1x22: Building the Future of Biotech

In this episode of Mundo Purever, Bill Derrenger sits down with Javier García Cogorro, Founder of Columbus Venture Partners and one of the leading voices in Spain’s Life Sciences ecosystem. After a 25-year international career at Eli Lilly, Javier took the entrepreneurial leap to build Columbus Venture Partners, a venture capital firm focused on creating and scaling biotech companies. Beyond investment, his work spans industrial innovation, rare disease therapies, philanthropy, and the development of world-class life sciences ecosystems in Spain. In this conversation, Javier shares the lessons learned from his journey as a corporate executive, entrepreneur, investor, and social impact leader. In this episode, we discuss: 🔹Why Javier left a successful 25-year career at Eli Lilly to become an entrepreneur again. 🔹How Columbus Venture Partners was built with a unique model combining venture capital and company creation. 🔹What Javier looks for when evaluating biotech startups and the importance of storytelling, leadership, and coachability. 🔹Why manufacturing and industrial capabilities are critical to the future of biotechnology and healthcare innovation. 🔹How the Columbus Foundation is helping advance treatments for rare and ultra-rare diseases through innovative philanthropic models. 🔹The vision behind the SOKAI Hub and Javier’s ambition to position San Sebastián as a global center for science, technology, and life sciences innovation. A fascinating conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation, investment, leadership, and the power of combining business success with meaningful social impact.