Robin Bellas

Partner

Robin is based in Menlo Park, focuses on medical device and HCIT investments, and served as Morgenthaler’s Managing Partner from 2006-2009.  He led the Firm’s transformation from a family partnership to a performance-based compensation and leadership meritocracy.  Robin joined Morgenthaler in 1984 after ten years in the life science industry and has directed the exits of over 20 companies with a combined value of $10 billion.

Robin formed Morgenthaler’s Life Science team in 2001 and started medical device incubation with IVS and Ensure Medical, followed by The Foundry and ForSight Labs incubators. He invested in and served as a Director of Ardian, Cabochon Aesthetics, and Miramar, as well as Transcend, ForSight Vision2, Nexis Vision, ForSight Vision4 and ForSight Vision5.

Robin led Morgenthaler’s early financings in Ardian at The Foundry and served as a Director of the company. In January 2011, Medtronic completed the acquisition of Ardian for $800 million, plus uncapped annual revenue growth milestones through Medtronic’s fiscal 2015.

Robin is a past director of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists (WAVC), and of the Stanford Business School Trust. Before Stanford, Robin served on nuclear fast attack and ballistic missile submarines. He received a BS in Engineering from the United States Naval Academy, is a two-time National Champion in rowing, and has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Education:

U.S. Naval Academy (BS, Engineering); Stanford Graduate School of Business (MBA)

Board Seats:

• IPC The Hospitalist Company
• ForSight Vision4
• ForSight Vision5
• Nexis Vision
• OptiScan
• Transcend Medical
• Vertiflex

Focus:

Life Sciences/Medical Devices/HC Services

Other Investments:

Arbor Health Care (AHCC) (acquired by Extendicare), Ardian (acquired by Medtronic), Athena Neurosciences (ATHN) (acquired by Elan), CardioThoracic Systems (CTSI) (acquired by Guidant), CareMedic Systems (acquired by UnitedHealth), Embol-X (acquired by Edwards), Ensure Medical (acquried by J&J), Executone (XTON), ForSight Vision2 (acquired by QLT), Integrated Vascular Systems (acquired by Abbott Labs), IPC The Hospitalist (IPCM), The Liposome Company (LIPO) (acquried by Elan), Managed Health Network (acquired by Foundation Health), Medaphis (MEDA) (acquired by Per-Se), National Medical Diagnostics (acquired by GE Medical), Perclose (PERC) (acquired by Abbott Labs), Satiety, Sequana Therapeutics (SQNA) (acquired by Arris Pharmaceuticals), Surgical Health (acquired by HealthSouth), Verifone (VFIC) (acquired by Hewlett Packard), Vical (VICL) and Xtent (XTNT) (acquired by Biosensors).

Portfolio News:

• Roche Seeks to Test New Delivery Method for Eye Drug
• Devices Target Drug Space – BioCentury
• Medtronic Completes Acquisition of Ardian – Business Wire
• Device Makers Target High Blood Pressure – The Wall Street Journal
• With Ardian, Sadra Deals Show Appetite for Big, Early-Stage Acquisitions – Windhover Information
• Morgenthaler’s Seed Stake in Ardian Pays Off – DOW Jones Venture Wire
• Medtronic Acquires Ardian for $800 Million – Press Release
• Ardian’s Device Zaps Kidney Nerves to Reduce Blood Pressure – Bloomberg Businessweek
• Ardian Corrals Out-of-Control High Blood Pressure With First-of-its-Kind Device – Xconomy
• Ardian: Succeeding Where Drugs Fail – Windhover Information
• Ardian Announces Advances in Treating Hypertension – The Wall Street Journal