Genoa Founder Jenny Rooke chats with Endpoints News about investing in biology "beyond biotech"

Biofacturing company Zymergen ( $ZY ) opened 25% above its estimated price on the Nasdaq today - an impressive win for a company that initially struggled to convince investors that its non-therapeutic focus was worth a look. Genoa founder Jenny Rooke saw the promise, however, of blending biology and technology to solve a huge unmet need for cost-effective chemicals and went on to help finance Zymergen’s impressive $42 million Series A in June 2015.

Her experience working with Zymergen taught Rooke that as a lead investor, she could have a big impact driving the group’s strategy and put them on the best possible business development route to capitalize on their mission. Part of that skill set is teaching companies how to best tell their own stories, which isn’t easy for many scientific founders.

“We really try to meet them where they’re at in being able to convey what’s important about their technology and what they want to build as a company and then over the course of the relationship prepare them to tell that story to investors and the world at large,” she said. “There’s a meaningful role to be played as sort of a translator between the business and scientific fundamentals, and the story that people need to hear.”

Read the full article at Endpoints News.