TEAM
Scott Davidson is a Managing Partner at Orion Strategic Ventures. Prior to starting Orion, Scott served as Vice President Global Strategy and Venture Capital at Boston Scientific. As leader of Boston’s venture capital investment program, Scott oversaw a portfolio comprised of investments in approximately 50 companies representing more than $1B of invested capital. He served on the Boards of approximately a dozen portfolio companies, several of which Boston Scientific ultimately acquired. As head of Global Strategy, Scott hired and mentored a new high performing team and drove a broad expansion in capabilities and mandate. He also served as a member of the company’s Corporate Portfolio Committee which makes acquisition, venture investment and divestiture decisions.
Scott began his venture investment career at Canaan Partners. He served for nearly a dozen years as a Managing Director at Great Point Partners where he created and oversaw the firm’s investment efforts in medical devices, diagnostics and life science tools. At Great Point he was an early investor in Abiomed and Exact Sciences. Additionally, Scott spent 8 years as a senior sellside equity analyst in medical devices at several well-known investment banks.
Scott holds an MBA from Stanford and a BA in Economics from Harvard
Matt Gunderman is a Managing Partner at Orion Strategic Ventures. Prior to starting Orion, Matt held numerous executive leadership positions at Boston Scientific over a nearly 20-year career. Beginning in 2010, Matt served as a member of the Neuromodulation Division’s Executive Leadership Team where his responsibilities included leadership of business development, venture capital investments, divisional strategy, and numerous commercial supporting functions.
Most recently, Matt served as a General Manager leading a team of 150+ MedTech professionals focused on commercial and strategic aspects of the Pain and Brain businesses. Previously Matt was Vice President of Business Development where he guided two new acquisitions and numerous venture capital investments and corporate partnerships as well as acting as a Board Observer for several portfolio companies.
Matt holds a BS in Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the University of Minnesota.
ADVISORY BOARD
Steven Chao
Partner, Co-Founder of ClearView Healthcare Partners
Steve is a founder at ClearView Healthcare Partners, a global life sciences strategy consulting firm that focuses at the cutting edge of innovation. With deep expertise in driving corporate growth strategy, supporting business development decision-making, and conducting due diligence for his clients in the medtech sector, he has a deep passion for fields that are in a rapid state of transition, and where disruptive change is occurring. He was previously part of the leadership at Leerink Swann Strategic Advisors, and before that at McKinsey & Co. He originated his career as an academic, with both an MD and a PhD from Harvard Medical School.
Earl Fender
Former CEO of Nalu Medical
and Vertiflex, Inc
With global commercial expertise and demonstrated success in scaling businesses and managing start-ups through acquisition, Earl Fender has over 30 years of experience in leading medical technology companies. Most recently Mr. Fender was President & CEO of Nalu Medical from 2020-2022 where he drove early commercialization. Prior to that, he served for 12 years as President & CEO of Vertiflex, Inc, which was sold to Boston Scientific in 2019. Earlier Mr. Fender was Worldwide President of DePuy Spine, a Johnson & Johnson company, where, under his leadership, it became the world's second largest spinal implant company.
Robert Thomas
Former CEO, FoxHollow
Technologies
Robert has over 30 years of experience in medical devices spanning roles as entrepreneurial founder, CEO, Board member and trusted mentor. Perhaps most notably, he served as CEO of FoxHollow Technologies, leading the company through its highly successful initial public offering and commercial ramp to over $200M in sales. Earlier in his career, Robert founded companies which were acquired by Baxter and GE Healthcare. Robert has served on the Boards of numerous successful venture-backed companies several of which have gone public or been acquired by major industry players.
Kevin Wasserstein
Executive Director, Stanford
Medicine Catalyst
Kevin has over 30 years of healthcare leadership and industry innovation as a Venture Capitalist, Founder/CEO, Board Director & Chairperson for dozens of startups. In prior roles, Kevin spent over a decade as Managing Director at Versant Ventures, he was co-Founder, CEO & Chairman of NIT, forming and developing pioneering neurotechnology companies in partnership with State of Ohio, Ohio State University, Medtronic, and Cardinal Health; and he served as Corporate Vice President of Venture, for Boston Scientific. Kevin holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering, as well as an MBA, all from Stanford University.