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Stephen Kraus

Investment Team|
Boston|

Stephen Kraus is partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and leads up the firm’s healthcare investing activities.

He currently sits on the boards of Welltok, Bright Health, Groups, Health Essentials, Docent Health, Allena Pharmaceuticals, Alcresta, and Docutap and is a board observer at Collective Medical Technologies. 

Steve has been actively involved in Bessemer's investments in Liazon, acuired by Towers Watson; Docutap, acquired by Warburg Pincus; Ovascience (NASDAQ: OVAS), Sirtris Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SIRT, acquired by GlaxoSmithKline); Affymax  (NASDAQ:AFFY); Aveo (NASDAQ: AVEO); Alnara, acquired by Eli Lilly; Transave (NASDAQ: INSM); Stromedix, acquired by Biogen Idec,Verastem (NASDAQ: VSTM), Acceleron (NASDAQ: XLRN), Restore Medical (NASDAQ: REST), acquired by Medtronic, and Flex Pharma (NASDAQ: FLKS).

Steve has been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of the top healthcare investors in the industry.

Prior to joining Bessemer, Steve worked for a growth-stage, private-equity firm and as a management consultant at Bain & Company. He has also worked on several different political campaigns throughout his career.

Steve graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. from Yale University and earned his MBA from Harvard, where he was a Baker Scholar. He serves on the board of the New England Venture Capital Association (NEVCA) and the Achievement Network, on the investment committees of BCBS Massachusetts and Rock Health, as an innovation advisor to Boston Children’s Hospital, and as an advisor to Harvard Business School’s Center for Entrepreneurship. 

Steve is co-host of “A Healthy Dose” podcast and often blogs about his views on the healthcare industry. 

Who do I know at BVP?

Current Companies

Alcresta Pharmaceuticals

Alcresta Pharmaceuticals develops enzyme-based products for people with gastrointestinal disorders and rare diseases.

Investment Date: 
2011
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Allena Pharmaceuticals

Allena Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and commercializes non-systemic protein therapeutics to treat metabolic and orphan diseases, with a particular focus on nephrologic and urologic conditions.  The company went public in November 2017 (NASDAQ: ALNA).

Investment Date: 
2011
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Bright Health

Bright Health is a consumer focused health plan offering simple and affordable health insurance.

Investment Date: 
2016
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - West
Read More

Collective Medical Technologies

Collective Medical is a healthcare company that has built a network for patient care collaboration.

Investment Date: 
2017
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - West
Read More

Docent Health

Docent Health helps health systems transform the patient experience by delivering human-centric care.

Investment Date: 
2015
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Industry Software
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Groups

Groups helps people recover from opiate use through therapy and medication

Investment Date: 
2017
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Health Essentials

Health Essentials provides post-acute care management services.

Investment Date: 
2012
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - West
Read More

Oxagen Ltd.

Oxagen is focused on becoming a significant biopharmaceutical company, developing a pipeline of novel drugs to treat inflammatory diseases, initially asthma.

Investment Date: 
2005
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
Europe
Read More

Proteon Therapeutics

Proteon Therapeutics, Inc is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel, first-in-class pharmaceuticals to address the medical needs of patients with renal and vascular diseases.

Investment Date: 
2009
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

RockHealth

Rock Health is a seed fund and startup accelerator focused on digital healthcare companies.

Investment Date: 
2015
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - West
Read More

Verastem

Verastem is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel drugs that selectively target cancer stem cells. In January 2012, Verastem went public (NASDAQ: VSTM).

Investment Date: 
2010
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Welltok

A health optimization platform that is revolutionizing the way population health managers align consumer actions and behaviors with the right incentives and rewards.

Investment Date: 
2014
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - West
Read More

Enduring Companies

Acceleron Pharma, Inc.

A biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics to modulate the growth of tissues including bone and muscle.

Investment Date: 
2007
Exit Year: 
2014
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

AffyMax

Affymax is a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel drugs to improve the treatment of serious and often life-threatening conditions.  Affymax (NASDAQ: AFFY) went public in 2006.

Investment Date: 
2005
Exit Year: 
2013
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Alnara Pharmaceuticals (acq. by Eli Lilly)

Develops non-systemic, protein therapeutics to treat metabolic and inflammatory diseases. In 2010 it was acquired by Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY).

Investment Date: 
2008
Exit Year: 
2010
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Aveo Pharmaceuticals

Aveo Pharmaceuticals integrates a proprietary cancer biology platform with drug development and commercial expertise in its efforts to discover and develop targeted cancer therapeutics.

Investment Date: 
2007
Exit Year: 
2010
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Cerulean Pharma

Cerulean Pharma Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the design and development of nanopharmaceuticals.   The company went public in April 2014 (NASDAQ: CERU).

Investment Date: 
2007
Exit Year: 
2017
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

ClearCare

Cloud-based home care software provider.

Investment Date: 
2014
Exit Year: 
2016
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Cloud Computing
Industry Software
Mobile
Geography: 
North America - West
Read More

DocuTAP

DocuTAP provides electronic medical record, practice management software and revenue cycle services for urgent care centers.  The company was acquired by Warburg Pincus in 2016.

Investment Date: 
2013
Exit Year: 
2016
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Cloud Computing
Industry Software
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Flex Pharma

Developing novel treatments for muscle cramps and spasms by halting repetitive firing of motor neurons.  In January 2015, Flex Pharma went public (NASDAQ: FLKS).

Investment Date: 
2014
Exit Year: 
2015
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Liazon

Liazon is the leading private benefit exchange provider for small and medium sized businesses.  In November 2013, Liazon was acquired by Towers Watson & Co. (NYSE, NASDAQ: TW).

Investment Date: 
2012
Exit Year: 
2013
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Cloud Computing
Industry Software
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

OvaScience, Inc.

OvaSciences is a healthcare company focused on improving fertility. Ovascience (NASDAQ: OVAS) started trading on the Over The Counter Bulletin Board (OTCBB) in November 2012 and listed on the Nasdaq in April 2013.

Investment Date: 
2011
Exit Year: 
2015
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals

A biopharmaceutical firm developing enzymes that activate our natural defenses against disease.

Investment Date: 
2006
Exit Year: 
2007
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Stromedix (acq. by Biogen)

Stromedix's initial focus is on chronic indications and plans to leverage its expertise and expand its therapeutic pipeline into related settings such as acute organ failure and cancer.  In 2012, Stromedix was acquired by Biogen Idec (NASDAQ: BIIB).

Investment Date: 
2008
Exit Year: 
2012
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

Transave Inhalation Biopharmaceuticals

Insmed Incorporated (NASDAQ: INSM) is a development stage biopharmaceutical company with expertise in proprietary, advanced liposomal technology designed specifically for inhalation lung delivery.

Investment Date: 
2007
Exit Year: 
2014
Related Strategy: 
Healthcare
Geography: 
North America - East
Read More

From the Blog

View Blog

Talking Death and Politics: Startups Focus on Palliative Care as Healthcare Gets Human(e)

Stephen Kraus | February 3, 2017

TrumpCare: Glass Half Full or Glass Half Empty? What Impact the New Administration Might Have on Healthcare

Stephen Kraus | November 30, 2016

Fee-For-Value Drives Trillion-Dollar Healthcare Opportunity

Stephen Kraus | May 9, 2016

Strategies

  • Healthcare

By the Numbers:

50
states visited
15
Neil Diamond concerts attended (last concert: March 2015)
1
campaign speech written for the President

© 2018 Bessemer Venture Partners

All Rights Reserved

Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

Freedom from Harassment, Discrimination and Retaliation Policy

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