MENLO PARK, CA – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today presented Bob Nelsen, Co-Founder and Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners, with the 2018 Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award at the 2018 NVCA Leadership Gala. Held at the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, CA, the NVCA Leadership Gala celebrates the venture industry and honors those who have made significant contributions to foster innovation, advance technology and drive new company formation.
“One of the great visionary healthcare investors of our time, Bob Nelsen needs no introduction in the venture community,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. “For over two decades, Bob has pushed the envelope in supporting groundbreaking life science companies that have saved lives, improved patient outcomes and transformed society. His commitment to healthcare innovation knows no bounds and we are honored to recognize him for his achievements.”
Robert Nelsen is a co-founder and a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. He joined ARCH at its founding and played a significant role in the early sourcing, financing and development of more than thirty companies, including nineteen which have reached valuations exceeding $1 billion. His seed and early-stage investments include Illumina (ILMN); Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY); Juno Therapeutics (JUNO); Vir Biotechnology, Agios Pharmaceuticals (AGIO); Sage Therapeutics (SAGE); GRAIL, Ikaria; Kythera Biopharmaceuticals (KYTH), Receptos (RCPT); Aviron (AVIR); Denali Therapeutics; Rubius Therapeutics, KSQ Therapeutics, Beam, NetBot; Bluebird Bio (BLUE); R2 Technology; XenoPort (XNPT); Caliper Life Sciences (CALP); Trubion Pharmaceuticals (TRBN); Adolor (ADLR); deCODE Genetics; Array BioPharma (ARRY); Editas (EDIT), IDUN Pharmaceuticals; Classmates.com; Hua Medicine; Fate Therapeutics (FATE); WuxiNextCODE; and Everyday Learning Corporation.
Bob is a director of Vir Bio, GRAIL, Juno Therapeutics, Unity Biotechnology, Denali Therapeutics, Arivale, Syros Pharmaceuticals, and serves as Chairman of Hua Medicine, among others. He previously served as a Trustee of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, the Institute for Systems Biology, and was a director of the National Venture Capital Association. Bob holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.S. from the University of Puget Sound with majors in Economics and Biology.
About the Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award
For over three decades, venture capital has been at the forefront of some of the greatest advancements in medicine, pushing the boundaries of medical innovation and spurring the creation of the biotechnology and medical device industries. The Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award was created to recognize those who have demonstrated a clear commitment to the advancement of healthcare innovation through their investment in and support of groundbreaking medical companies that are working on treatments and cures for the most deadly and costly diseases.
Previous Recipients: Annie Lamont