Bob Kocher
InvestorUnicorn founderCo-Founder and Board Member at Lyra · Partner at Venrock · Board director at Devoted Health · Board director at Aledade
Palo Alto
Writes $2M – $10M checks · typically $6M
FoundedLyra$5.6B
Find your path to Bob
2,378 people in our graph share verified history with Bob — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Laura BuhlerunlockedBob: together at McKinsey & Company (2009–2010)
×6Bob: together at Stanford University
×2Bob: together at McKinsey & Company
Bob: together at Harvard Medical School
About
Bob Kocher is a co-founder and board member of Lyra Health, the workplace mental health company last valued at $5.58 billion, and a partner at Venrock, where he has led healthcare IT and services investments since 2011. A physician trained in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he served in the Obama White House in 2009–2010 as Special Assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy, helping shape the Affordable Care Act after leading McKinsey's healthcare economics work. He sits on the boards of Devoted Health, Virta Health, Aledade and Accompany Health among others, teaches health policy as an adjunct professor at Stanford, and writes on healthcare costs in NEJM, the Wall Street Journal and his blog Better Healthcare Sooner.
Contact· published on Bob's own website
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Co-founded Lyra Health in 2015 with David Ebersman; Lyra's leadership page credits him as Co-founder and Board Member and President of Lyra Clinical Associates, the company's medical group.
- Boards
- He is an advisory board member at the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC. He serves on the advisory board of the National Institute of Healthcare Management (NIHCM). Board member of Devoted Health, Virta Health, Aledade, Sitka, Need, Accompany Health and Premera Blue Cross; board observer at SmithRx, Stride, Suki and The Public Health Company.
- More
- Special Assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy on the National Economic Council in 2009–2010, helping shape the Affordable Care Act's cost, quality and delivery-system provisions. Partner at McKinsey & Company before the White House, where he led the McKinsey Global Institute's healthcare economics work and the Center for United States Health System Reform. Joined Venrock as a partner in May 2011, working alongside Bryan Roberts and Brian Ascher in the Palo Alto office. Adjunct professor of health policy at Stanford University School of Medicine and non-resident senior scholar at USC's Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. MD from George Washington University after undergraduate degrees at the University of Washington; research fellowship with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and NIH, then internal medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Co-hosts Venrock's podcast Running Through Walls and wrote the 2016 Wall Street Journal essay ‘How I Was Wrong About ObamaCare’.
Mentioned above: the Stanford University mafia → · the McKinsey & Company mafia → · the Venrock mafia →
From Bob's own website — common ground for a warm intro.
Board director at Devoted Health
Intro paths
→
In turn, Bob can intro founders to Devoted Health's investors below.
Devoted Health's investors · 25
Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2017Bronze InvestmentsEast Palo Alto · since 2017Capital FactoryAustin · since 2017Dns CapitalChicago · $25M – $100M checks · since 2017Dreamers VCEl Segundo · $500K – $5M checks · since 2017Emerson Collective InvestingPalo Alto · $100K – $1M checks · since 2017F-Prime CapitalCambridge · $3M – $10M checks · since 2017FPVJackson · $100K – $5M checks · since 2017Frist Cressey VenturesNashville · $500K – $20M checks · since 2017General CatalystSan Francisco · $30M checks · since 2017GreatPoint VenturesSan Francisco · $250K – $20M checks · since 2017GV (Google Ventures)Mountain View · $250K – $50M checks · since 2017ICONIQSan Francisco · since 2017Kapor CapitalOakland · $100K – $1M checks · since 2017Khosla VenturesMenlo Park · $5K – $50M checks · since 2017Maverick VenturesSan Francisco · $3M – $10M checks · since 2017NextView VenturesSan Francisco · $250K – $4M checks · since 2017Oak HC/FTStamford · since 2017Obvious VenturesSan Francisco · $250K – $6M checks · since 2017Premji InvestMenlo Park · since 2017Rogue Insight CapitalMarkham · since 2017SoftBank Vision FundLondon · since 2017VenrockPalo Alto · $500K – $10M checks · since 2017Venrock AssociatesPalo Alto · since 2017Whistler Capital PartnersNashville · since 2017
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Co-founders at Devoted Health
TP
Todd ParkCo-founder
EP
Ed ParkCo-founder
Co-Founder and Board Member at Lyra
Intro paths
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In turn, Bob can intro founders to Lyra's investors below.
