Jon Soderstrom, PhD

Formerly, the Managing Director of the Office of Cooperative Research at Yale University. The Office is responsible for developing and executing commercialization strategies for inventions created by Yale’s faculty research. The Office negotiates patent license agreements, research partnerships with corporations and the formation of venture capital-financed start-up companies.

Since joining the Office in 1996, we have helped form more than 75 new ventures including Molecular Staging (acquired by Qiagen), Achillion Pharmaceuticals (NASQ: ACHN), Protometrix (acquired by Invitrogen), Iconic Therapeutics, HistoRx (acquired by Genoptix), VaxInnate, Affomix, Kolltan Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Celldex Therapeutics), Arvinas (NASQ: ARVN), NextCure (NASQ:NXTC), Biohaven Pharmaceuticals (NYSE:BHVN) and Artizan Bioscience. Collectively, these companies have raised over $1 billion in professional venture capital.

In 2007, the Office created the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute to help undergraduate, graduate and professional school students at Yale to start scalable new ventures. Over 100 new ventures have been formed that have raised over $135 million in investment capital.

Was a founding board member and past president of the Association of Federal Technology Transfer Executives as well as a member of the Licensing Executive Society and Association of University Technology Managers where, in 2008, was President and, from 2003 – 2005, served as Vice President for Public Policy and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.

Honored as the 87th “Point of Light” by President George H. W. Bush in March, 1990 for volunteer work with low-income families in East Tennessee.

Specialties: Frequently asked to lecture and teach seminars on various aspects of the technology commercialization process and economic development both within the United States and abroad. Have testified before Congress on technology transfer issues and served as an expert witness in patent infringement litigation.