ARCH Managing Directors have all managed entrepreneurial operations during their careers and have played key roles in the formation and initial funding round of a wide range of companies.
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Clinton W. Bybee, Co-founder and Managing Director
Austin
Chemicals/Specialty Materials • Electronics/Instrumentation • Semiconductors • Telecommunications • Optics • Nanotechnology • Alternative Energy
Clinton Bybee is a co-founder and Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. Mr. Bybee concentrates primarily on advanced materials, electronics, semiconductors, photonics, and infrastructure businesses.
Mr. Bybee has helped organize and finance numerous companies including MicroOptical Devices (acquired by EMCORE), Cambrios Technologies, L1 Agrosciences, Siluria Technologies, Aveso, Innovalight, Intelligent Reasoning Systems (acquired by Photon Dynamics), Semprius, Nanosys, and Xtera Communications.
He is a board member of Impinj, Innovalight, Semprius, Cambrios Technologies, Xtera Communications, L1 Agrosciences, Nitronex and Aveso. Mr. Bybee is an organizing member of the Texas Venture Capital Association and currently serves as its first President.
Previously, Mr. Bybee worked with ARCH Development Corporation. He also managed a venture investment fund for the State of Illinois and was a production engineer with Amoco Corporation. Mr. Bybee holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago and a B.S. in Engineering from Texas A&M University.
Keith L. Crandell, Co-founder and Managing Director
Chicago
Chemicals/Specialty Materials • Software • Electronics/Instrumentation • Semiconductors • Telecommunications • Optics • Nanotechnology
Keith Crandell is a co-founder and a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. He focuses on chemical and specialty materials companies, electronics and instrumentation, optics and photonics, telecommunications, and enterprise infrastructure businesses. He previously served as Senior Manager at ARCH Development Corporation, where he was responsible for ARCH Venture Fund I activities at Argonne National Laboratory.
Mr. Crandell has played a key role in the formation and initial funding round of Quanterix, AlfaLight, Shocking Technologies, Permeon Biologics, ALIS Corp. (acquired by Carl Zeiss SMT), Eichrom Industries (acquired by Gary Comer, Inc.), Nanophase Technologies (NANX), and Illinois Superconductor (ISO). He was also responsible for ARCH's investment in New Era of Networks (NEON, acquired by Sybase-SY), Apropos Technology (APRS, acquired by Syntellect-ESL), Teach.com (acquired by Intellinex), CelebrateExpress (BDAY), Ahura Scientific, Boreal Genomics, Ciespace, PixelEXX Systems, Adesto Technologies, and Crystal IS, among others.
He is a director of Quanterix, Nanosys, AlfaLight, Adesto Technologies, Boreal Genomics, Ciespace, Permeon Biologics, PixelEXX Systems, and Crystal IS. Mr. Crandell also serves as a director of the Illinois Venture Capital Association.
Prior to the founding of ARCH, Mr. Crandell was with the specialty chemical and polymer company, Hercules, Inc. He holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago, an M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a B.S. in Chemistry and Mathematics from St. Lawrence University.
Steven Lazarus, Co-founder and Managing Director, Emeritus
Chicago
Steven Lazarus is a co-founder and Managing Director, Emeritus of Steven Lazarus is a co-founder and Managing Director, Emeritus of ARCH Venture Partners. He also is a director of the National Association of Corporate Directors and Rand Corporation, and a former director of the National Venture Capital Association and chairman of its research committee.
Prior to the founding of ARCH Venture Partners, Mr. Lazarus served as CEO of ARCH Development Corporation and as Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Business of The University of Chicago. He previously spent 13 years with Baxter Laboratories in various senior roles, most recently as Group Vice President of the Health Care Services Group of Baxter Travenol Laboratories. Mr. Lazarus also served in Washington D.C. as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for East-West Trade for the U.S., a government bureau he both founded and directed. Mr. Lazarus is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, retiring with the rank of Captain in 1973.
Mr. Lazarus received an M.B.A. with high distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business and holds an A.B. with Honors from Dartmouth College.
Robert T. Nelsen, Co-founder and Managing Director
Seattle
Biotechnology • Pharmaceuticals • Nanotechnology • Alternative Energy
Robert Nelsen is a co-founder and a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners.
Mr. Nelsen joined ARCH at its founding and has played a significant role in the early sourcing, financing and development of more than thirty companies including nine which have reached valuations exceeding $1 billion. These include Sapphire Energy, the leading algae biofuels producer; Illumina, (ILMN) the world-leader in genetic analysis; Ikaria, a leader in critical care medicine, Everyday Learning Corporation (publisher of the leading K-6 math curriculum in the U.S.); Aviron (AVIR, acquired by Medimmune-MEDI), which produced the first nasal flu vaccine; NetBot, the first online shopping agent; R2 Technology (acquired by Hologic-HOLX), the standard of care in computer-aided breast cancer detection, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), XenoPort (XNPT), Caliper Life Sciences (CALP), Trubion Pharmaceuticals (TRBN), Adolor (ADLR), Array BioPharma (ARRY), deCODE Genetics (DCGN), Nanosys, GenVec (GNVC), IDUN Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer-PFE), Genomica (GNOM, acquired by Exelixis-EXEL), NeurogesX (NGSX), Classmates.com (acquired by United Online-UNTD), Nura (acquired by Omeros-OMER), Kilimanjaro Energy, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Hua Medicine, Theraclone Sciences, VLST, Ensemble Therapeutics, Accelerator, Receptos, Fate Therapeutics, and Agios Pharmaceuticals.
