Somogyi Ventures, LLC

Managing Director Christopher Somogyi has over 27 years experience in the commercialization of innovation.

Venture Capital - As a partner with Tokyo-based Pacific Rim Ventures, Mr. Somogyi invested in numerous companies in the US and Europe, in areas including proteomics, drug discovery, biotech services, advanced diagnostic instrumentation, genomics, and diagnostic services. With CommTech Management, he invested in technologies developed at Stanford, UC Irvine, and SRI International through a grant-seeding technology elicitation program.

Entrepreneur- As a co-founder of Lucent Medical Systems, he brought a University of Washington technology from the research labs to a new commercial entity. As founder of Dentigenix, he assembled researchers from around the world to advance tissue engineering within dental applications. As co-founder and Chairman of Ratner Biomedical Group, he launched the first incubator for biomaterials and regenerative medicine new companies. As co-founder and Chairman of Healionics, he is helping lead this new company to introduce novel biomaterials which heal. As co-founder and Chairman of Calcionics, he is overseeing the team to develop a drugs to control the calcification of blood vessels. As co-founder and Chairman of Inson, he is helping the effort to introduce novel ultrasonically-controllable drug delivery polymer systems. As co-founder and Chairman of MotionBack, he is working with a world class team to bring kinematically correct compliant mechanism designs to orthopedic devices such as total disk replacements. As co-founder and CEO of Advanced Electroluminescent Sciences, he brought together researchers and essential intellectual property from around the world to develop low-cost solid state lighting devices based on organic LED technology.

Executive- As President and CEO of Lucent Medical Systems, he built the start-up from initiation through three rounds of venture capital and two strategic corporate partnerships with Abbott and Becton Dickinson. As CEO and Chairman of Dentigenix, he led the tissue engineering start-up through to acquisition by Europe's leading dental company.

Board Leadership - Current corporate board memberships include: Ultreo, Inc., ScaleOut Software, Inc., Lucent Medical Systems, Healionics, Inc., Calcionics, Inc., Inson, Inc., Ratner Biomedical Group, and Motion Back. He also holds Advisory Board roles with several start up companies.

Engineer - Hands on experience in medical device new product development with American Hospital and Puritan Bennett. Inventor for 8 issued US patents.

Technology Licensing - With Stanford University's Office of Technology Licensing, Managed Stanford's portfolio of software and medical device inventions. Negotiated technology licenses and managed technology transfer relationships with univeristies, private research institues, and government research laboratories in the U.S.A., Canada, Taiwan, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand.

Angel Investor - A former member of the Executive Committee of Seattle's Alliance of Angels, he has, through Somogyi Ventures, made dozens of investments in early stage technology companies across North America.

Community Contributor - He is a former member of the Board of the Technology Alliance, of the Executive Committee of Seattle's Alliance of Angels, of the University of Washington's Business School Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, of the University of Washington's Technology Transfer Advisory Board, and of the Nanophotonics Initiative Committee. Mr. Somogyi is founder and primary supporter of the UW Bioengineering Summer Camp for High Schoolers.

Mr. Somogyi holds a BSE in bioengineering from Purdue University, an MS in bioengineering from Tulane University, and an MBA from the University of Washington.