The ex-scientist with a doctorate in chemistry happens also to have been an investment banker. Left Wall Street, then the lab, to enter venture capital in 1997, just as dotcom and genomics bubbles were inflating. Recently described by a peer as Sand Hill Road ’s “hot hand” in healthcare. Small wonder: funded several of the companies launched by other list-members, including Todd Park, Jonathan Bush. Also CodeRyte. A Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. Has appeared on Forbes Midas List twice.

“Healthcare IT is exploding as an investment sector after years of second tier status.  This is a result of the confluence of several trends. Most importantly, Washington DC has put a spotlight on improving and driving adoption of information technology in medicine, both via the HITECH act with incentives for meaningful use of EMR’s as well as the efforts to evolve the physician payment structure from fee for service (volume) to pay for performance, which will require much more data and therefore better technology.  This has raised the profile of the opportunity space in the eyes of talented entrepreneurs.  Secondly, the success of Athenahealth’s IPO has shown those entrepreneurs that one can be very successful in this sector – a powerful proof point after so many years of primarily mediocre results. As a result healthcare IT is becoming regarded as a vibrant, innovative arena, rich with promise to solve hard problems, have a big impact and create substantive value. This is a beacon for start-ups, dramatically increasing the flow of the best and brightest minds to build great companies, something that is desperately needed in the healthcare sector.”’