Lyra's investors · 19
Adams Street PartnersChicago · $150M – $750M checks · since 2020AdditionNew York · $1M – $500M checksBreyer CapitalAustin · $500K – $10M checksCasdin CapitalNew YorkCoatue ManagementNew York · $1M – $20M checks · since 2022Dragoneer Investment GroupSan Francisco · $100K – $5M checksDurable Capital PartnersBethesdaEmerson Collective InvestingPalo Alto · $100K – $1M checksFidelity InvestmentsBostonGlynn Capital ManagementMenlo ParkGreylock PartnersSan Francisco · $100K – $200M checks · since 2018IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)San Francisco · $15M – $75M checks · since 2020IVP ExecutiveMenlo Park · since 2022Meritech Capital PartnersPalo Alto · $5M – $40M checks · since 2020PLUS CapitalVenice · $100K – $1M checksSalesforce VenturesSan Francisco · $5M – $50M checks · since 2022Tenaya CapitalPalo Alto · $5M – $10M checks · since 2020VenrockPalo Alto · $500K – $10M checks · since 2018Venrock AssociatesPalo Alto · since 2022
Co-founders at Lyra
DE
David EbersmanCo-Founder & Chairman (CEO 2015–2025)
DB
Dena BravataCo-Founder & former Chief Medical Officer
Board director at Aledade
Intro paths
→
In turn, Bob can intro founders to Aledade's investors below.
Aledade's investors · 19
Activate Venture PartnersBethlehem · $5M checksARCH Venture PartnersChicago · $50K – $250M checksBessemer Venture PartnersRedwood City · $5M – $100M checksDragoneer Investment GroupSan Francisco · $100K – $5M checksEcho Health VenturesDurhamFidelity InvestmentsBoston · since 2023Flare Capital PartnersBoston · $1M – $10M checksGreylock PartnersSan Francisco · $100K – $200M checksGV (Google Ventures)Mountain View · $250K – $50M checksIntrepid Growth PartnersTorontoIVP (Institutional Venture Partners)San Francisco · $15M – $75M checksLightspeed Venture PartnersMenlo Park · $1.7M – $87M checks · since 2026McKesson VenturesSan FranciscoMeritech Capital PartnersPalo Alto · $5M – $40M checksOMERS Private Equity Inc.TorontoTenaya CapitalPalo Alto · $5M – $10M checksTiger Global ManagementNew York · $1M – $100M checksVenrockPalo Alto · $500K – $10M checks · since 2023Venrock AssociatesPalo Alto · since 2023
Co-founders at Aledade
BS
Bijan SalehizadehCo-founder
FM
Farzad MostashariChief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
MK
Mat KendallPresident and Co-Founder
Experience
- VenrockPartnercurrent2011 — presentPalo Alto, CA
- Stanford UniversityAdjunct Professorcurrent2014 — presentPalo Alto
- University of Southern CaliforniaNon-Resident Senior Fellow, Schaeffer Center for Healthcare Policycurrent2012 — presentLos Angeles
- Castilleja SchoolTrusteecurrent2021 — presentPalo Alto, California, United States
- The Brookings InstitutionNon-Resident Senior Fellow2010 — 2018Washington D.C. Metro Area
- The White HouseSpecial Assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy2009 — 2010
- McKinsey & CompanyPartner2001 — 2010Washington D.C. Metro Area
Skills & more
Strategy85Strategic Planning17Public Policy99Policy Analysis59Economics35Government Relations4Health Economics13Public Health Policy5Venture Capital50Healthcare IT5Healthcare Information Technology20Health Policy99
+10 more
LobbyingProgram EvaluationHealthcareEntrepreneurshipInternational DevelopmentStart-upsPolicyManagement ConsultingPublic HealthSocial EntrepreneurshipFrom Bob's professional profile.
