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Jun Axup is the Chief Science Officer and Partner at IndieBio, a prominent biotech accelerator and venture fund. She is a leading biotech investor with a strong scientific background, focusing on early-stage life science companies.
Jun Axup invests in early-stage life science companies across various deep tech sectors. Her investment focus includes synthetic biology, therapeutics, diagnostics, food tech, agritech, biomaterials, and other sustainable technology solutions.
Jun Axup works at IndieBio, a biotech accelerator and venture fund that is part of SOSV. She holds the position of Chief Science Officer and Partner at the organization.
Jun Axup is a distinguished figure in the biotech investment landscape, holding the crucial role of Chief Science Officer and Partner at IndieBio. As part of SOSV, IndieBio stands as a leading accelerator for early-stage life science startups, and Jun Axup is instrumental in shaping its scientific direction and investment strategy. Her responsibilities encompass rigorous scientific due diligence, providing strategic guidance to nascent companies, and making critical investment decisions that propel groundbreaking scientific innovations into viable businesses.
At IndieBio, Jun Axup's investment focus is broad yet deeply specialized, targeting companies that leverage cutting-edge science to solve pressing global challenges. This includes a strong emphasis on synthetic biology, a field where she has significant expertise, as well as therapeutics, diagnostics, and sustainable technologies. She actively seeks out startups developing novel solutions in areas such as food technology, agriculture technology, biomaterials, and advanced drug discovery platforms. Her keen eye for scientific merit and market potential ensures that IndieBio's portfolio is consistently at the forefront of biotech innovation.
Jun Axup's career background is marked by a blend of rigorous academic training and hands-on startup experience. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemical Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, providing her with a robust foundation in complex biological systems and chemical principles. Prior to her current role at IndieBio, she gained valuable experience as a founding scientist at LabGenius, a company at the intersection of machine learning and synthetic biology. This experience equipped her with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by deep tech startups, making her an invaluable mentor and investor.
Throughout her tenure at IndieBio, Jun Axup has been pivotal in identifying and nurturing numerous high-potential companies within the accelerator's diverse portfolio. While specific individual investments are often part of the broader fund's strategy, her scientific leadership has directly contributed to the success stories emerging from IndieBio. She is known for her ability to translate complex scientific concepts into actionable business strategies, guiding founders through the intricate journey from lab bench to market. Her commitment to fostering scientific excellence and entrepreneurial spirit makes her a key driver in the biotech venture capital ecosystem, continually seeking out the next generation of life science breakthroughs.
Jun Axup is a Partner at DCVC and an independent advisor based in San Francisco, California. She previously spent over seven years at SOSV's IndieBio accelerator, rising to Partner and Chief Science Officer to accelerate hundreds of early-stage life sciences companies. Axup manages early-stage investments across venture funds with over $2 billion in total assets under management, backing more than 20 startups in artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and climate technology. She holds a doctorate in chemical biology from The Scripps Research Institute and a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from UC San Diego. Her recent professional activity includes leading a March 2025 investment in an AI drug discovery startup and speaking on deep tech commercialization at TechCrunch Disrupt. Axup currently focuses on bridging deep scientific research with venture capital to scale emerging frontier technologies and therapeutics.
