Varda's Landing, Peter Thiel, & El Segundo: Delian Asparouhov of Founders Fund

Building & investing in biotech, aerospace, and manufacturing, the evolution of Delian's investment strategies, the difference between Khosla Ventures & Founders Fund, the future of El Segundo..

Varda's Landing, Peter Thiel, & the Future of El Segundo: Delian Asparouhov, Founders Fund

Varda’s launch last June was Sourcery’s #1 newsletter of 2023, so naturally, we have to come full cicle and cover its landing with its co-Founder Delian.

In this podcast episode Molly O'Shea interviews Delian Asparouhov, Partner at Founders Fund and co-Founder and President of Varda Space Industries, who dives into his experience building and investing in biotech, aerospace, and manufacturing.

Asparouhov also discusses the evolution of his investment strategies, the difference between Khosla Ventures and Founders Fund, the future of El Segundo, & creating more inclusive deeptech cultures.

Read more on Varda’s Mission, resources, and photos from the journey below.

• → Listen on Spotify

Timestamps

00:00) Preview

(03:03) The Idea Maze That Led to Varda Space Industries

(06:00) The Potential of Low-Earth Orbit Spacecraft

(09:03) Exploring the Economic Viability of Space Manufacturing

(11:15) Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Space Manufacturing

(14:56) On Pharma and Varda's Strategic Business Direction

(20:40) Gravity Research for Space Manufacturing

(25:48) Taking the Plunge into DeepTech: Biotech, Space Tech, & Manufacturing

(28:23) Transitioning from Operator to Investor

(33:31) The Difference Between Khosla Ventures & Founders Fund

(36:58) Miami vs. SF

(40:00) The Future of El Segundo & Creating Inclusive Cultures

(47:06) The Fulfillment of Fatherhood

Companies Mentioned

• Starlink - Satellite internet constellation operated by American aerospace company SpaceX

• Elektrofi - Biopharmaceutical formulation technology company that is revolutionizing the delivery of biologic therapies

• Halozyme - Biopharmaceutical company bringing disruptive solutions to significantly improve patient experiences and outcomes for emerging and established therapies

• TSMC - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company

• Rocketlab - Aerospace manufacturer & launch service provider

Varda’s Mission

Varda Space Industries has recently achieved significant milestones with the launch and landing of its W-1 capsule, as well as the publishing of its scientific research paper on the effect of gravity on small molecules.

The capsule, nicknamed Winnebago-1, was Varda's first spacecraft designed for in-space manufacturing. Launched in June 2023 aboard SpaceX's Transporter-8 mission, the capsule spent over seven months in space, orbiting Earth at ~18,000 mph. This historic mission culminated in the successful landing of the capsule in Utah after producing crystals of Ritonavir, an antiviral drug used to treat HIV/AIDS.

Varda's innovative approach to manufacturing pharmaceuticals in microgravity aims to leverage the unique environment of space that “enables crystallization outcomes that lead to improvements in bioavailability, enhanced physicochemical properties, differentiated intellectual property, and new routes of administration.” The landing in Utah marked a pivotal moment for Varda as it became the first private company to manufacture a product in zero gravity within its spacecraft, setting the stage for future endeavors in orbital material production and reentry.

Resources

• Varda’s Research Paper → Gravity as a Knob for Tuning Particle Size Distributions of Small Molecules, by Kanjakha Pal & Adrian Radocea of Varda Space Industries [American Chemical Society]

• Orbiting drug factory lands in Utah in dawn of a new era [The Salt Lake City Tribune]

• Varda: The Space Drug Factory [Not Boring]

• Making a SPACE factory | Varda [S3]

• LA’s Space Industry is Taking Off [Hello World with Ashlee Vance]

Photos From the Mission