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Main Sequence Welcomes Dr Jason Whitfield for SynBio Push
Fri, 14th Apr 2023
FYI, this story is more than a year old

Main Sequence, Australia's deep tech investment fund, has announced the addition of Dr. Jason Whitfield to its team. Dr. Whitfield, who was formerly a researcher and manager of UNSW's Synthetic Biology startup accelerator, has joined Main Sequence on secondment from the University of New South Wales.

Gabrielle Munzer, a Partner at Main Sequence, said, "The SynBio opportunity in Australia is at a critical inflection point, and in order to create real impact, we need to elevate the conversation from company building to industry building. Tapping into talent, and deepening how we work with universities is key to unlocking this change."

Munzer added, "Our goal is to continue making our fund purpose-built for deep tech founders, and bringing Jason into the Main Sequence tent is the natural next step in this journey. His experience in this field means he speaks the same language as our founders, helping us to bridge the gap between the entrepreneurial and academic worlds."

Dr. Whitfield expressed his excitement about joining Main Sequence, saying, "I am incredibly excited to join this passionate group of investors and become part of a team focused on unlocking the potential of SynBio to address worldwide challenges. Main Sequence is catalysing a shift in the sector and I am stoked to support them as they continue to build a strong ecosystem of companies and empower more researchers who dare to slip on an entrepreneurial skin."

In addition to Dr. Whitfield's appointment, Main Sequence has also announced that Alezeia Brown and Jun Qu, Senior Associates at the fund, are stepping into new positions as Investment Managers. Main Sequence has invested in several companies in the synthetic biology space, including Samsara Eco, ULUU, Eden Brew, Psylo, and Cauldron.