Who We Are

“A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.”

– Gandhi

We are a dedicated team of proven medtech innovators, passionate about using our know-how and experience to make medical advancement happen.

 

Fogarty Innovation is led by seasoned executives who bring 400+ years of cumulative leadership experience from over 70 companies. In total, these companies have returned over $5.5 billion to investors through both public markets and private transactions. We have chosen to invest our time in Fogarty Innovation to give back to the community we love, and which has improved the lives of so many. Our team is complemented by our board of directors and our network of industry veterans, all of whom contribute meaningfully to our entrepreneur and student programs.

As mentors, we help early-stage technology companies cross the chasm from novel idea to notable solution. Our primary focus is helping our entrepreneurs become leaders because we understand that early-stage investors are betting on the team, not just the technology. Investors seek leadership teams who have demonstrated their ability to navigate problems and think creatively through business setbacks. Because, inevitably, the technology will change.

“Investors want more and more rigor around how you can build a business that can thrive and not just a widget that can be acquired.”

– Venture capitalist

Our real-world experience is broad and deep, yet we pride ourselves on being perpetual students, eager to broaden our own perspectives.

Clinical domain knowledge

Cardiology
Neurology
Oncology
Digital health
Orthopedics
Pulmonology
Women’s health
Men’s health
Biotech
Pediatrics

Functional expertise

Management/leadership
Product development
Finance
Operations
Regulatory affairs
Clinical studies
Quality systems
Intellectual property
Market development
Market access/reimbursement
Commercialization
Organizational development

Personal involvement

Global markets
Early and late venture capital
Small-to-large medtech strategic corporate partners

We are founded on the living legacy of Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty—innovator, icon, iconoclast, surgeon and Renaissance man.

It is a source of great pride that alumni of Fogarty Innovation have contributed meaningfully to the advancement of medical care worldwide.

We operate out of a state-of-the-art Innovation Center located in the heart of the Silicon Valley on the campus of El Camino Health’s main hospital. Here, we co-locate and immerse ourselves with the companies we support and offer them access to needed resources in their quest to change the world.

Our Values

We behave with integrity first and foremost, knowing we affect the lives of patients and their loved ones.

We put team before self, valuing mutual trust and respect for each other, and sharing a foundational belief that strong teams enhance performance.

We believe in equality and seek diversity to keep growing as a team — not only in race and gender, but also in expression.

We value continuous learning, both as teachers and perpetual students.

We believe the process of innovation is a discipline that can be taught and honed.

We trust in the power of an audacious vision because it taps into a basic human desire: belonging to and believing in something bigger than ourselves.

We have a sense of wonder and a spirit of adventure as we push boundaries to create positive impact on the global medical ecosystem.

We stay humble for all that remains to be done in shaping the future of human health.

History:
Thomas J. Fogarty, MD

Innovator, Icon, Iconoclast

“If I have seen further,
it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

– Sir Isaac Newton

Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty founded Fogarty Innovation (previously known as the Fogarty Institute for Innovation) on the campus of El Camino Hospital in 2007. His vision: to spur medical device innovation, improve patient care and lower healthcare costs. An internationally recognized cardiovascular surgeon, inventor, entrepreneur and vintner, Dr. Fogarty has dedicated his career to improving medicine. During his acclaimed career, he has acquired 190 medical patents for his revolutionary work, including the “industry standard” Fogarty balloon embolectomy catheter, The Hancock Tissue Heart Valve, and the Aneurx Endovascular Aortic Stent Graft. He is the founder or co-founder of over 45 medical technology companies, and his inventions significantly and extensively influence the way surgery is performed today. Dr. Fogarty has been recognized by numerous organizations for his contributions to medical science, including:

  • Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation 2014
  • Lemelsen-MIT Prize for Invention and Innovation 2000
  • National Inventors Hall of Fame 2001
  • Jacobson Innovation Award of the American College of Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons Icon in Surgery 2019

Dr. Fogarty’s first invention was far from the medical field, however. When he was just 12, he saw an unmet need and invented the centrifugal clutch still used today on motor scooters.

Today, Dr. Fogarty remains active on the board of Fogarty Innovation, and we maintain his “patient first” philosophy in all that we do.

“I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mentors.”

– Thomas J. Fogarty

We live out his belief everyday.

Facility: Where We Live

Embedded on the campus of El Camino Health in the heart of Silicon Valley, Fogarty Innovation is headquartered in a custom-designed facility with 30,000 square feet of dedicated office, laboratory, machine shop, conference, collaboration, and recreation space—all designed to support the entrepreneurs and companies in our incubation and acceleration programs, along with our staff, mentors, and partners. With a vista of the coastal ranges that give our city of Mountain View its name, these surroundings have a history of inspiring legendary innovations and will continue to spark new discoveries for years to come.