The biotech and pharma industries are rapidly evolving, with mergers and acquisitions driving innovation and growth. As market demands shift, these deals reshape strategies, bolster R&D, and bring groundbreaking therapies to healthcare. With over 35 years of experience, Stephen Sands has guided high-impact transactions that have shaped the biotech …

Vijay Patel is an institutional investor turned corporate venture capitalist. He has spent the last decade at the intersection of finance and healthcare, changing the way CVS Health approaches innovation and strategic investments. His journey from traditional venture capital to leading CVS Health® Ventures has positioned him as a thought leader in …

In an era where breakthrough innovations coexist with concerns over drug affordability, Peter Kolchinsky, founder and Managing Partner at healthcare and life sciences investment manager RA Capital, joins us to shed light on the factors and paths forward. Hercules Capital's Janice Bourque engages with Peter on his No Patient Left Behind initiative, …

Navigating the intricate world of venture debt requires a deep understanding of both the legal landscape and financial imperatives. David Ephraim from Morrison & Foerster brings over two decades of experience to the table, making him a leading authority on structuring deals that align legal precision with business innovation. This episode, hosted b…

Public market investor turned tech visionary, Casey Woo, has spent the last two decades at the forefront of technology and finance, revolutionizing the way high-growth startups approach operations and strategy. His journey from analyzing markets on Wall Street to leading Operators Guild and FOG Ventures has positioned him as a thought leader at the…

In the aftermath of the 2020 biotech surge and its subsequent contraction in 2022, the biotech industry has been characterized by significant volatility. There were 21 biotechnology IPOs in 2022, a notable decrease from the record-breaking 104 IPOs in 2021. To review the highs and lows of 2023 and explore what lies ahead in 2024, distinguished biot…

The gaming and platform industries are dynamic sectors at the intersection of technology and entertainment, constantly evolving to meet the demands of a global audience. In 2022, the revenue from the worldwide gaming market was approximately $347 billion. Ed Lu, a seasoned executive with 23 years of financial and operational experience, has played …

Healthcare and biotech venture capital plays a critical role in funding innovative medical technologies, drug development, and life-saving therapies. These investments drive advancements in healthcare, transforming science into products that improve global patient outcomes. Terry McGuire is a founding partner of Polaris Partners, with over 35 years…

In the dynamic field of life sciences, skillful operators ensure the efficient development of medical innovations, while insightful investors provide crucial capital and strategic guidance. Rich Aldrich's 30+ year career uniquely bridges both sides, having played key roles in founding and managing successful ventures in the industry. Rich Aldrich i…

The healthcare space has long been a transactional one, seeing patients as numbers instead of human relationships. In 2004, Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle began to challenge the status quo and create an entirely new model of care delivery that finally put patients at the center of healthcare. Rushika Fernandopulle is the co-founder and former CEO of Ior…

Successful biotech companies require a capable CFO to guide the company through conducting clinical trials, securing regulatory approvals, establishing scalable production, and adeptly conveying value to healthcare stakeholders. Mark Hahn is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of CFO experience. He is currently the CFO of Verona Pharma, a clini…

The healthcare technology sector has witnessed astonishing growth in investments, skyrocketing from $3 billion pre-pandemic to $29 billion in 2021. Michael Greeley brings invaluable insights to the show as the co-founder and general partner of Flare Capital Partners, a pioneering venture capital firm dedicated to healthcare technology. Before Flare…

Elizabeth Bailey has more than 20 years of experience supporting early-stage startups as a venture capitalist. Today, she is a founding member at RH Capital where she serves as the fund's Managing Director. RH Capital is a women-led, impact venture capital fund that strategically invests in early-stage startups dedicated to revolutionizing women's …

The subscription e-commerce market is expected to grow by $784 billion by 2026. Locus Robotics, a subscription-based mobile robotics and software provider, is a pioneer leading the way in warehouse automation. Dustin Pederson is the Chief Financial Officer of Locus Robotics, a company that supplies over 230 warehouse sites with up to 500 bots per s…

Laureen DeBuono is a highly seasoned CEO, COO, CFO, and Board Member currently serving as Managing Partner at FLG Partners. During her career, she has raised over $2B in financings, led 2 IPOs, and completed over $12B in M&A transactions. In this episode, Hercules Capital's Eddie Lopez and Laureen discuss company restructuring, five qualities CFOs …

In 2006, venture capitalists poured billions into clean energy technologies during Cleantech 1.0, only to lose half of the investments over the next five years. The climate tech investing space has since rebounded and become one of the most popular investment sectors, and new incentives show an exciting opportunity for extended growth over the next…

Scaling a company requires planning, funding, systems, and plenty of grit. Ajay Vashee gained the latter when he became one of the youngest CFOs of a publicly listed company at Dropbox. With the help of his team, Ajay helped scale Dropbox from $45M to nearly $2B in revenue and grow the employee base 30-fold. Ajay later leveraged his experience as a…

The challenges of launching a startup can seem endless when you are just starting out. Truth be told, the magnitude of these challenges will only grow as your business grows. But don’t let this deter you. Derek Andersen understood that the obstacles he was facing in entrepreneurship were not unique to him. This notion led him on his quest to create…

