The Fogarty Institute for Innovation is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Bill Bowes, one of the pioneers of Silicon Valley venture capital and a generous philanthropist and active volunteer.
Mr. Bowes was an early donor and backer of the Fogarty Institute who strongly believed in our startups’ ability to develop life-saving and life-improving devices. His donations were critical in helping support the launch of the Institute and its education and innovation programs that are creating the next generation of life sciences entrepreneurs.
“We are extraordinarily thankful for Bill’s long-time support and his innumerous contributions to help disrupt many life-ending illnesses,” said Tom Fogarty, MD, founder of the Fogarty Institute and long-time friend of Mr. Bowes. “We will greatly miss his pioneering spirit, and his vision and passion for investing where he could make a positive impact.”
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.
Mr. Bowes dedicated much of his time to medical and environmental research and projects. He was a strong backer of the Environmental Defense Fund, based in New York, to bring back the fishing population. He was also a strong proponent for breakthrough drugs.
Through his foundation, he supported nonprofit organizations in several areas including medical research, access to college, the arts and higher education.
We will deeply miss Mr. Bowes’ leadership and support to improve patient care through innovation.