Meet Darja Nelson, Bridgewest Venture’s new biotech commercialisation manager

Darja has spent 10 years in early-stage  commercialisation and development. There's not a lot she hasn't seen when it comes to creating a business based on scientific IP.

She started out studying biomedical science, researching the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease in her master's year. But early on, she learned staying in the lab wasn’t for her. She says, “I thrived learning about many areas of science, but the pathway for most successful academics is to focus in on one area. So, I looked for an alternative career path that allowed me to be involved in a variety of different science projects. That led me to science commercialisation.”

After studying for a second master’s in Bioscience Enterprise at the University of Auckland, a business degree preparing people with a science background to commercialise scientific advances, Darja began her career in intellectual property and commercialisation. She explains:

“IP is about protecting research outputs to maximise their commercial value. But patents are only a small part of that process. It’s about developing a commercialisation strategy for a project from an early stage.”

From start-up life to nurturing other start-ups

Darja worked in intellectual property for a decade before moving into a senior commercialisation manager role at the New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research. There she identified market opportunities and developed business plans to address those needs with the institute’s scientific IP. That's where she first encountered the start-up world and worked alongside a technical founder to create a start-up company, from that first intellectual property disclosure, right through two capital raises.

Joining the Bridgewest team is about giving back. Darja says, “A few years ago, there were plenty of investors, but not a lot of start-up incubators to guide start-ups through their first year and help them create value out of their IP. The New Zealand start-up scene is a lot better now because of businesses like Bridgewest. I got really excited about this role because I've learned so much by working as Chief Commercialisation Officer for a start-up and feeling my own way. Now I want to be a resource to others and help make beginning a start-up a little bit easier.”

“I want to see more women and more diversity in the start-up space. Investment companies and start-up founders can be pretty monocultural, and I’ve a real passion for seeing a more diverse group of people succeed. I want to open the door to people from all backgrounds because that door was opened for me. You only have to look at Bridgewest’s people page to see that diversity is much broader here than the industry norm, and there’s diversity of experience here as well, which is really exciting.”

Strategic guidance and a sounding board for biotech start-up CEOs 

Darja’s role is commercialisation manager for the biotech companies Bridgewest supports. She’ll be looking at new investment opportunities and helping founders prepare a business case for investment. She’ll also be nurturing Bridgewest’s existing biotech investments, providing strategic guidance and connections. Her role is to make start-up CEO’s path smoother by being a sounding board and sharing their load.

She says, “I've been a start-up founder, so I know exactly what they're going through. And because of my business and science training, I speak both languages, and I can be a translator. A lot of start-up CEOs come from the science world, and this is their first real business experience, so I can help them navigate that space.”

Darja is aware how crucial biotech innovation is globally. “Our changing climate means the way we’ve produced food and medicine traditionally may not be sustainable going forward. Biotech holds the solution to a lot of the problems we're facing.”

“Here in New Zealand, we’ve an economy that relies on primary industry for export. As the climate changes, the threat to our economy increases. We're going to have to diversify and find other ways to grow. Biotech holds a real opportunity. There is a depth of research in this country that has largely stayed in the research lab because there haven’t been resources to move it to commercialisation. We’ve an untapped well of biotech potential here in New Zealand, that could help us address climate risks to our economy.”

Integrity, positivity, and an agile environment for experimentation

Darja was drawn to Bridgewest by the people and their values. “I've worked with Bridgewest before and always found they’ve this real integrity and positivity. When I talked to my network about this opportunity, the first thing out of everyone's mouth was, ‘What an amazing team to work with.’ Bridgewest has a team approach that lifts everyone up and that aligns with my values and how I want to work.”

“Another thing that really excites me about Bridgewest is they’re a start-up themselves and they operate like one. It’s an agile environment with all hands on deck, where you end up trying all sorts of things, and that's how I like to work. Obviously their reputation is amazing. They have huge professional expertise in the US, and an extensive network globally, which isn't common for investment groups in New Zealand. But it’s their people who sealed the deal for me.”

“I’ve never worked in venture capital before so I'm really excited about being on the other side of the table, seeing how start-up companies are nurtured, and all the mechanisms that are put in place to help bright, new biotech companies succeed.”

If you’re a biotech start-up founder and you’d like to talk to Darja about your business idea, you can email her at darja.nelson@bridgewest.ventures