Cowboy Ventures Partner Prescribes Ozempic Diet For Startups: 'Do More With Less'

Startups may be entering the “age of Ozempic,” according to Aileen Lee, partner at Cowboy Ventures. Lee made the comment at a Bloomberg Technology conference held Thursday, likening the current fiscal tightening in Silicon Valley to the effects of the popular weight loss drug Ozempic.

What Happened: During the conference, Lee suggested that startups, much like individuals on Ozempic, will need to “do more with less and become healthier,” Bizwomen reports. This comes in response to the capital challenges startups have faced since early 2022, when a public market tech rout was brewing and the Federal Reserve started increasing interest rates. The result has been a more selective venture capital ecosystem, making it harder for many founders to raise capital.

See Also: Ozempic, But Without The Needles: Pharma Giants Rush To Bring Weight Loss Drugs In Pill Form

Why It Matters: The analogy to Ozempic is particularly apt given the drug’s recent prominence in the weight loss market. Novo Nordisk NVO, the manufacturer of Ozempic, has seen a surge in demand for the drug due to its effectiveness in weight loss, as reported by Benzinga. However, the drug has also faced scrutiny for potential long-term effects and is being used both “appropriately and inappropriately” for weight loss, according to Dr. Stewart Harris, medical director of the Primary Care Diabetes Support Program at St. Joseph's Healthcare in London, Ont. As Benzinga notes, anyone who takes Ozempic for weight loss would need to continue it for life or risk regaining the weight.

The “age of Ozempic” analogy could serve as a cautionary tale for startups, suggesting that while they may need to do more with less in the current fiscal climate, they should also be mindful of the potential long-term effects of their strategies.

Read Next: Move Over Ozempic, Eli Lilly’s Retratrutide Is The New Weight Loss Champion

Hi, I am the Benzinga Newsbot! I wrote the above article, utilizing the sources I hyperlinked above. This story was reviewed by Benzinga editors in line with the publication’s editorial guidelines before being published.