Longitude Capital Expands Biotechnology Practice With Matthew Young, Former Grail COO and Jazz EVP, and Cadre of New Talent
– Young held senior leadership positions at GRAIL and Jazz Pharmaceuticals after successful 20-year investment banking career at Barclays, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch –
MENLO PARK, Calif., BOSTON, and GREENWICH, Conn., Nov. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Longitude Capital, a leading healthcare venture capital firm focused on venture growth investments in biotechnology, medical technology, and health solutions, announced that veteran life sciences executive Matthew Young has joined the firm as Managing Director. Mr. Young joins Longitude Capital after almost a decade in leadership positions at GRAIL and Jazz Pharmaceuticals, and 20 years in investment banking.
“Matt’s corporate development, financial, and C-suite operating experience spans life science businesses across multiple sectors and stages, all of which will contribute to our investment decision-making and to supporting our portfolio companies with strategic counsel,” said Longitude Managing Director and Co-founder Patrick Enright. “We are extremely excited to have Matt join our team as we continue to invest in innovative biotechnology companies that, like us, seek to transform the healthcare industry.”
Prior to joining Longitude Capital, Mr. Young was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of GRAIL, a developer of blood cancer tests that was acquired by Illumina (ILMN) for $8 billion in 2021. From 2013 to 2019, Mr. Young held positions of increasing responsibility at Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ), a Longitude portfolio company, most recently as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to JAZZ, Mr. Young was an investment banker for nearly 20 years at Barclays Capital, Citigroup, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch, where he advised and led financings for hundreds of emerging and established life science companies. Additionally, Mr. Young served on the board of PRA Health Sciences (PRAH) until its acquisition by ICON plc for $12 billion in 2021, and currently serves as Lead Independent Director and Chairman of the audit committee of CytomX Therapeutics (CTMX) as well as a board member of Alpha-9 Therapeutics.
“I have focused my career on supporting companies across the healthcare continuum that strive to improve patients’ lives by building sustainable businesses that meaningfully improve the standard of care and outcomes. I’m excited to help shape Longitude’s biotechnology practice in its pursuit and advancement of critical therapeutic and diagnostic solutions that will further our shared mission,” said Mr. Young.
Longitude Capital also announced a cadre of new additions to its biotechnology practice in 2022 in support of the Firm’s continued growth in this core sector:
- Brahma Kumar, MD, PhD – Dr. Kumar is a Vice President on the Biotechnology team and is based in the Greenwich and Boston offices. Prior to joining the Firm, Dr. Kumar was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Co., where he focused on R&D strategy for biopharmaceutical clients. Dr. Kumar holds a PhD in Immunology, an MD from Columbia University, and a BA in Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
- Cindy Wang, PhD – Dr. Wang is a Vice President on the Biotechnology team and is based in the Menlo Park office. Prior to joining the Firm, Dr. Wang most recently served as a Senior Director of Strategy & Corporate Development at Dascena, a Longitude portfolio company. Prior to Dascena, Dr. Wang was an Engagement Manager at L.E.K. Consulting, where she consulted for life sciences companies on drug development, and commercial and portfolio strategy. Dr. Wang holds a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA in Chemical and Physical Biology from Harvard University.
- Zack Ely, PhD – Dr. Ely is a Senior Associate on the Biotechnology team and is based in the Boston office. Prior to joining the Firm full-time, Dr. Ely was a Research Fellow under the Longitude Research Network (LRN), the Firm’s dedicated arm for identifying cutting-edge innovations within sectors, therapeutic areas, or technologies of interest. Dr. Ely holds a PhD in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he specialized in genome engineering and cancer immunology. Dr. Ely also holds a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Vanderbilt University.
About Longitude Capital
Longitude Capital is a leading healthcare venture capital firm that invests in transformative biotechnology, medical technology, and health solutions companies seeking to improve clinical outcomes, enhance quality of life, and drive efficiency of healthcare delivery. Founded in 2006, Longitude Capital invests in both privately held and publicly traded companies through a variety of investment approaches. Longitude Capital has offices in Menlo Park, CA, Greenwich, CT, and Boston, MA. For more information, please visit www.longitudecapital.com or LinkedIn.
Source: Longitude Capital
Contact Information
Maggie Jamison
Longitude Capital
650-854-5700
mjamison@longitudecapital.com
