Alex Jiao

Yo, so let me tell you about Alex Jiao. This guy’s a straight-up tech and biotech nerd who’s been crushing it for a while now. He’s from the W22 batch at YC, which already says a lot, YC’s the real deal when it comes to startups. But what’s crazy is his process before that.

Alex started out with a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Washington, dude’s legit smart. Before all this startup stuff, he was deep in the lab, doing stuff with stem cells, tissue engineering, you name it. He’s got serious expertise in stem cell biology, tissue stuff like cardiac and skeletal muscle, and even molecular diagnostics and biopharma. Basically, he’s been at the forefront of biotech innovation for a long time.

Back in 2018, he co-founded Scout (which used to be called Uh-Oh Labs) with Cameron Ball. This isn’t just another health startup, Scout’s working on making diagnostics smarter, more affordable, and way more accessible. Think COVID tests, respiratory tests, STDs, stuff that’s super needed right now. Alex’s vision is about democratizing health testing so everyone, not just big hospitals or labs, can get accurate results quickly and cheap. That’s some real mission-driven shit.

Before Scout, Alex was the boss man at Silene Biotech, a stem cell storage company. He built that from the ground up, then it got bought by Curi Bio, and he stayed on as VP of R&D. So dude’s been through the startup grind, from founding to exit, and now he’s back at it with Scout. His whole thing is about pushing the boundaries of biotech and health tech, making it accessible, and really changing how people do health stuff.

What’s cool about him? It’s his drive to solve real problems, stuff we all deal with but is way too expensive or hard to get. He’s all about making health tests easy, cheap, and reliable, especially for families. That’s his why.

Long story short? Alex Jiao’s a legit innovator who took his deep science background and turned it into a startup that’s actually making a difference. He’s the kind of guy who sees big problems, jumps into them, and doesn’t stop till he’s got a solution that’s better for everyone. That’s why he’s one of the key players in biotech and health tech right now.