Ditto Biosciences
Evolutionary therapies for autoimmune disease
Verdict
Ditto Bio has arguably one of the strongest scientific founding teams in the W26 batch — three PhDs with directly relevant expertise in parasite biology, genomics, and computational biology, all of whom worked together at Arcadia Science building exactly this thesis. The science is genuinely novel and defensible. However, this is pre-product, pre-candidate, pre-revenue biotech at the earliest possible stage; the YC model fits awkwardly here as drug discovery requires 7-10 years and $100M+ to reach meaningful milestones. The key risk is not the science or the team — it's whether YC-style velocity and capital structure can work for a company that needs IND filings, not software launches. Worth watching closely if they secure a pharma partnership or name a lead candidate.
Active Founders
Entrepreneurial scientist using evolution to build the next generation of therapeutics for autoimmune disease. UCSF-trained PhD with expertise spanning parasitology, virology, and genomics. Published over 50 scientific papers, and is a coinventor on a patent for anti-CRISPR proteins. Former Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley, and previously led a venture creation team at an early stage biotech company. Motivated by a lifelong fascination with parasites.
Scientist and operator transforming natural proteins into therapies. Trained in evolutionary and developmental biology at Harvard and UC Berkeley, and previously led product development and scientific partnerships as Chief of Staff at an early-stage biotech. Now engineering proteins from viruses, ticks, and worms into first-in-class drugs for autoimmune disease.
I'm a molecular and computational biologist working to revolutionize drug discovery for autoimmune disease. At Ditto, I lead the platform for engineering parasite-derived therapeutics. I hold a PhD in microbiology, genomics, and plant genetics, with a focus on sequencing, high-throughput screening, and computational pipeline development. Published in Nature Microbiology and eLife. Previously at Illumina, DuPont, and an early-stage biotech venture team.