling public lands
• (00:07:00) State microbes, public engagement, and the future of bioliteracy
• (00:10:00) Erum’s biomanufacturing course and designing food safe colors
• (00:15:00) Introducing Jenny Rooke and Genoa Ventures
• (00:17:00) From physics and genetics to investing in science based companies
• (00:20:00) The Genoa sail: founder autonomy, trust, and avoiding fatal mistakes
• (00:22:00) What defines a bioconvergence company
• (00:24:00) Why biotechnology needs a broader frame than pharma
• (00:26:00) Lessons from synthetic biology’s first wave and the impact of AI
• (00:28:00) Matching company timelines to biology, markets, and venture returns
• (00:29:00) The future of clinical assessment tools and actionable health data
• (00:32:00) Diagnostics, consumer data, and the difference between insight and infotainment
• (00:34:00) Why bio based businesses can offer investors a different risk profile
• (00:37:00) Why industrial biotechnology companies fail and what scale up requires
• (00:40:00) Biomanufacturing, commercial readiness, and Genoa’s newest investment
• (00:42:00) What Genoa is watching across tools, biology, and manufacturing
• (00:45:00) Jenny’s four word credo and the founder mindset
• (00:48:00) Closing reflections on bioconvergence and building the bioeconomy

Links and Resources:

• Genoa Ventures
• Jenny Rooke LinkedIn
• Genoa Ventures LinkedIn
• JPM 2026: Genoa Ventures’ Jenny Rooke on Next-Gen Clinical Assessment Tools
• Graveyard report - First Bite Ventures
• 3 States Have Official State Microbes 
• National Security Commission of Emerging Biotech

Topics Covered:

bioconvergence, deep tech venture capital, synthetic biology investing, biomanufacturing, life science tools, clinical diagnostics, industrial biotech, bioeconomy

Have a question or comment? Message us here:

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Music by: Nihilore 

Production by: Amplafy Media