Dr. Douglas Crawford served as a director for over 6 years (until 2018) and has been a company advisor since then. Dr. Crawford’s goal is to help entrepreneurial scientists create successful startups. To this end, he and his colleagues have systematically lowered the barriers between great ideas and successful companies. For instance, Dr. Crawford created and manages MBC BioLabs. This state-of-the-art co-working laboratory network in San Francisco and San Carlos allows entrepreneurs to rapidly generate data without getting bogged down in facility management. Rather than spending months getting a facility up and running, MBC BioLabs startups can generate important data in their first week.
In the first 6 years, this program has helped launch 210 companies that have brought 53 programs to the clinic and have raised over $4.75B. This incubator program reflects Dr. Crawford’s passion for startups and his eagerness to help entrepreneurs overcome challenges.
Dr. Crawford is also the Managing Partner of Mission BioCapital and has overseen the investment in 52 companies, 11 of which have already enjoyed successful liquidity events (Alector, Atreca, Calithera, Cell Design Labs, iPierian, Pionyr, Principia, Redwood Biosciences, True North, Vedere, and Zephyrus). He is a board member of Avexegen, Alessa, Epiodyne, Graphwear, Invenio, Magnamosis, Magnap, Mitokinin, SiteOne (observer), and Tangible Sciences.
Dr. Crawford received his PhD in biochemistry from UCSF.