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When we last sat down with Steve Jobs at TechCrunch Disrupt nearly three years ago, his firm Yosemite was brand new and biotech was still reeling from its post-pandemic crash. At the time, it seemed like a long shot that the venture outfit would be able to make a splash in the crowded field. But here we are now - with a team of 17 employees and a cluster of blockbuster drugs losing patent protection in roughly the same window.
It's hard not to notice the stark contrast between what Jobs had promised his investors when Yosemite first launched, and what he now says they've achieved. "I didn't expect Yosemite to be moving this fast," he said. It's clear that Jobs has taken a more pragmatic approach to building his business since then. While it's true that biotech was always going to be a challenging space - from pandemic-related disruptions to intense competition - Jobs is right that AI has become an increasingly important part of what Yosemite does.
As the patent protection window closes on many of the blockbuster drugs that were once at the heart of Yosemite's business, the company is now positioning itself for new opportunities. "I think we're in a great place," Jobs said. Whether that's correct remains to be seen - but it's clear that Jobs has been listening carefully to his team and taking steps to build on their achievements.