In this episode of Founders’ Tales, we sit down with Naren Tallapragada, CEO & Co-Founder of Tessel Bio, a biotech company pioneering virtual tissue models to accelerate the discovery of new treatments for complex chronic diseases. Drawing from a deeply personal motivation and a background spanning physics, engineering, and biology, Naren shares how Tessel Bio is combining AI-driven modeling with experimental biology to identify new therapeutic targets and better understand disease mechanisms.

Tessel Bio’s approach focuses on simulating how human organs behave across different disease states, enabling researchers to predict how interventions may restore healthy function. By integrating computational models with real biological data, the company aims to improve how drug targets are identified and ultimately help bring more effective therapies to patients.

Naren discusses the importance of pursuing difficult scientific challenges, including chronic diseases that impact millions worldwide, and why early conviction in a problem space can create long-term opportunity even when market trends shift. He also shares insights on transitioning from academia into entrepreneurship, emphasizing that the most valuable skill researchers develop is the ability to think critically and identify meaningful problems worth solving.

The conversation explores how AI can be applied beyond chemistry to better understand biological systems, helping researchers determine where interventions can create meaningful therapeutic impact. Naren highlights the importance of generating high-quality biological data and building predictive models that can guide experimental decision-making, reducing uncertainty in drug development.