SynBioBeta 2026 Speaker

Per Falholt

21st.BIO

CSO, Co-founder

Per Falholt is a Danish chemical engineer with more than 40 years of experience in industrial biotechnology and innovation. He spent over three decades at Novo Nordisk and Novozymes, where he held senior leadership roles, including EVP of R&D, and was responsible for global research centers and the successful launch of around 200 new enzyme products across multiple industries.

Since 2016, he has co-founded several biotech companies, including Bactolife, Lactobio (sold to Lโ€™Orรฉal in 2023), ExelCyte, and 21st.BIO, where he serves as co-founder of a fast-growing Danish-American biotech firm. He is also an inventor on ~15 patents and contributed to pioneering enzyme technologies, large-scale protein production, and the application of CRISPR and other advanced biotech tools.

Falholt has served as Chairman of DTUโ€™s Board (2012โ€“2020) and currently holds board positions at Danfoss, Co-Ro, and several biotech ventures, as well as advisory roles at DTU and international life science companies.

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Blue watercolor illustration of a folded protein structure
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Blue watercolor splatter
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Reagan

Jarvis

Anocca AB

CEO, Co-founder

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Alex

Rives

CZI Biohub

Head of Science

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Karenโ€ฏ

Akinsanya

Schrodinger

President, R&D โ€“ Therapeutics

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Christopher

Arendt

Takeda

CSO, Head of Research

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Stef

van Grieken

Cradle

CEO

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Michael

Koeris

DARPA

Director, BTO

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Jennifer

Dionne

Pumpkinseed

CEO

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Daniyal

Hussain

GSK

Exec. Dir., Tech BD

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Cynthia

Hong

Novartis

Dir., Search & Evaluation

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Sarah Lynn

Tao

CSL Behring

Sr. Dir., S&E; Ig TA & Tech Lead

Blue watercolor illustration of a folded protein structure
Blue watercolor illustration of a folded protein structure
Blue watercolor illustration of a folded protein structure
Blue watercolor illustration of a folded protein structure
Blue watercolor illustration of a folded protein structure

SynBioBeta 2027 May 3-6, San Jose, California