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At the Long-Term Stock Exchange, we are dedicated to creating a world where businesses are empowered to achieve lasting impact and long-term prosperity.
To foster meaningful conversations, we curate conversations from an ecosystem of leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.
The Eric Ries Show, a podcast produced by Founder and Chair of LTSE Services, Eric Ries, reflects our mission.
The show features thought-provoking conversations with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others who are working to create a new ecosystem of organizations committed to growth with purpose.
To foster meaningful conversations, we curate conversations from an ecosystem of leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.
The Eric Ries Show, a podcast produced by Founder and Chair of LTSE Services, Eric Ries, reflects our mission.
The show features thought-provoking conversations with world-class technologists, thought leaders, executives, and others who are working to create a new ecosystem of organizations committed to growth with purpose.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this podcast was obtained in part from publicly available sources (including the Eric Ries Show) and not independently verified. The Long-Term Stock Exchange and its affiliated companies do not make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the information and do not sponsor, approve, or endorse any of the content herein, all of which is presented solely for informational and educational purposes. Nothing herein constitutes an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy any security, or a recommendation of any security or trading practice.
Some portions of the podcast may have been edited for the purpose of length or clarity.
From the Eric Ries Show:
How To Raise $125M Pre-Revenue and Why Harder Can Be Easier | Celine Halioua (Loyal)
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In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I'm joined by Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a groundbreaking biotech startup developing drugs to extend dogs' healthspan and lifespan. Celine's journey combines her passion for animals with a bold scientific mission that looks beyond pets to potentially transform human longevity as well.
Our conversation explores:
• Why ambitious, moonshot visions can paradoxically make fundraising and team-building easier
• The critical early pivot that positioned Loyal for its first drug approval
• The undervalued power of listening deeply and asking the right questions
• Loyal's philosophy of exceeding regulatory requirements to build trust and advance the field
• Balancing the startup need for speed with scientific rigor and safety
• How Celine's background led her to focus on the untapped potential of canine longevity
• The competitive advantage of pursuing novel ideas before they become industry trends
• Why founder conviction and scientific expertise were crucial to overcoming skepticism
• Celine's approach to governance and maintaining mission control for the long-term
• Navigating the challenges of Silicon Valley as a female founder in biotech
• The realistic timeline and milestones for Loyal's drug development and approvals
• Building for truly long-term impact beyond conventional startup timelines
• And much more!
—
Brought to you by:
• Vanta – Automate compliance, manage risk, and prove trust—continuously. Save $1,000 today.
• Explo – Explo helps teams deploy customer dashboard portals. Get Started.
—
Where to find Celine Halioua:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinehh/
• X: https://x.com/celinehalioua
• Website: https://www.celinehh.com/
—
Where to find Eric:
• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/
• Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/
• YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow
—
In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(03:29) Early challenges Celine faced promoting Loyal
(08:20) The early pivot that led to Loyal’s first drug approval
(14:50) The importance of listening and asking questions
(15:58) Why you have to love the mission
(18:02) Why a lofty mission makes it easier to gain support
(22:30) Loyal’s commitment to regulatory frameworks—and doing more than required
(29:10) How to balance speed with safety and quality
(34:36) Eric’s startup lesson on speed and compromises
(38:22) How Celine became interested in the biotech space and canine longevity
(47:32) The power of new ideas, and why it’s too late once it’s a trend
(50:28) How Celine’s conviction and scientific expertise drove Loyal’s success
(56:00) Celine’s advice to new founders: go deep
(1:00:15) How and why Celine maintains control of Loyal
(1:07:23) Breaking through the glass ceiling of Silicon Valley
(1:15:50) Challenges of building a long-term company, and Loyal’s real milestones
(1:21:11) The timeline of Loyal’s drug approvals
(1:24:02) Lightning round
—
Referenced:
- Loyal: https://loyal.com/
- The CEO In Search Of The Fountain Of Youth… For Dogs | The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBAHiFmx-io
- Dogs Die Too Soon, but a Possible Drug Could Fix That: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/dogs-die-too-soon-but-a-possible-drug-could-fix-that
- Loyal Receives FDA Acceptance of Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness for Senior Dog Lifespan Extension: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250226676005/en/Loyal-Receives-FDA-Acceptance-of-Reasonable-Expectation-of-Effectiveness-for-Senior-Dog-Lifespan-Extension
- Out of the Crisis #12: Curative founder Fred Turner and Celine Halioua on diagnostic supply chains, scaling up testing, and partnering with government: https://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2020/07/out-of-crisis-12-curative-founder-fred.html
- Laura Deming on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-deming-b255362a/
- The Longevity Fund: https://longevity.vc/
- Researchers Identify Gene Involved in Dog Size: https://www.genome.gov/25520294/2007-release-researchers-identify-gene-involved-in-dog-size
- Caloric Restriction in Humans: Impact on Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Outcomes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3014770/
- Michael Nielsen’s website: https://michaelnielsen.org/
- Navigating Silicon Valley as a Female Founder: https://www.celinehh.com/women-in-sv
- How I raised a $11M seed as a first-time, female, solo founder for a biotech moonshot: https://www.celinehh.com/seed-raise-how-to
- Elizabeth Holmes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes
- A historical perspective on the discovery of statins: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3108295/
- GLP-1 Agonists: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/.
Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Show Notes
In this episode of The Eric Ries Show, I'm joined by Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a groundbreaking biotech startup developing drugs to extend dogs' healthspan and lifespan. Celine's journey combines her passion for animals with a bold scientific mission that looks beyond pets to potentially transform human longevity as well.
Our conversation explores:
• Why ambitious, moonshot visions can paradoxically make fundraising and team-building easier
• The critical early pivot that positioned Loyal for its first drug approval
• The undervalued power of listening deeply and asking the right questions
• Loyal's philosophy of exceeding regulatory requirements to build trust and advance the field
• Balancing the startup need for speed with scientific rigor and safety
• How Celine's background led her to focus on the untapped potential of canine longevity
• The competitive advantage of pursuing novel ideas before they become industry trends
• Why founder conviction and scientific expertise were crucial to overcoming skepticism
• Celine's approach to governance and maintaining mission control for the long-term
• Navigating the challenges of Silicon Valley as a female founder in biotech
• The realistic timeline and milestones for Loyal's drug development and approvals
• Building for truly long-term impact beyond conventional startup timelines
• And much more!
—
Brought to you by:
• Vanta – Automate compliance, manage risk, and prove trust—continuously. Save $1,000 today.
• Explo – Explo helps teams deploy customer dashboard portals. Get Started.
—
Where to find Celine Halioua:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celinehh/
• X: https://x.com/celinehalioua
• Website: https://www.celinehh.com/
—
Where to find Eric:
• Newsletter:https://ericries.carrd.co/
• Podcast:https://ericriesshow.com/
• YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@theericriesshow
—
In This Episode We Cover:
(00:00) Intro
(03:29) Early challenges Celine faced promoting Loyal
(08:20) The early pivot that led to Loyal’s first drug approval
(14:50) The importance of listening and asking questions
(15:58) Why you have to love the mission
(18:02) Why a lofty mission makes it easier to gain support
(22:30) Loyal’s commitment to regulatory frameworks—and doing more than required
(29:10) How to balance speed with safety and quality
(34:36) Eric’s startup lesson on speed and compromises
(38:22) How Celine became interested in the biotech space and canine longevity
(47:32) The power of new ideas, and why it’s too late once it’s a trend
(50:28) How Celine’s conviction and scientific expertise drove Loyal’s success
(56:00) Celine’s advice to new founders: go deep
(1:00:15) How and why Celine maintains control of Loyal
(1:07:23) Breaking through the glass ceiling of Silicon Valley
(1:15:50) Challenges of building a long-term company, and Loyal’s real milestones
(1:21:11) The timeline of Loyal’s drug approvals
(1:24:02) Lightning round
—
Referenced:
- Loyal: https://loyal.com/
- The CEO In Search Of The Fountain Of Youth… For Dogs | The Problem With Jon Stewart Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBAHiFmx-io
- Dogs Die Too Soon, but a Possible Drug Could Fix That: https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/dogs-die-too-soon-but-a-possible-drug-could-fix-that
- Loyal Receives FDA Acceptance of Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness for Senior Dog Lifespan Extension: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250226676005/en/Loyal-Receives-FDA-Acceptance-of-Reasonable-Expectation-of-Effectiveness-for-Senior-Dog-Lifespan-Extension
- Out of the Crisis #12: Curative founder Fred Turner and Celine Halioua on diagnostic supply chains, scaling up testing, and partnering with government: https://www.startuplessonslearned.com/2020/07/out-of-crisis-12-curative-founder-fred.html
- Laura Deming on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-deming-b255362a/
- The Longevity Fund: https://longevity.vc/
- Researchers Identify Gene Involved in Dog Size: https://www.genome.gov/25520294/2007-release-researchers-identify-gene-involved-in-dog-size
- Caloric Restriction in Humans: Impact on Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Outcomes: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3014770/
- Michael Nielsen’s website: https://michaelnielsen.org/
- Navigating Silicon Valley as a Female Founder: https://www.celinehh.com/women-in-sv
- How I raised a $11M seed as a first-time, female, solo founder for a biotech moonshot: https://www.celinehh.com/seed-raise-how-to
- Elizabeth Holmes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Holmes
- A historical perspective on the discovery of statins: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3108295/
- GLP-1 Agonists: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/.
Eric may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Disclaimer
The information is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and nothing contained herein should be construed as investment advice, either on behalf of a particular security or an overall investment strategy. Information about the company is provided by the company, or comes from the companies’ public filings and is not independently verified by LTSE. Neither LTSE nor any of its affiliates makes any recommendation to buy or sell any security or any representation about the financial condition of any company. Statements regarding LTSE-listed companies are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should undertake their own due diligence and carefully evaluate companies before investing. Advice from a securities professional is strongly advised.
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