Deals · 2
Sitka Inc./DelawareBoard seat
via Venrock · filed Jan 2021 · $14.2M raise
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Other disclosed investments
Board seats
Accompany HealthAledadeCastlightDevoted HealthDoctor on DemandGrand RoundsIncluded HealthLyra HealthNeedPremera Blue CrossRenew HealthSitkaSmithrxStrideSukiThe Public Health CompanyVirta Health
Sources: curated public sources · SEC Form D filings.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Bob KocherBob Kocher on gen-AI startups and the Change Healthcare cyberattack
STAT Breakthrough Summit West · statnews.com
CareTalk Podcast Episode #71 - CareTalk vs. Venrock's Bob Kocher: 2021 Healthcare Predictions
CareTalk Podcast
The End of Investing in Digital Health Point Solutions | Bob Kocher & Bryan Roberts of Venrock
WTF Health
Venrock Partner Dr. Bob Kocher
vimeo.com
20VC 074: The Future of Healthcare with Bob Kocher, Partner @ Venrock
The Twenty Minute VC · thetwentyminutevc.com
From Deus Ex Medicina: Vinod Khosla, Bob Kocher & Annie Lamont
Newcomer Podcast · podcast.newcomer.co
Colleagues at Venrock
Network3
Ajay VasheeScout
Investor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)
Somesh DashScout
Investor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)
Ethan Batraski
Partner at Venrock
Investors connected to Bob in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Bob Kocher?
- Bob Kocher is a co-founder and board member of Lyra Health, the workplace mental health company last valued at $5.58 billion, and a partner at Venrock, where he has led healthcare IT and services investments since 2011. A physician trained in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he served in the Obama White House in 2009–2010 as Special Assistant to the President for Healthcare and Economic Policy, helping shape the Affordable Care Act after leading McKinsey's healthcare economics work. He sits on the boards of Devoted Health, Virta Health, Aledade and Accompany Health among others, teaches health policy as an adjunct professor at Stanford, and writes on healthcare costs in NEJM, the Wall Street Journal and his blog Better Healthcare Sooner.
- Where does Bob Kocher work?
- Bob Kocher is Co-Founder and Board Member of Lyra and Partner at Venrock and Board director at Devoted Health and Board director at Aledade.
- What check size does Bob Kocher write?
- Bob Kocher typically writes checks of $2M – $10M.
- What companies did Bob Kocher found?
- Bob Kocher founded Lyra.
- What boards does Bob Kocher sit on?
- Bob Kocher holds tracked board seats at Accompany Health, Aledade, Castlight, Devoted Health, Doctor on Demand, Grand Rounds, Included Health, Lyra, Lyra Health, Need.
- Where did Bob Kocher go to school?
- Bob Kocher studied at Harvard Medical School (Internal Medicine Residency); The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (MD, Medicine); University of Washington (BA and BS, Political Science and Zoology).
- What podcasts and interviews feature Bob Kocher?
- Tracked appearances include "Bob Kocher on gen-AI startups and the Change Healthcare cyberattack", "CareTalk Podcast Episode #71 - CareTalk vs. Venrock's Bob Kocher: 2021 Healthcare Predictions", "The End of Investing in Digital Health Point Solutions | Bob Kocher & Bryan Roberts of Venrock", and 3 more.
