Jon Root

General Partner


      

As a physician, Jon evaluates investments in the medical field with a practitioner’s eye. A common investment criteria when evaluating business opportunities in the biotechnology or medical devices fields is: does this solution meet, or begin to address, an unmet clinical need? Jon goes beyond that: is the innovation easily usable? “The greatest idea in the world will not be successful if it’s not practical to use.”

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About

As a physician, Jon Root evaluates investments in the medical field with a practitioner’s eye. A common investment criteria when evaluating business opportunities in the biotechnology or medical devices fields is: does this solution meet, or begin to address, a critical unmet clinical need? Jon goes beyond that: is the innovation easily usable?  “The greatest idea in the world will not be successful if it’s not practical to use,” says Jon.

Jon joined USVP in 1995 as a Ewing Marion Kauffman Fellow in venture capital. He became a general partner in 1997.  Before USVP, Jon was on the faculty and clinical staff at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City. There he was an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Director of the Neurology-Neurosurgery Special Care Unit. He is board certified in neurology.

“Safety, efficacy and ease of use dictate a doctor’s choice of procedure or therapy,” Jon notes. “Whether it’s treatment for life-threatening pulmonary embolism or novel therapy for cancer, it is critical to address the underlying mechanism of disease and to take into consideration physician and patient input to optimize product design,” Jon adds.

Jon currently serves on the board of directors of USVP portfolio companies Carlsmed, Cleave Therapeutics, Edgewise Therapeutics (EWTX), eFFECTOR Therapeutics (EFTR), HealthJoy, Nuvaira, Okami Medical, Omada Health, Ribon Therapeutics, Route 92 Medical, Silverback Therapeutics (SBTX) and Sparrow Pharmaceuticals.  He is a board observer at Carrot Fertility and Medigate.  Jon is on the board of Inari Medical (NARI), a former USVP portfolio company.  Jon is a former board member of the National Venture Capital Association.  He is on the investment advisory committee of Mission Bay Capital and a panel member of Dartmouth Innovations Accelerator for Cancer External Review Panel.

Jon maintains relationships with leading medical schools on both coasts and enjoys helping entrepreneurs make meaningful connections. He helps entrepreneurs connect with leading specialists to gain input on product design issues.

Jon holds an A.B. in Economics from Dartmouth College, an M.D. from the University of Florida College of Medicine, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.

Jon enjoys golf and hiking with his wife and two sons.