Keith Crandell is a co-founder and a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. Mr. Crandell focuses on life science therapeutics, tools, devices and diagnostics, specialty materials, electronics, instrumentation, and photonics businesses.

Mr. Crandell played a key role in the formation and initial funding round of 908 Devices (MASS), Adesto Technologies (IOTS – acquired by Renesas Electronics Corp.), DA32 Life Science Tech Acquisition Corp. (DALS), Arbor Biotechnologies, ALIS Corp. (acquired by Carl Zeiss SMT), Cytrellis Biosystems, Eichrom Industries (acquired by Gary Comer, Inc.), Illinois Superconductor (ISCO), Nanophase Technologies (NANX), Quanterix (QTRX), Scale Biosciences, Twist Bioscience (TWST), Ultivue, and Vizgen.

He was also responsible for ARCH’s investment in Ahura Scientific (acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific-TMO), Apropos Technology (APRS – acquired by Syntellect-ESL), Boreal Genomics, CelebrateExpress (BDAY – acquired by Liberty Media-LINTA), Crystal IS (acquired by Asahi Kasei-AHKSY), New Era of Networks (NEON – acquired by Sybase-SY), and Teach.com (acquired by Intellinex), among others.

Mr. Crandell is a director of MASS, TWST, Arbor Biotechnologies, Cytrellis Biosystems, Lightcast Discovery, Scale Biosciences, Ultivue, UltraDx, Vizgen, and is an observer of AIRNA, Quantum Circuits and Slingshot Biosciences. He previously served as a director of MicroOptical Devices (acquired by EMCORE-EMKR), Nanosys, and was an early director of Engineering Animation (EAII – acquired by Unigraphics).

Mr. Crandell has served on the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board at the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship, ChicagoBooth since 2005 and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering Advisory Council since 2017. Mr. Crandell also serves on the investment advisory board for the Mass General Brigham Innovation Fund, a venture capital fund affiliated with Harvard Medical School Hospitals. He has been active with the Illinois Venture Capital Association since its inception, previously serving as Chairman. He previously served as a Director of the National Venture Capital Association and its Governmental Affairs Committee.

Prior to the founding of ARCH, Mr. Crandell was with the specialty chemical and polymer company, Hercules, Inc.

Mr. Crandell 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.

ALL Managing Directors