When Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc got COVID despite being vaccinated and boosted, he tried to fund research for a better solution. What he quickly found out? You can't just write a check in biotech. Regulators require a commercialization plan, and philanthropy doesn't move science through clinical trials or get you a license on university IP. Now, he's bootstrapping a cancer drug platform targeting pancreatic cancer, a disease that kills 90% of its patients, and intentionally waiting to raise from his network until peer-reviewed papers can make his case.

On this episode of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan sits down with Aloe Blacc to talk about what happens when a creator decides to build instead of just invest, how Aloe is watching AI reshape both the biotech and music industries in real time, and his thoughts on who actually wins.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

How he’s navigating a world where credibility is earned in data, not fame

How a University of Houston molecule discovery platform could cut years off drug development timelines

Why he thinks record labels, not artists or AI companies, will ultimately control the economics of AI-generated music

What Suno taught him about prototyping, and why his next album will still be recorded with live musicians

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The musician-turned-biotech-founder waiting to fundraise