Geoffrey von Maltzahn

Geoffrey von Maltzahn, PhD, is a biological engineer, inventor, and entrepreneur whose career focuses on the intersection of biology, data science, and artificial intelligence to address challenges in life sciences, chemical sciences, and materials sciences. Von Maltzahn is co-founder and CEO of Lila Sciences, a company dedicated to building scientific superintelligence to advance discovery across multiple scientific domains. Lila Sciences emerged from stealth with $200 million in seed capital and subsequently raised an additional $350 million in Series A funding, bringing total capital to $550 million at a valuation exceeding $1.3 billion. The company developed its core technology and demonstrated proof of concept before its public unveiling, during which time it assembled a team, established its first AI Science Factory in Cambridge, and generated thousands of discoveries.

Von Maltzahn has founded or co-founded companies whose technologies integrate biology and AI to transform human health and sustainability, achieving over $10 billion in public and private market capitalization. He served as founding CEO of Generate:Biomedicines, Tessera Therapeutics, Quotient Therapeutics, and Indigo Ag, and is a co-founder of Sana Biotechnology and Seres Therapeutics. As founding CEO of Tessera Therapeutics, von Maltzahn led the development of its Gene Writing technology. At Indigo, he led the development of the company's plant microbiome platform and the discovery of commercial products including Indigo Cotton, Indigo Wheat, Indigo Corn, and Indigo Soy, which are used on millions of acres. Previously, as chief technology officer of Seres Therapeutics, von Maltzahn led the discovery of SER-109, the first microbiome therapeutic to report positive Phase 3 data.

Von Maltzahn's vision for Lila Sciences centers on reimagining scientific discovery by applying artificial intelligence to every aspect of the scientific method, from generating hypotheses and designing experiments to running them with robotics, learning from results, and iterating continuously. The Lila platform has been used to discover optimal genetic medicine constructs, identify new antibodies and peptides, and uncover novel non-platinum group metal catalysts for green hydrogen production.

Von Maltzahn holds a PhD in biomedical engineering and medical physics from MIT, an MS in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, and an SB in chemical engineering from MIT. He is named inventor on more than 200 patents and patent applications and has co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications. His honors include Business Insider's 30 Biotech Leaders Under 40, the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Graduate Student Prize. Von Maltzahn's inventions have been profiled by the Economist, Scientific American, and Popular Science. He has spoken at major forums including the Milken Institute Global Conference and the Montgomery Summit, addressing the convergence of artificial intelligence and autonomous laboratories in scientific innovation.