Global challenges in pharmaceuticals, climate, agriculture, and computation are becoming increasingly complex, requiring strategic solutions that extend beyond conventional approaches. To address these pressing issues, there is a critical need for innovations that bridges the gap between scientific discoveries and real-world impact. Deep Science Ventures, a London-based company, is leading this effort, merging entrepreneurial scientists with advanced technologies to create impactful ventures that tackle these challenges head-on, improving lives and the planet as a whole.

Among the leaders driving this mission is Kerstin Papenfuss, Director Pharma at Deep Science Ventures. With over a decade of experience in oncology, biotechnology, and the pharmaceutical markets, she plays a key role in shaping ventures that deliver novel therapeutics for unmet medical needs. Recognized with the Women in Business Award from her business school and the Biobeat Rising Star Award in the biotech industry, Kerstin exemplifies the qualities of an inspiring female business leader.

Tell us about your educational journey? How did your time at the Imperial College, London shape your professional and personal growth?

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Molecular Life Science and a Master's degree in the same field from the University of Lübeck in Germany. After that, I began my PhD research at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, focusing on Tumour Immunology. During my PhD, I transitioned to Imperial College London to complete my research. In 2017, while working full-time, I decided to further my skills by pursuing an Executive MBA at Bayes Business School, London.

Imperial College London played a key role in shaping both my professional and personal growth. As a PhD student, I had a lot of freedom, which really pushed me to develop scientific creativity. I not only designed my own experiments but also took the lead on organizing a major lab move from Heidelberg to London. I also had the chance to be involved in the patenting process for some of my findings, which taught me a lot about the practical side of scientific discovery. More than anything, pursuing a PhD comes with many challenges, and Imperial taught me the resilience to overcome them.

In addition, Imperial placed a strong emphasis on soft skills, offering courses that prepared us for careers both in academia and beyond. These experiences helped me develop holistically; making me more adaptable and better prepared for rest of the journey.

"My experiences at imperial helped me develop holistically; making me more adaptable and better prepared for rest of the journey"

Share highlights from your professional journey in healthcare and pharma, including key milestones.

I started my professional journey in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector at LifeArc and the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, before moving on to Deep Science Ventures. At LifeArc, I was part of the due diligence group, which helped me understand the factors that must align for scientific discoveries to have a meaningful patient impact. Driven by a passion for advancing patient care, I built and managed the due diligence team, focusing on novel drug targets, managing pre-competitive alliances with major pharmaceutical partners, and exploring diagnostics.

At the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, I led the commercialization of research, which deepened my understanding of leveraging biological concepts to address complex health challenges and fueled my passion for novel cell and gene therapies. I became particularly passionate about their potential to cure cancers or employ gene therapies to help children with genetic disorders that would otherwise be fatal. As I worked to transform these concepts into innovative cures, I recognized the inherent complexity of the commercialization process, but the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult equipped me with the skills and knowledge to navigate these challenges effectively.

Introduce us to Deep Science Ventures and outline your key roles and responsibilities as its Director.

At Deep Science Ventures, we create high-impact ventures by combining scientific knowledge with entrepreneurial scientists. Our mission is to build a future where humanity and the planet thrive. We focus on four key sectors: Pharmaceuticals, Climate, Agriculture, and Computation, tackling their defining challenges through a first principles approach and partnerships with leading institutions.

My role at Deep Science Ventures encompasses four key areas. First, within Deep Science Ventures, I lead new venture creation. This involves generating ideas for novel start-ups and managing our active portfolio. Second, I work closely with existing start-ups to help them launch successfully, providing business and strategic advice, assisting with fundraising efforts, and supporting personal development for the team members involved. Third, I focus on business development, actively seeking partners to fund the company creation process in targeted sectors. Additionally, I contribute to the overall growth of Deep Science Ventures by helping to shape the company’s strategy and vision.

What major challenges do you face as a business leader, and how do you overcome them?

At Deep Science Ventures, we are focused on building deep tech companies from scratch. One of the biggest challenges I've encountered in the past five years is the skepticism around our approach, with many saying, "This is not how you build companies." Despite this, I believe in our methods and have successfully applied them to create companies. Early on, this external feedback affected my confidence. But as our portfolio grew and began proving the effectiveness of our strategy, others started recognizing its value.

Overcoming this scepticism required me to build internal confidence, especially in the face of the fear of failure. Instead of focusing solely on outcomes, I shifted my mindset to embrace the process of building. I realized that even if a venture doesn’t succeed, the lessons learned along the way are invaluable.

As a female leader, ensuring my voice is heard in meetings dominated by men has been a challenge that I have successfully navigated. I achieved this by cultivating a strong, confident presence and gravitas, which enabled me to assert myself, articulate my vision, and communicate my ideas with clarity and conviction.

What are your biggest professional wins, and what is your success mantra as a leader?

One of my biggest wins has been building Deep Science Ventures from a dream into a reality, aiming to transform how we create companies. I initially developed the pharma sector single-handedly, launching three startups simultaneously while attracting new talent and managing a portfolio of seven companies. This multifaceted approach is something I take immense pride in.

Witnessing the progress of the companies we built just a few years ago has been incredibly rewarding. For instance, Neobe Therapeutics, which we established four years ago, has generated groundbreaking preclinical data demonstrating curative effects with its novel therapeutic approach. Another highlight is working with Antiverse, a company I started collaborating with when it was two months from running out of funds. After completely overhauling its strategy and expanding the team to 25 members, we recently secured a significant funding round.

While I don’t have a strict mantra, I often remind myself that "this too shall pass." My optimism and resilience shape my belief that things generally work out. I've learned the importance of initiating multiple projects and accept that "no" is often the default; if you don’t ask, you won’t receive. Although not every effort leads to success, pursuing a variety of initiatives has yielded many positive outcomes. Ultimately, I focus on diversifying my efforts rather than putting all my eggs in one basket.