Since 2018, Molecule has been at the forefront of decentralized science (DeSci). By helping to build the first biotech DAO - VitaDAO - and by creating core DeSci infrastructure like the IP-NFT framewo
9 min read
Tyler Golato
The first biotech DAO accelerator
Since 2018, Molecule has been at the forefront of decentralized science (DeSci). By helping to build the first biotech DAO - VitaDAO - and by creating core DeSci infrastructure like the IP-NFT framework we have laid the foundation for the next generation of builders in DeSci to emerge and reshape the life sciences. Through this process, Molecule and the DeSci community have learned a tremendous amount about building at the intersection of web3 and bio.
Opening the Biotech DAO Playbook
We want to open-source this knowledge and are excited to share and scale our learnings and frameworks with the broader ecosystem by offering hands-on builder support and funding to ambitious DAO-builders shaping the future of decentralized science.
Building a DAO in web3 is hard. Developing a value proposition and value accrual mechanism for DAOs is materially different from building a startup. Choosing the right technical infrastructure to build on can be daunting and confusing. Navigating the regulatory complexity of building a DAO is almost an art. Tokenomics and governance have evolved considerably over time and builders need to be constantly aware of the new DeFi trends and potential vulnerabilities.
Building a biotech organisation is equally hard. Builders in biotech require significant domain expertise, a strong network, an understanding of disease areas and patient needs, knowledge of intellectual property and licensing frameworks, and a fundamental understanding of successful execution and commercialisation patterns in biotech.
We realised that building a biotech DAO is ULTRA hard. Simultaneously, we saw the immense potential that these new organisational forms hold for humanity. For the first time showing a viable pathway for medicines to be openly and democratically developed and owned.
Announcing bio.xyz, a biotech DAO and DeSci launchpad that will fund and support future builders in decentralized science and biotech. bio.xyz will provide funding for DAOs working on a range of therapeutic areas and scientific domains, access to whitelabel frameworks and resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Our goal is to enable biotech DAOs to take full advantage of web3 and decentralized intellectual property frameworks like the IP-NFT, enabling them to fund, govern, and develop intellectual property emerging from universities, laboratories and biotech companies across the globe.
bio.xyz will be governed and owned by its members. It takes foundational stakes in program DAOs and manages those via its community multi-sig. By committing to shared governance with the DAOs we support, our goal is to create shared public infrastructure for network effects across the DeSci ecosystem. Thus, bio.xyz is more than an accelerator for biotech DAOs and DeSci projects - it is also a tokenized DeSci Meta-governance layer, shared infrastructure, a DAO of DAOs.
About the author
Tyler Golato
I am a scientist, founder, investor, musician, and visual artist - mainly a curious person struggling to balance my interests. Currently, I work as a partner at Triplicate, an early-stage investment firm promoting the deinstitutionalization of science. We are interested in supporting teams that accelerate independent scientific discovery.
Program Structure: A Petri-dish for DeSci Innovation
For builders, bio.xyz is an 18 week hands-on experimental program organized into 3 foundational milestones, culminating in the public launch of a series of new biotech DAOs.
Quick Facts
18 weeks of dedicated support from the bio.xyz network and Molecule
Suite of technical frameworks and resources to get your biotech DAO to launch
Shared governance rights in bio.xyz
$100,000 USDC WAGMI grant
Our community will provide you funding, regulatory support, technical support, community support - but more importantly: commitment to build.
We will strive to funnel the brightest and most committed biotech and web3 builders into our DAOs because we know that together we are going to make it.
Customizable modules on building a biotech DAO
Building a sustainable biotech DAO requires deep domain expertise in both biotech organizational processes and web3. This first module will explore how biotech DAOs can generate sustainable value accrual mechanisms through building IP portfolios and networks of researchers and how these mechanisms form a symbiosis with web3 tokenomics, governance, and organizational design.
DAO Legal Defense Protocol
We help demystify the most complex elements of starting a DAO, such as important regulatory questions and hurdles, implementing a DAO legal defense protocol and tooling that helps simplify everything from incorporation, structuring, contract signing, and IP-NFT integration.
Technical IP-NFT Integrations
Intellectual property is the core value driver in sustainable biotech DAOs. We provide everything you need to mint, transfer, and sell IP-NFTs using the Molecule tech stack.
Governance and Operations Support
We provide proven governance frameworks, battle-tested for success. We help simplify DAO operations and accounting through a network of frameworks and operators.
Community Building
We help you go from 0 to 1000 with the right tools and people, and a special focus on helping you build a strong network of academics relevant to your therapeutic or scientific area of interest.
Dealflow Process Implementation
We turn sourcing, evaluation, and dealmaking into a standardized and replicable process with custom tools and whitelabelled frameworks for deal flow management, standardized agreements, and licensing and negotiation support.
Custom Tokenomics, Incentive Programs, and Fundraising
We design and enable sustainable token economies for long-lasting scientific organizations, plus access to visionary and patient capital from our network.
Plugging into Web3 and DeFi
We provide liquidity avenues, partnerships and awareness to make sure your DAO is web3-compliant and cutting edge.
Branding and Design
Branding and identity are key to communicating a credible and reputable organization. Our network of designers and brand identity experts will help you create the best possible identity for your organization to cultivate a sense of trust and professionalism with researchers and your broader community.
WAGMI Grant and Milestones
We provide DeSci DAOs with a $100,000 USDC on-chain WAGMI grant into a multi-sig wallet on Ethereum controlled by members of your founding team and members of bio.xyz. Every 6 weeks, 1/3 of the grant is automatically released provided your DAO meets measurable (in some cases on-chain) milestones set upon grant issuance.
A portion of the grant converts into your DAO’s governance tokens issued to bio.xyz so that members of bio.xyz can vote in your DAO, helping to ensure your DAO’s ownership is decentralized from day zero.
First Cohort
The program will operate in cohorts of 4-5 biotech DAOs. We are extremely excited to announce four members of our first cohort:
AthenaDAO is a decentralized collective to fund women’s reproductive health research & drug discovery.
In our view, the first bio.xyz cohort represents some of the most credible and exciting projects in DeSci, complemented by extraordinary teams and strong academic communities. We are extremely excited to support them on their journey to change their respective therapeutic areas for the better!
Contributors and Mentors
A core goal with bio.xyz is to build a large community of contributors, mentors, scientists, and builders, working together to collaboratively create the future of DeSci. We are actively looking for mentors in dealflow, scientific diligence, governance, tokenomics, legal, Web3/DeFi, and community. Mentors in the program will be rewarded with governance stakes. Applications are open now for the program.
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The future of biotech DAOs is bright
We are excited to work closely with the next generation of biotech DAO builders! We’d be thrilled to hear from you.
For more information on the program, please visit the FAQ here. Applications for the second cohort are opening December 2022.
