Brook Byers
Encyclopedia
Brook Byers is a senior partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and the brother of Stanford University
Professor Tom Byers
and Atlanta, Georgia engineering entrepreneur Ken Byers.
Brook Byers has been a venture capital investor since 1972. He has been closely involved with more than fifty new technology based ventures, over half of which have already become public companies. He formed the first Life Sciences practice group in the venture capital profession in 1984 and led KPCB to become a top tier venture capital firm in the medical, healthcare, and biotechnology sectors. KPCB has invested in and helped build over 110 Life Sciences companies which have already developed hundreds of products to treat major underserved medical needs for millions of patients.
Brook was the founding President and then Chairman, of four biotechnology companies which were incubated in KPCB's offices and went on to become public companies with an aggregate market value over $8 Billion. He is often featured on the Forbes Midas
list and is currently on the Board of Directors of ten companies; CardioDX, Crescendo Bioscience, Inc., Genomic Health Incorporated, Five Prime Therapeutics, OptiMedica, HX Diagnostics, Pacific Biosciences, Inc., Tethys, Veracyte, Inc. and XDx, Inc. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Idec Pharmaceuticals (Chairman), Athena Neurosciences (Chairman), Signal Pharmaceuticals, Arris Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacopeia, Ligand Pharmaceuticals (Chairman), Hybritech (Chairman), Genprobe, Nanogen, and others. These companies have pioneered the medical use of molecular biology, monoclonal antibodies, personalized medicine, molecular diagnostics and genomics.
Brook was President and a Director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists. He is currently a Board member of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Foundation, the New Schools Foundation, Stanford’s Bio-X Advisory Council and the Stanford Eye Council. He was Co-Chair of the five year, $1.4 billion, UCSF Capital Campaign. In 2007, he was awarded the “UCSF Medal” as their honorary degree equivalent. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Venture Capital Association
.
Brook was President and a Director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists and is a contributing author of the book Guide to Venture Capital. He is currently a board member of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Foundation, the California Healthcare Institute
, the NewSchools Venture Fund, Stanford’s Bio-X Advisory Council, the Stanford Eye Council and TechNet
. He is Co-Chair of the UCSF Capital Campaign.
He was formerly a Director of the Entrepreneurs Foundation, the California Healthcare Institute, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
, the Stanford University
Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, UCSF's That Man May See Vision Research Foundation (Chairman), and the Georgia Tech
Advisory Board, and was a founder of TechNet
.
, he earned a bachelor's degree
in electrical engineering
in 1968 from Georgia Tech
and an MBA from Stanford University
.
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Professor Tom Byers
Tom Byers
Tom Byers is a professor at Stanford University in the United States. He concentrates in the area of high-technology ventures and serves as the faculty director for the Stanford Technology Ventures Program....
and Atlanta, Georgia engineering entrepreneur Ken Byers.
Brook Byers has been a venture capital investor since 1972. He has been closely involved with more than fifty new technology based ventures, over half of which have already become public companies. He formed the first Life Sciences practice group in the venture capital profession in 1984 and led KPCB to become a top tier venture capital firm in the medical, healthcare, and biotechnology sectors. KPCB has invested in and helped build over 110 Life Sciences companies which have already developed hundreds of products to treat major underserved medical needs for millions of patients.
Brook was the founding President and then Chairman, of four biotechnology companies which were incubated in KPCB's offices and went on to become public companies with an aggregate market value over $8 Billion. He is often featured on the Forbes Midas
Forbes Midas
The Forbes Midas list is the annual ranking by Forbes Magazine of the best dealmakers in high-tech and life science venture capital. These individuals have proved their mettle by creating wealth through an economic slump. The name is an allusion to the mythological King Midas, renowned for his...
list and is currently on the Board of Directors of ten companies; CardioDX, Crescendo Bioscience, Inc., Genomic Health Incorporated, Five Prime Therapeutics, OptiMedica, HX Diagnostics, Pacific Biosciences, Inc., Tethys, Veracyte, Inc. and XDx, Inc. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors of Idec Pharmaceuticals (Chairman), Athena Neurosciences (Chairman), Signal Pharmaceuticals, Arris Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacopeia, Ligand Pharmaceuticals (Chairman), Hybritech (Chairman), Genprobe, Nanogen, and others. These companies have pioneered the medical use of molecular biology, monoclonal antibodies, personalized medicine, molecular diagnostics and genomics.
Brook was President and a Director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists. He is currently a Board member of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Foundation, the New Schools Foundation, Stanford’s Bio-X Advisory Council and the Stanford Eye Council. He was Co-Chair of the five year, $1.4 billion, UCSF Capital Campaign. In 2007, he was awarded the “UCSF Medal” as their honorary degree equivalent. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Venture Capital Association
National Venture Capital Association
The National Venture Capital Association is the leading trade association representing the venture capital industry in the U.S. The NVCA represents the venture industry in public policy debates in Washington, DC, and promotes high professional standards, professional development, and interaction...
.
Brook was President and a Director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists and is a contributing author of the book Guide to Venture Capital. He is currently a board member of the University of California at San Francisco Medical Foundation, the California Healthcare Institute
California Healthcare Institute
CHI-California Healthcare Institute is a private, non-profit public policy research and advocacy organization, representing more than 250 universities, academic research centers, biotechnology and medical device companies. Founded in 1993, and based in La Jolla, California, CHI has offices in...
, the NewSchools Venture Fund, Stanford’s Bio-X Advisory Council, the Stanford Eye Council and TechNet
TechNet (lobbying organization)
TechNet is a United States political lobbying organization which represents public policy interests for technology issues. TechNet operates through a network of CEOs and Senior Executives to promote the growth of technology and the innovation economy...
. He is Co-Chair of the UCSF Capital Campaign.
He was formerly a Director of the Entrepreneurs Foundation, the California Healthcare Institute, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco is a museum in San Francisco, California, United States. It has one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art in the world....
, the Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Graduate School of Business Advisory Council, UCSF's That Man May See Vision Research Foundation (Chairman), and the Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
Advisory Board, and was a founder of TechNet
TechNet
TechNet may refer to:* Technet , a fictional group in the Marvel Comics universe* TechNet , Singapore's first Internet access provider* TechNet , an American political lobbying organization...
.
Early life and education
Raised in Atlanta, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, he earned a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
in 1968 from Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
and an MBA from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.