Building a Biotech Spinout: Funding, Commercialisation, and Leading as CEO - with Lluna Gallego Reyes (Vector Bioscience)

In this Start-up Stories episode, Ben Hartley speaks with Lluna Gallego Reyes, CEO and co-founder of Vector Bioscience Cambridge - a University of Cambridge spinout developing AI-enabled “nano-shuttle” drug delivery technology designed to improve targeting and reduce side effects, starting in oncology.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How a university spinout moves from 10+ years of research into a commercial company - and the trade-offs of building a platform technology

• What “non-dilutive funding” enabled for Vector, and how early grants can accelerate team-building and momentum

• How Lluna approached commercialisation as a non-scientist: translating the science into what investors, pharma partners, regulators, and patients need

• What the CEO role really looks like in an early-stage biotech: business development, partnerships, hiring, strategy, and “connecting the science to the outside world”

• How to choose a lead product when your technology can do many things (the “platform problem”)

• Why founder confidence matters - and how Lluna manages imposter syndrome while taking on bigger leadership challenges

• Why founder communities matter, including Lluna’s work co-founding the Cambridge Female Founders Network to reduce isolation and support women-led ventures

• What’s next for Vector: expanding the team and labs, progressing lead candidates, and preparing for their first fundraise

About the guest:
Lluna Gallego Reyes is the CEO and co-founder of Vector Bioscience Cambridge, a biotech spinout from the University of Cambridge. She also co-founded the Cambridge Female Founders Network, supporting a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem.