Up-and-coming LA-based Executive Sree Batchu Shares Insights Into His Work With Foreign Dignitaries And Underrepresented Students

Contrary to the consensus, startup and venture activity in Los Angeles remains resilient and will likely grow.

According to Sree Batchu, head of business development at BioscienceLA, Los Angeles saw a rebound in venture capital investing. “Though it’s far from where we were, this news excites me as I enter this next career stage,” he said.

If it’s your first time hearing about Batchu, that was purposeful in keeping his work under wraps. Only in the recent few years has he sought better ways to connect with the underrepresented students and founders who want in on his impact on the city’s life sciences ecosystem.

“Social media is an asset I underappreciated,” he explained, noting the glamour of his public life is a gateway for thought leadership and deal-making. “For long, I thought I had to keep my life and work separate, but I’ve realized my journey is a cause for people to connect with me.”

Since opening up online, Batchu’s revealed engagements with VCs, celebrities, and government figures such as the U.K.'s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, helping him motivate the students and founders he is assisting.

Pictured are UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (left) and Sree Batchu (right).

“They see me online, and it’s encouraging, I am told,” he shared. “I open my arms and am ready to bring people into my ecosystem, uplifting them so they can get what they need and succeed.”

“I call it sharing prosperity.”

Childhood & Early Career Life:

One of three in an immigrant family, Batchu grew up quickly, working at his family-owned Indian restaurant from sunup to sundown, even on school nights.

“During the quiet periods, we’d do our homework,” Batchu recalled, noting the business was his parents’ way of instilling worth and putting his siblings through engineering and medical school. “Every day, we’d wake up, go to school, take the bus to the restaurant, and work into the night.”

Batchu’s professional career began at the restaurant as well. A passerby later put him on a path to Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where he became employed and played a central role in establishing the Techstars Healthcare Accelerator.

“From thereon, I joined the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and worked alongside Omkar Kulkarni, the Chief Innovation Officer, on a $6.6M FDA-funded medtech accelerator with a primary focus on pediatric device innovation, called CTIP,” he said, adding this role opened the door to work at Biocom California and BioscienceLA.

Impact Through BioscienceLA:

"We've been helping young individuals break into the ecosystem," Batchu explained, pointing to BioFutures, a program within BioscienceLA, the organization tasked with spending $1 million in grant money to catalyze life sciences innovation in Los Angeles and uplift underrepresented students.

So far, Batchu, with the support of Los Angles County Board Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, has placed over 100 students in life sciences roles, with some securing full-time employment and benefits like stock options upon program completion.

"We play a pivotal role in providing hundreds of underrepresented students a sense of belonging and purpose. We're talking about life-changing opportunities,” he said.

Why Batchu’s On Our Watchlist:

BioFutures isn't the sole focus of Batchu; instead, he’s spent much of 2023 liaising with the support offices of governments worldwide, from Korea and Ukraine to Israel, the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, South Korea and the U.K.

Pictured from left to right is Jim Laur, the managing director at Cedars Sinai Health Ventures; Peter Post, the chief representative and director at the Netherlands Business Support Office in Los Angeles; Michael Dooijes, startup liaison at the Consulate General of the Netherlands in San Francisco; Carmine Di Maro, director of One Mind Accelerator; Dave Whelan, CEO at BioscienceLA; Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau, prince of the Netherlands; Rachel Kim, the CEO and founder of My Comma; Pamela Collingwood, the executive director of Global Alliances and senior counsel at Cedars-Sinai Tech Ventures; and Maurice van Tilburg, managing director at Techleapnl.

"Los Angeles witnessed a surge in entrepreneurial activity," Batchu noted, pointing to two standout companies in his ecosystem: Avenda Health, an AI-driven healthcare company that closed a $10 million Series B, and eNavvi, which just partnered with Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs and is raising money with help from BioscienceLA.

"Despite these exciting developments in LA, there is a ton of fragmentation. That's where BioscienceLA and I come in. We're bringing together diverse stakeholders under one roof," he said.

Expectations For 2024:

A capital influx next year shouldn’t be ruled out.

Accordingly, entrepreneurs should hunker down, build and ensure their pitch decks are ready. As for himself, Batchu said he is excited about his 30s and the many paths he may take, including working more in venture capital or starting a business of his own.

“Till that next big move I make, I’ll be sharpening my blades, focusing on what value I can bring to the table and building relationships,” he said.

To connect with Batchu, check out his LinkedIn.