Entrepreneurial Experiences
Transcend Medical CEO - Brian Walsh
"Having the support of a top-tier venture capital firm like LVP has been a real asset for Transcend. The incredible breadth of strategic and operational experience of Pat and the LVP partners covers many of the issues that a medical technology company faces over the course of their development, starting from R&D all the way through large clinical research programs and commercialization. At Transcend, we are developing new technologies to treat glaucoma; but beyond that, we are committed to creating a new therapy class that has the potential to change how glaucoma is managed. To achieve this vision requires a range of expertise that Dr. Peter Fitzgerald and Steve Salmon have brought to the table."
Revascular Therapeutics - Founder/Chairman Carl Simpson
"As with any first investment for a start-up company, you go first to the people you trust and know. I have known Peter and Pat for years, so we presented the Revascular Therapeutics plan to them first. Peter is an active interventional cardiologist, so he recognized the value of the technology as solving a key unmet clinical need in interventional medicine. Working with LVP on this venture I was impressed with their thinking from the standpoint of intuitively seeing the positive attributes of such a product and understanding how to deal with the weaker aspects in order to build a successful company. With the network that Pat and Peter have developed over the years, the due diligence was sophisticated and helpful, and we were able to close the financing very rapidly. An important aspect to realize as an entrepreneur, is that you want 'smart money' around the table as the company moves forward. Having a very experienced board and investors to work with adds tremendous value to a start-up company."
Pulmonx CEO - Michael Baker
"It's an old, and sometimes overused adage, that the best venture investors bring a great deal more than money to a company. Latterell Venture Partners support of Pulmonx is an excellent example of just how true the adage is in actual practice.
A couple of years ago at a time when most other venture investors were retrenching, LVP had the industry expertise and creative insight to see the potential of making a significant strategic investment in the pulmonary space. That key investment set the stage for Pulmonx to be the first company to commercialize a device therapy for emphysema and has positioned Pulmonx as the emerging leader in the Interventional Pulmonology market.
As the CEO of Pulmonx, I've found their seasoned team to be an excellent sounding board in strategy and business development, and their broad network of contacts to be a tremendous resource in recruiting and fundraising."
Proteolix Founder/CEO - Phil Whitcome
"The most critical component to any successful start-up is people, whether technical, operational, or financial. Who invests is as important as what or how much is invested. In starting Proteolix, we sought out investors whose contributions to the company would extend far beyond their role as a source of capital. The partners at LVP have a proven track record of building successful companies founded on innovative science. Pat, Jim and the LVP team possess a rare blend of scientific sophistication and successful commercial development that is essential for success in biotechnology. The partners have a compelling combination of scientific depth and personal insights which are crucial to the cultivation and nurturing of an evolving enterprise from its inception to commercial success. Their expertise and perspective have been an invaluable resource in positioning and guiding Proteolix toward commercial success. In seeking supportive investors who will invest both the time and intellectual capital to understand your business, and help guide and refine your commercial strategy, Latterell Venture Partners should be your first stop."
Pathway Chairman/CEO - Paul Buckman
In my experience, LVP resides in the top tier of med tech venture capital firms and I find them highly valuable to partner with. From a medical device perspective, Pat, Peter, and Steve offer a unique combination of skills that are extremely useful to any early stage company, management team and board. Their collective experience covers a very broad spectrum including device concept creation, development, and clinical utilization, as well as technology evaluation and investment participation in all phases of the company life cycle. I've been fortunate to work with both Peter and Steve for the past 15 years, and the confidence and trust which I have gained in their counsel over that time truly distinguishes LVP as a business partner from my perspective.
Ovalis Founder/President - Ronald Jabba
"A key aspect to successfully starting and growing a company is selecting the right investors. We believe that LVP has the right combination of expertise; technical, clinical, financial and business skills to invest in and grow a company. Steve has been an invaluable partner, assisting with matters such as intellectual property and offering his guidance on a broad array of technical and strategic issues. Steve's founding experience with his own startup has been a tremendous asset for us, especially in the early stage of our company. Peter Fitzgerald's depth of knowledge in the medical device field, particularly as it relates to clinical and technical matters, is a high value critical contribution and a necessity at all stages of a company's growth. Latterell Venture Partners understands what is necessary to build successful companies."
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Founder - Dr. Michael Clarke
"Working with Latterell Venture Partners has been great. Without them, we would not have been able to develop our spin-off company from the University of Michigan. The LVP partners were instrumental in helping us to develop a cogent business plan, identify a fabulous group of investors, and put a first-class company together. The result is a focused company poised for success!"
Meritage and Evoke Pharma Founder/Chairman - Cam Garner
"I have started two companies with LVP and highly recommend them to anyone desiring savvy, helpful investors. The most overlooked component in building a successful company is choosing the right financial partners. LVP is an exceptional partner when it comes to building a company. Their Partners have strong technical backgrounds, but more importantly to me, they have real world operating experience. Additionally, they do a great job of working with management and supporting their efforts in creating a successful outcome. Given my experience with LVP, and the speed at which they can operate, they are always one of the first calls I make when seeking financing for a new venture."
Cell Biosciences/Protein Simple Founding CEO - Linda Cahill
"Cell Biosciences' cell signaling technology requires an unusual combination of skill sets in engineering, cell biology and chemistry. The partners at LVP took the effort to understand the technology, the market and the business strategy that we were creating when we started this company - and then moved quickly to help us cement a very broad group of domestic and international venture investors to secure its future. LVP displayed the strength of character to lead this diverse group at a very difficult time in the financial markets. This strength and quality in our investor group helped us to recruit a strong and experienced management team and gave Cell Biosciences a solid start as a company."
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals CEO - Carol Gallagher
"Calistoga Pharmaceuticals benefited greatly from LVP's investment and the support their experienced team provided. Jim Woody's significant experience as an R and D leader provided helpful insights to our drug devlopment planning as well as our business development considerations. Beyond providing the needed capital, LVP understands how to enable management teams to succeed. Calistoga was fortunate to have LVP as an investor."
Bayhill Therapeutics Founder - Dr. Larry Steinman
"When I decided to form Bayhill, Pat was my first call due to his long history of successfully building new biotechnology companies and his excellent reputation for working diligently and creatively with entrepreneurial teams to overcome the many obstacles I know we will face along the way. Pat brings the full range of technical skills and company building experience to the team which exemplifies the concept of what I consider an excellent "value-added" investor. Pat has been extremely helpful in sorting out complicated patent issues, in strategizing corporate partnering, referring potential senior managers, and in creating a venture syndicate for our first financing."