Dr. Alessandro Butté | Industrial Impact Podcast | Momenta

Driving Innovation in AI Model-based Bioprocess Development: A Conversation with Dr. Alessandro Butté, CEO of DataHow

Good day, and welcome to episode 233 of Momenta's Industrial Impact podcast! Today, we’re thrilled to host Dr. Alessandro Butté, the CEO and co-founder of DataHow, a pioneering platform for AI Model-based Bioprocess Development. We're especially excited to spotlight Dr. Butté, as Momenta recently led the Series A funding round for DataHow, marking it our 54th portfolio company.

Meet Dr. Alessandro Butté

Dr. Butté boasts an impressive academic and professional background. He earned his MSc. in Chemical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy, followed by a Ph.D. from ETH Zurich in Switzerland. His postdoctoral journey took him to the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, after which he returned to ETH Zurich as a senior scientist and lecturer.

In 2008, Dr. Butté joined Lonza, where he led downstream technologies for small molecules and peptides. Notably, he played a key role in the pilot program to introduce Quality by Design. In 2017, he co-founded DataHow, channeling his vast expertise into revolutionizing bioprocess development with AI. Dr. Butté's contributions to the field are well-documented, with over 90 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals and several patents to his name. In addition to his technical accomplishments, he completed an executive MBA at the University of St. Gallen in 2015.

Join us for this discussion with Dr. Alessandro Butté as we explore the cutting-edge intersections of AI and bioprocess development.

What to Expect in This Episode

In this episode, Dr. Butté will delve into:

• The journey of founding and growing DataHow
• Insights into AI model-based bioprocess development
• His experience with Quality by Design at Lonza
• The impact of Momenta's investment in DataHow
• Future trends in bioprocessing and AI integration

 Discussion Points:

• What would you consider your digital thread (the defining interests and experiences that brought you to this point)?
• One might say you were tailor-made to create DataHow with a deep background in engineering and scale-up manufacturing of life-science products, specifically via bioprocessing. What initially attracted you to this space?
• Our listening audience is well-familiar with traditional discrete and process industry manufacturing. How does bioprocessing differ from these domains?
• This brings us right up to DataHow, which you co-founded in 2017. What inspired the team to start DataHow?
• You describe DataHow as having pioneered the development of hybrid models for bioprocess development, combining hard-coded process knowledge with data-driven AI. In layperson’s terms, what does this mean?
• If one were to measure industries based on their opportunity for digitalization, life sciences would be at the top of the list. What has held back greater adoption of automation and autonomy, and how is DataHow helping your clients accelerate their digital initiatives?
• What have been some of your early wins?
• How do you know when an organization is ready to adopt your solution, and what best practices have you seen in realizing that potential value?
• The industry is at an important crossroads due to reshoring, the energy transition, and labor challenges. What are the key trends you are watching relative to the life-sciences space?
• How do you find Switzerland as a startup nation relative to Data How?
• As we wrap up, I am curious how you maintain your edge as a leader. Any recommendations you would like to highlight?