Perhaps one of the most accomplished VCs and medical investors, Bill Bowes was also an early donor and backer of the Fogarty Institute. Mr. Bowes recently re-invested in the Institute by donating $1 million, bringing his total gift to $3.5 million. His donations were critical in helping support the launch of the Institute, and his latest gift will fund our programs and startups.
Mr. Bowes has been a long-time friend of Dr. Thomas Fogarty, someone he deeply admires for his ability to not only succeed as a surgeon, but also as an effective and prolific innovator.
“What attracted me to the Institute is the innovative work of its startups and the strong likelihood that these young innovators will develop life-saving and life-improving devices,” said Mr. Bowes. “I am a strong believer in investing where you can achieve tangible results.”
Mr. Bowes’ interest in medicine stemmed from his mother, who was a doctor and one of the first women to graduate from the Stanford School of Medicine. He almost became a doctor himself. Instead, he co-founded U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), a VC firm that invests in innovation, and was the founding shareholder of Amgen, one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies, where he also served as its first Chairman and Treasurer.
At USVP, Mr. Bowes also led the firm’s investments in Advanced Cardiovascular Systems, Applied Biosystems, Devices for Vascular Intervention, Glycomed, Sun Microsystems and Ventritex. USVP is also an investor of HeartFlow, a Fogarty Institute startup.
His proudest moment was founding a company that has very tangible results – Amgen. Last year he attended the company’s 35-year anniversary, a celebration of the company’s scientific advancements that have helped disrupt the course of many life-interrupting illnesses.
Today, Mr. Bowes dedicates much of his time to medical and environmental research and projects. He is a strong backer of the Environmental Defense Fund, based in New York, to bring back the fishing population. He also continues to be a strong proponent for breakthrough drugs.
Through his foundation, he supports nonprofit organizations in several areas including medical research, access to college, the arts and higher education.
We are extraordinarily thankful for Mr. Bowes’ long-time support, which has enabled us to grow our organization into one of the most well-respected medical technology innovation centers in the nation.