Jonathan co-founded HotSpot Therapeutics in 2017 to pioneer the discovery of medicines targeting regulatory sites on proteins - an approach previously considered undruggable. Under his leadership, HotSpot has advanced multiple programs towards clinical development and established strategic collaborations with industry leaders.

In the summer of 2024, legendary investor Bruce Booth of Atlas Ventures joined our community for an INSIGHT session. While the discussion was focused on the CEO/Board Chair relationship, we also touched on the challenges of building biotech companies in Europe versus the U.S. Building companies in regions with deep talent pools, like Boston, is significantly easier compared to areas where such resources are less concentrated. Additionally, many venture capital firms are based in the U.S., and as Bruce emphasized, having a lead investor or lead director located too far from the company can reduce effectiveness.

As you grow your venture and need U.S. investment, expanding operations across the Atlantic often becomes a strategic necessity, but it throws up many questions and challenges for a Europe based CEO:

• Will a transatlantic company always fall short compared to a U.S.-centric one? Or is there a unique strength in embracing this structure?

• At what point does it make sense to operate across two continents, and what factors should guide your decision?

• How do you build and lead a high-performing transatlantic team?

• How do you establish a foothold in Boston while maintaining personal and professional ties in Europe?

• How do you avoid being the “fish out of water” CEO while navigating the U.S. market?

We look forward to welcoming Jonathan Montagu to host this discussion. Jonathan now leads Boston-based HotSpot Therapeutics from Berlin and in fact relocated there from Boston. His unique background gives him a differentiated perspective on the opportunities and challenges of operating across Europe and the U.S.