Today we are featuring Marco Zappacosta, co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack. Thumbtack is a modern home management platform that helps homeowners stay up to date on routine maintenance while also connecting them with local service providers who can support with home care. The company was recently acknowledged as one of Fortune's Best Places to Work in…

In a world of continuous innovation, it seems like our healthcare system has been left behind. The hassles of health insurance have become the status quo, and far too many of us have fallen victim to the abhorrent costs of medical services. Few of us have the time or wherewithal to battle with insurance companies or chase down medical providers. So…

Trucking is one of the largest industries in the United States with roughly $800 billion spent annually on trucking services. Despite the high demand for services, 35% of all miles driven by trucking companies are driven empty due to inefficient coordination systems within the industry. Mark Okerstrom, President and Chief Operating Officer of Convo…

Sports and games are a huge part of our lifestyle and culture and will continue to be for generations to come. But how can investors and creators encourage growth and take advantage of this unique market? Investor, founder, and entrepreneur Kai Bond had spent over a decade in the gaming industry when he realized he wanted to approach gaming as an i…

Raj Verma is the CEO at SingleStore, a database management system that helps modern applications be fast, frictionless, and flexible. When Raj started at SingleStore, he was Co-CEO with SingleStore’s founder, Nikita Shamgunov. By building a healthy relationship and friendship with Nikita, Raj was able to lead with the company’s founding principles,…

Christine Tao is the Co-founder and CEO of Sounding Board, a venture-backed startup that recently raised $30 million in Series B funding and has grown four-fold over the past 12 months. Sounding Board’s mission is to help companies develop impactful leaders by leveraging AI-powered pairing technology with a network of leadership coaches. The idea f…

While working in investment banking, Peter Lorimer (Betterment, OnDeck, Bank of America Merrill Lynch) realized that the financial services being offered to everyday people were fundamentally broken. This sparked his interest in FinTech, eventually leading him to the FinTech start-up OnDeck. It was while working at OnDeck that Peter first decided h…

Jenny Bloom (Zapier, MailChimp) recently retired as CFO of Zapier, a technology startup that helps businesses automate their workflows. Jenny has decades of experience working as CFO for bootstrapped tech startups like Zapier and Mailchimp. In this episode of Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital, Eddie Lopez and Jenny Bloom discuss Jenny's experie…

Antonio Nieves (Interior Define, ModCloth, Bonobos) is the CEO of Interior Define, a rapidly expanding digital custom furniture brand. Interior Define is a venture-backed startup based out of Chicago, IL that is changing the way people shop for high-quality furniture online. In this episode of Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital, Antonio joins Ca…

Alan Fuhrman (Esperion Therapeutics, SpringWorks Therapeutics, Checkmate Pharmaceuticals) has 25+ years of executive financial experience in biotechnology, medical devices, and technology services. He has experience in a wide variety of both public and private company financial transactions and offers valuable insight for finance professionals in b…

Servaes Tholen (Grove, Thumbtack, UpWork, eBay) is a financial operator with a wealth of experience leading cross-functional teams. After holding various financial positions at eBay, including CFO of the North America business unit, Servaes moved on to work with smaller, dual-purpose startups with social missions. In today’s episode, Servaes joins …

Greg Henry (Couchbase, ServiceNow, GE Healthcare) is a finance leader with 20+ years of experience leading global growth and financial operations within the technology industry. In this episode, Henry joins Catherine Jhung to discuss taking Couchbase public in July 2021, what Henry learned from a fourteen-month consent decree at GE Healthcare, advi…

David Lapter (Dashlane, MakeSpace, Fab.com, KickApps) is a seasoned executive of venture-backed start-ups with over 12 years of experience leading finance and business operations at various ventures in the US and Europe. In this episode of Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital, Lapter joins Catherine Jhung to discuss how to be a master delegator as…

Charly Kevers (Carta, Lending Club, Salesforce, HP) is the CFO at Carta, a company that is building infrastructure for the private market in the form of cap tables, valuations, and private equity plans. Carta also powers CartaX, a private stock exchange that facilitates private company and private fund transactions. In this episode of Ventured Grow…

Spencer Punter (DCVC, Axway Appcelerator, SnapLogic) has over two decades of experience in Silicon Valley. Starting as an investment banker, Punter moved on to become a venture capitalist, an entrepreneur, a manager of a venture capital fund of funds, and eventually a CFO/COO of venture-backed enterprise SaaS companies. In this episode of Ventured …

Adriel Lares (Stash, Fastly, 3PAR) is one of the tech industry’s most accomplished financial leaders. In this episode of Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital, Lares joins Catherine Jhung to discuss how he conceptualizes the work he does as a CFO, what it takes to manage a complex, rapidly growing company, the importance of visibility and diversity…

Welcome to Ventured Growth with Hercules Capital! In this introductory episode, host Catherine Jhung shares the intentions behind the podcast and what listeners can expect in forthcoming episodes. Want to Connect? Reach out to us online! Website – https://www.htgc.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/hercules-capital/…