So that you can become more acquainted with the Thuja team, every newsletter showcases an interview with a team member.
In the spotlight for this edition is Eline van Beest. Eline joined the Thuja team as a venture partner as of 2019. She was the founder of NightBalance, a company developing a treatment for positional sleep apnea. Today she is the Operational Partner at Thuja and she is the CEO of Hybridize Therapeutics.
What is something people in your industry have to deal with that you want to fix?
The CEO role can be incredibly isolating. Everything ultimately falls on your shoulders (especially the nasty things nobody else can fix). There's often no playbook to follow and friends and family don’t understand you. So CEO’s keep on reinventing the wheel, facing the same challenges, and making the same mistakes. I would love to make an effort to change that.
What's the coolest thing you're working on right now?
After spending four years as a Venture Partner, I recently transitioned into the role of Operational Partner at Thuja to do exactly what I described earlier! I’m in the process of setting up the CEO Forum for Thuja’s portfolio companies. The idea is to create a network where CEO’s can share best practices, discuss challenges, and support each other. But we will also add a strong library with case examples and best practices on common topics. Having walked this path myself, I’ve seen how powerful it can be when leaders come together to learn from one another. This community has the potential to amplify our impact, making our CEOs even more succesful.
What are your credentials/past experience, for working in your position?
I began my entrepreneurial journey in 2009 when I founded NightBalance, a TUDelft spin-off that developed a new therapy for sleep apnea. We grew the company into a MedTech scale-up, and in 2018, it was acquired by Philips. Today, I am the CEO of Hybridize Therapeutics, a LUMC spin-off focused on developing RNA-based therapies for kidney diseases. In addition to my role at Thuja, I serve as a Board Member and Treasurer for the Netherlands Academy of Engineering, and I'm involved in various advisory boards and investment committees, including the Deep Tech Fund and the topsector Life Science and Health. My experiences have equipped me with a blend of technical, operational, and strategic skills that I bring to my current role at Thuja.
What are the values that drive you?
Before the pandemic, I made the decision to transition from medtech, and start all over again in a field I knew little about—biotech. I became the CEO of Hybridize, a startup developing RNA-based therapies, even though I’m an engineer by training. Biotech was a leap into the unknown, driven by eagerness to learn and curiosity. But starting all over with a new startup within healthcare, comes from a deep sense of purpose. For me, it’s about using my time and energy to make a difference—changing lives for the better. This mission aligns perfectly with my work at Thuja, where I’m driven by the belief that we can transcend the status quo and create a new standard in healthcare.
One (silly) fact or anecdote about you?
I have never owned a TV - I think it’s a waste of my time! I get my news from the radio while commuting, and I’d rather focus on the things I love. My kids; Bo (10), Linne (6), and Jonas (still a baby) keep me on my toes. I also love kitesurfing, which clears my mind and gives me a thrill. But not having a TV can sometimes put me in awkward situations. Once at a dinner, I was sitting across from a quiet woman, and after everyone shared their impressive stories, I finally asked her what she did for a living. She calmly replied, 'I read the main news on television’ (NOS journaal). Auch!