Investor turns broadcaster
While running his biotech-focused investment firm, Brad Loncar often made short videos at trade conferences, interviewing analysts, and CEOs he knew in the industry. He was surprised by the scale of the online reaction when he posted these videos. So, when the industry hit tough times, he decided to switch to broadcasting as a career. “Biotech was tough for a couple of years, and I wasn’t having fun – I was working hard managing a business that wasn’t thriving,” Loncar says. “I said to myself, this is your opportunity to pursue your passion.”
Loncar, who had created two biotech-focused ETFs, sold his firm, and ceased trading in biotech stocks, to ensure impartiality for the new channel. Launched in June 2023, Biotech TV covers news from the industry and provides behind-the-scenes tours of biotech companies. It also offers a separate channel where young people can showcase their biotech research on campus.
Beyond the biotech bubble
After a year as a one-man operation, Loncar is now starting to scale the business. He has hired staff in Philadelphia and San Diego to cover developments in the industry in cities across the nation. He is ambitious about the channel’s reach. While the biotech community might number 100,000, he says, “there’s millions of people who are interested in science – and at the end of the day, I want that audience.”
“There’s millions of people who are interested in science – I want that audience.”
Brad Loncar, founder, Biotech TV
AI pitches demand diligence
As a broadcaster, Loncar now finds himself at the sharp end of daily PR pitches. Often, AI products are presented, with claims of revolutionary potential. “There’s literally a thousand people that have that same story,” he says. “AI will revolutionize a lot of things – and if you’re going to be a successful investor over the next couple of years, you’ve got to figure out how to separate the wheat from the chaff.” Loncar is excited about the potential of the industry. He notes that while CRISPR has achieved mainstream recognition, few appreciate that it is only the start of gene editing technologies.
“If you’re going to be a successful investor over the next couple of years, you’ve got to figure out how to separate the wheat from the chaff.”
Brad Loncar, founder, Biotech TV
