SynBioBeta Speaker
Weston Kightlinger
CEO
Ridge Bio
May 2026, SynBioBeta
Speaker
Weston Kightlinger is a strategic advisor at Sutter Hill Ventures and CEO of Ridge Biotechnologies, a company that is pioneering enzyme and targeted drug design to enable the next generation of precision medicines. Based in Palo Alto, Ridge Bio uses proprietary machine learning models informed by massive datasets generated in-house from cell-free experimentation to equip drug developers with modular systems that improve stability, manufacturability, and therapeutic indices while developing new classes of therapeutics to address difficult targets. Ridge Bio’s current products enable precise enzymatic conjugation (NativeLink enzymes), tissue and tumor microenvironment-specific conditional activation (ProTrigger linkers), and enzyme-based therapeutics (Catalytic Medicines). Key application areas include Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs), Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs), targeted gene therapies, and targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNPs) across several therapeutic indications. Weston completed his PhD and postdoc in Chemical and Biological Engineering working with Mike Jewett (now professor of bioengineering at Stanford) focusing on cell-free enabled characterization and engineering of synthetic enzymatic glycosylation systems. Weston went on to become co-founder and CTO of SwiftScale Biologics (successfully acquired by Resilience, Inc), where he commercialized cell-free protein synthesis for rapid development and manufacturing of therapeutics and vaccines. Weston led the Resilience-Oakland site for 3 years, launching multiple technology offerings including clinical-scale cell-free protein synthesis and a machine-learning guided antibody optimization platform before coming to Sutter Hill Ventures to help build out their biotechnology portfolio as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Weston launched Ridge Bio in 2025 with a round led by Sutter Hill Ventures, one of the oldest VC firms in the US where Weston continues to advise on investments and incubations.
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