PALO ALTO, Calif., May 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Vivo Ventures, LLC ("Vivo") announced today the promotions of Dr. Chen Yu and Dr. James Zhao to Managing Partner in recognition of their contributions to the firm.
Dr. Yu first joined Vivo in 2004 and has been a Partner since 2007. He currently serves as a Director of Sagent Pharmaceuticals, Nora Therapeutics and Synaptic International, and has been actively involved in many of the firm's earlier private and public investments, including China KangHui Holdings, Achillion, Transcept, Tranzyme and Cubist. In addition, he has had an operational role in a part-time capacity as Chief Business Officer of China KangHui Holdings overseeing their corporate development and investor relations efforts. Prior to his time at Vivo, Dr. Yu was an early employee at aQuantive, which listed on Nasdaq in 2000 and ultimately was acquired for $6.5B by Microsoft. Dr. Yu also currently serves on the Board of Governors for the Stanford Medical School Alumni Association. Dr. Yu received his B.A. from Harvard University; his M.D. and MBA degrees are both from Stanford.
Dr. Zhao first began working with the firm in late 2005. With his promotion to Managing Partner, he will now be heading Vivo's China team. He has made significant contributions to the firm's success in China, including opening its Shanghai and Chengdu offices. He was also instrumental in assisting in the formation of Vivo's RMB denominated fund in partnership with the Chengdu Hi Tech Yinke Fund. Dr. Zhao is actively involved in all of Vivo's investments in China and will serve as the lead Vivo representative for Shanghai Hile, Sundise, and IMH. Prior to joining Vivo, Dr. Zhao was a consultant with the Monitor Group focusing on life sciences. Prior to that, he worked as a sales supervisor for Bristol Myers Squibb in Chengdu. Dr. Zhao received his medical degree from West China University of Medical Sciences in Chengdu, his M.S. in Molecular Biology from Vrije University in Brussels, and his M.B.A. from Washington University, St. Louis.
"We are pleased to recognize the contributions of our new Managing Partners as we continue to strengthen and grow our team in the U.S. and in China," said Frank Kung, Vivo Ventures co-founder and Senior Managing Partner.
About Vivo Ventures
Vivo Ventures is a life-sciences focused venture capital firm formed in 1996 with over $750M under management. With over 90 years of scientific and operational expertise in biotechnology, Vivo makes investment decisions for the Funds and helps its portfolio companies develop corporate strategy, arrange licensing agreements and strategic alliances, recruit key management personnel, and acquire new products and technology to accelerate growth. Its current portfolio includes more than 60 private and public biotechnology companies in the areas of biopharmaceuticals, specialty pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. For more information, please visit www.vivoventures.com.