Founder mafias
Stanford University mafia1,932
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Peter ThielJ.D.Founded PayPal +1Reid HoffmanB.S.Founded LinkedIn +2David SacksB.A.Founded YammerKeith RaboisB.A.Founded OpendoorGarry TanBSFounded Y Combinator +1Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +5
+ 1,925 more
McKinsey & Company mafia736
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Elad GilConsultantFounded Brain Co. +1Mike SpeiserAssociateFounded Pure StorageFabrice GrindaConsultantFounded FJ labsTony XuBusiness AnalystFounded DoorDashAlexandre ProtAssociateFounded Smartven +1Jagmeet LambaSenior Strategy ConsultantFounded Certa +3
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Harvard Medical School mafia111
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
George ChurchFounded Editas Medicine +5Sangeeta N. BhatiaDoctor of Medicine (MD)Founded Port Therapeutics +3Andrey ZarurClinical ImmunologyFounded GreenLight Pandemic Response +3Howard ChangM.D.Founded Accent Therapeutics +3Michael TolentinoResidencyFounded Aviceda Therapeutics +2Venky SoundararajanResearch Fellowship in GeneticsFounded nference +2
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Venrock mafia18
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Aaron WhiteVice PresidentFounded Blissfully +1Nimish ShahVHCPFounded Apogee Therapeutics +1Andrew GottesdienerVHCPFounded Apogee Therapeutics +1William RossInvestorFounded Federato +1Ken SongPartnerFounded Rayze Bio +1David PakmanAdvisorFounded Apple
+ 11 more
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences mafia8
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Scott Wolf, MDMDFounded Cardiac Dimensions +3Reza Sanai MD, FACCDoctor of Medicine - MD (AOA honor society)Founded PicassoJunaid ShamsDoctor of Medicine (M.D.)Founded RooamSam TetlowMSHSFounded AmalgentRafid FadulMDFounded Zivian HealthJude OduMaster of ScienceFounded Health Cost IQ
+ 1 more
Same school
Also attended Harvard Medical School245
Niko BonatsosFounder and Managing Partner of VerdictAnthony PhilippakisInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Ben RobbinsInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)David ReshefInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Krishna YeshwantInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Morgan CheathamPartner and Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Breyer Capital
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+ 239 more
Also attended The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences11
Luciana BorioVenture Partner at ARCH Venture PartnersBill HyunVenture Partner at Genoa VenturesAlex YangFellow - Innovation & Operations at Kicker VenturesScott Wolf, MDFounder/Founding CEO at Volt HealthReza Sanai MD, FACCFounder at PicassoLuciana Borio, M.D.Venture Partner at ARCH Venture Partners
+ 5 more
Also attended University of Washington469
Andrew ChenGeneral Partner at Andreessen HorowitzArvind JainFounder & CEO of GleanJane MooneyCo-founder & VP, Strategy and Finance at Collaborative RoboticsVictoria TreygerGeneral Partner at Felicis VenturesAndrewAdvisor at Clear VenturesJoe HorsmanInvestor at Madrona Venture Group
+ 463 more
Shared employers
Also worked at University of Southern California125
Alyssa TsenterSenior Associate at Flare Capital PartnersCoco DongDirector, Quantitative Applications at Deerfield Management CompanyJillian ShawVenture Partner at Magnetic VenturesZach PosnerManaging Partner & Co-Founder at LegalTechAndreas QuandtGeneral Partner at Data TechMatt MichelsonVenture Partner and Head of AI at Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health
)
+ 119 more
Also worked at Castilleja School2
Also worked at The Brookings Institution34
Mounisha AnumoluInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Pascual Cortes-MonroyPrincipal at NorthzonePaul JennyBoard Chair at CincyTechSteve SargeantSenior Advisory Board at IronGate Capital AdvisorsTed VinnitchoukAnalyst at White Star CapitalAndrew RubensteinInvestor at Shorewind Capital
+ 28 more
Also worked at The White House68
Steve CaseChairman & CEO of Revolution; co-founder of AOLNekeshia WoodsManaging Partner at Parkway Venture CapitalPhil VenablesVenture Partner at Ballistic VenturesBarr YaronPartner at Amplify PartnersEmily FritzePartner at The Westly GroupDon BaerSenior Advisor at Audere Capital
+ 62 more