Mr. Nelsen is a director of Sapphire Energy, Ikaria, Fate Therapeutics, Kilimanjaro Energy, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Ensemble Therapeutics, NeurogesX, deCODE Genetics, and Kythera Biopharmaceuticals. He previously served on the boards of Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Adolor, NetBot, Everyday Learning, Theraclone Sciences, Array BioPharma, Caliper Life Sciences, Illumina, R2 Technology, and Classmates.com, among others. He also serves as a director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Mr. Nelsen holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago and a B.S. in Economics and Biology from the University of Puget Sound.
Steven Gillis, Managing Director
Seattle
Biotechnology • Pharmaceuticals
Steven Gillis, Ph.D. is a Managing Director with ARCH, joining the firm as a Venture Partner in 2005. Dr. Gillis is focused on the evaluation of new life science technologies and also on the development and growth of ARCH's biotechnology portfolio companies. Dr. Gillis helped organize the start-up or early funding rounds of PhaseRx, Limerick BioSciences, Pulmatrix, Qwell Pharmaceuticals, Variation Biotechnologies, VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, and Lycera, among others. Dr. Gillis is currently a director of Accelerator, Allozyne, Variation Biotechnologies, Surface Logix, PhaseRx, Pulmatrix, and Qwell Pharmaceuticals. He serves as director and Chairman of VentiRx Pharmaceuticals, Theraclone Sciences and VLST. As a former director and Chairman of Trubion Pharmaceuticals (TRBN), he led its acquisition by Emergent BioSolutions in early 2010
Dr. Gillis was a founder and director of Corixa Corp. and served as the company's CEO from its inception and as its Chairman from 1999 until its acquisition in 2005 by GlaxoSmithKline. Prior to Corixa, Dr. Gillis was a founder and director of Immunex Corp. From 1981 until his departure in 1994, he served as Immunex's Director of Research and Development, Chief Scientific Officer, and as CEO of Immunex's R&D subsidiary. Dr. Gillis was interim CEO of Immunex Corp. following its majority purchase by American Cyanamid Co. and remained a member of the board until 1997. Amgen, Inc. acquired Immunex in 2002.
Dr. Gillis is an immunologist by training with over 300 peer-reviewed publications in the areas of molecular and tumor immunology. He is credited as being a pioneer in the field of cytokines and cytokine receptors, directing the development of multiple marketed products including Leukine, (GM-CSF), Prokine (IL-2) and Enbrel (soluble TNF receptor-Fc fusion protein) as well as the regulatory approval of Bexxar (radiolabeled anti-CD20). Dr. Gillis received a B.A. from Williams College and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College.
Kristina Burow, Partner
San Francisco
Biotechnology • Pharmaceuticals • Alternative Energy • Chemicals/Specialty Materials
Kristina Burow is a Partner with ARCH, joining the firm in 2002. Her investment focus includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, alternative energy, and chemicals and specialty materials companies. Ms. Burow is a co-founder and director of Sapphire Energy and a director of Kilimanjaro Energy, Lycera, Receptos and Limerick BioSciences. She has participated in the funding and development of several other portfolio companies including Accelerator Corporation, Achaogen, Ensemble Therapeutics, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Ikaria, Quanterix and Siluria Technologies.
Ms. Burow joined ARCH from the Novartis BioVenture Fund in San Diego where she was involved in numerous investments in the life science sector. Previously, as an early employee at the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (GNF), she directed Chemistry Operations and was active in Business Development.
Ms. Burow holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago, an M.A. in Chemistry from Columbia University, and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.
Paul Thurk, Partner
Austin
Electronics/Instrumentation • Optics • Semiconductors • Chemicals/Specialty Materials • Nanotechnology • Alternative Energy
Paul Thurk is a Partner with ARCH, joining in 2002 following a two-year Kauffman Fellowship with the Partnership. He focuses on solid-state lighting, semiconductors, advanced materials, nanotechnology, electronics and optoelectronics. Mr. Thurk was co-founder and initial CEO of InnovaLight and CoolEdge Lighting. He has participated in the development of ARCH portfolio companies Cambrios Technologies, Kotura, Nitronex, and Semprius. Mr. Thurk has also been a key part of ARCH's entrepreneur-in-residence programs at Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratories.
Formerly, Mr. Thurk was a Director of Operations for NABS, a supplier of electronics components where he established operations on behalf of NABS in five countries and was responsible for setting-up business infrastructure, systems, personnel, and processes in each. In addition, Mr. Thurk developed and launched several innovative supply chain management programs. Mr. Thurk joined ARCH from SSM Ventures.
Mr. Thurk holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
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