BioVenture VoiCes with Chris Garabedian Episode 1: Venrock's Bryan Roberts
Sep 9, 2024
Bryan Roberts, longtime Venrock partner and early-stage healthcare investor, shares stories from the firm’s Rockefeller roots to building a Bay Area presence. He talks portfolio construction, backing first-time founders, differences between bio and health tech timing, views on AI/ML in discovery, and what makes for non-consensus, founder-first investing.
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Broad Early-Stage Focus Pays Off
- Bryan invested broadly across therapeutics, genomics tools, and tech-enabled delivery from his early days.
- He credits early wins like Illumina and AthenaHealth to doing the groundwork and being available when others were not.
Founder Passion Over Pedigree
- Bryan prefers backing first-time CEOs and bets on founder passion and focused intelligence over pedigree.
- He believes teams can iterate to solutions if the founder is driven and the problem is compelling.
Non-Consensus Decision Muscle
- The prior decade's bull market produced few non-consensus decisions, leaving many investors unpracticed in downturns.
- Bryan says making prolonged non-consensus calls requires practice and discipline acquired over time.
