Fundraising Fox

Eric Steen

Founder

Founder/CSO at Lygos

Hayward, California, United States

FoundedLygos · YC

About

Eric Steen is Co-Founder and CEO of Lygos, a company he helped develop from a university research spinout into a commercial technology platform after its participation in Y Combinator (W15). Under his leadership, the company raised more than $210 million across venture capital, strategic partnerships, government programs, and project financing, established partnerships with Fortune 100 companies and agencies including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, and completed transactions transferring its pilot manufacturing facility to BioMADE and its agricultural and water treatment business to other organizations. With over 15 years of experience commercializing technologies across agriculture, consumer products, advanced materials, and industrial biotechnology, he also invests in and advises founders and companies in biotechnology, climate technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and consumer products.

Founder/CSO at LygosYC W16

Intro paths

YC

Eric went through Y Combinator (Winter 2016) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

→

In turn, Eric can intro founders to Lygos's investors below.

Lygos's investors · 11

10x FoundersMünchen · $270K – $2.7M checksDepartment of Agriculture (USDA)since 2015Department of EnergyWashington · since 2011Fifty YearsSan Francisco · $250K – $2M checksFirst Round CapitalSan Francisco · $1M – $7M checksFundersClubSan Francisco · $250K – $5M checksIA VenturesNew York · $1M – $3M checksLG Technology VenturesSanta ClaraNational Science FoundationAlexandria · since 2014OS FundPark Ridge · $1M – $2M checksY CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2016

Co-founders at Lygos

JA
Jeffrey A. DietrichExecutive Officer, Director

Experience

  1. LygosCEO & Co-foundercurrent2014 — presentEmeryville, CA
  2. LygosCSO & Founder2010 — 2014
  3. IndependentInvestor, Advisor & Venture Buildercurrent2013 — present
  4. Y CombinatorCEO & CoFounder, W152015
  5. Joint Bioenergy Institute, Department of Energy / Lawrence Berkeley National LabFounder, Builder2010 — 2012
  6. University of California, BerkeleyChemical Engineer, Bioengineer2005 — 2010

Skills & more

Venture CreationTechnology CommercializationStrategic PartnershipsCorporate DevelopmentFundraisingEntrepreneurshipOrganizational LeadershipBoard GovernanceBusiness StrategyChange Management

From Eric's professional profile.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Eric Steen?
Eric Steen is Co-Founder and CEO of Lygos, a company he helped develop from a university research spinout into a commercial technology platform after its participation in Y Combinator (W15). Under his leadership, the company raised more than $210 million across venture capital, strategic partnerships, government programs, and project financing, established partnerships with Fortune 100 companies and agencies including the U.S. Departments of Defense, Energy, and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, and completed transactions transferring its pilot manufacturing facility to BioMADE and its agricultural and water treatment business to other organizations. With over 15 years of experience commercializing technologies across agriculture, consumer products, advanced materials, and industrial biotechnology, he also invests in and advises founders and companies in biotechnology, climate technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and consumer products.
Where does Eric Steen work?
Eric Steen is Founder/CSO of Lygos.
What companies did Eric Steen found?
Eric Steen founded Lygos.
Where did Eric Steen go to school?
Eric Steen studied at University of California, Berkeley (PhD, Bioengineering); University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business (Management of Technology); University of California, San Francisco (PhD, Bioengineering).

Founder mafias

Y Combinator mafia9,496

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University of California, Berkeley mafia789

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University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business mafia184

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Ivan ZhouBachelor of Science (B.S.)Founded Decagon +2Wendy JohanssonExecutive Education: Product ManagementFounded Misaludhealth +2Jay ParrishMBAFounded ROME Therapeutics +1Nanxi LiuFounded Nanoly Bioscience +1David HehmanMBAFounded ExitHero +1Patrick SigristVenture Capital Executive ProgramFounded IORQ +1

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Brown University mafia169

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Same school

Also attended University of California, Berkeley1,776

Byron DeeterPartner at Bessemer Venture PartnersSteve WozniakCo-founder of AppleTony XuCo-founder & CEO of DoorDashAravind SrinivasCo-founder & CEO of Perplexity AIAli GhodsiCo-founder & CEO of DatabricksRyan PetersenFounder & CEO of Flexport

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Also attended University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business740

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Douglas CrawfordManaging General Partner at Mission BiocapitalLuke EvninAdvisor at MPM BioImpactCharles White, Ph.D.Principal at Illumina VenturesMatt MaurerInvestor at WVV CapitalAlec NielsenFounder & CEO, Asimov & Venture Partner at Pillar VCStephan ChristgauFounding Partner at EIR Ventures

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Shared employers

Also worked at Lygos3

Brad GillespieManaging Partner at IA VenturesJeffrey DietrichFounder at RarebirdKristy HawkinsCo-Founder & CSO at Antheia, Inc.

Also worked at Y Combinator386

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Also worked at University of California, Berkeley382

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