Where does Jay W. Schmelter work?

Jay W. Schmelter is Co-founder & Managing Director at RiverVest Venture Partners and Board director at Alleviant Medical Inc and Board director at Smart Wires and Board director at Tryton Medical.

What boards does Jay W. Schmelter sit on?

Jay W. Schmelter holds tracked board seats at Alleviant Medical Inc, Cardialen Inc, Intervene Inc, Smart Wires, Tryton Medical.

What companies has Jay W. Schmelter invested in?

Investments tracked here include Salient Surgical.

Where did Jay W. Schmelter go to school?

Jay W. Schmelter studied at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (MBA); Michigan State University (B.A. Accounting).

Jay W. Schmelter

Investor

Co-founder & Managing Director at RiverVest Venture Partners · Board director at Alleviant Medical Inc · Board director at Smart Wires · Board director at Tryton Medical

St. Louis

About

Jay Schmelter is a co-founder of RiverVest Venture Partners, a St. Louis-based venture capital firm focused on life science companies, which he helped launch alongside Tom Melzer and Andy Craig. Since RiverVest's formation and Fund I, the firm has made investments across medical device and biopharma companies, with 61 investments and 41 exits, and portfolio companies whose products have treated patients worldwide. Schmelter was a co-founder of portfolio company Salient Surgical, one of the firm's first two investments. He continues to focus on enabling entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize novel life science technologies.

Contact· published on Jay's own website

j•••@rivervest.comreveal

Beyond investing

Founded: Co-founded RiverVest Venture Partners alongside Tom Melzer and Andy Craig. Co-founded Salient Surgical, one of RiverVest's first two portfolio investments.

From Jay's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Board director at Alleviant Medical Inc

Intro paths

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In turn, Jay can intro founders to Alleviant Medical Inc's investors below.

Alleviant Medical Inc's investors · 9

Broadview VenturesBoston Cadence Healthcare VenturesHayward · since 2024 Gilde HealthcareUtrecht · $1.1M – $55M checks · since 2025 Gilmartin Capital LLCLarkspur · since 2025 National Institutes of Health (NIH)since 2018 RiverVest Venture PartnersSt. Louis · $500K – $3M checks · since 2025 S3 VenturesAustin · $500K – $15M checks · since 2025 TMC Venture FundHouston · since 2025 Vensana CapitalMinneapolis · since 2025

Co-founders at Alleviant Medical Inc

Adam BermanExecutive Officer, Director

Board director at Smart Wires

Intro paths

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In turn, Jay can intro founders to Smart Wires's investors below.

Smart Wires's investors · 3

3x5 PartnersPortland · since 2015 Energy Transition VenturesHouston · $100K – $5M checks RiverVest Venture PartnersSt. Louis · $500K – $3M checks · since 2018

Board director at Tryton Medical

Intro paths

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In turn, Jay can intro founders to Tryton Medical's investors below.

Tryton Medical's investors · 1

RiverVest Venture PartnersSt. Louis · $500K – $3M checks · since 2017

Co-founders at Tryton Medical

AARON V. KAPLANDirector

Experience

RiverVest Venture PartnersCo-Founder and Managing Directorcurrent2000 — presentSt. Louis, Missouri
Crescendo VenturesPrincipal1998 — 2000Minneapolis, Minnesota
Piper JaffrayEquity Research Analyst1996 — 1998Minneapolis, Minnesota
MedtronicMarketing Manager1994 — 1996Minneapolis, Minnesota
General MillsSenior Financial Analyst1987 — 1992Minneapolis, Minnesota

Skills & more

Venture Capital27Equity Research3Product Marketing10Corporate Finance15Alternative Investments7Deal Structuring3

From Jay's professional profile.

Deals · 5

Alleviant Medical IncBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed Jan 2025 · $91.4M raise

Intervene IncBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed Mar 2023 · $3M raise

Cardialen IncBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed Jul 2021 · $4.4M raise

Smart WiresBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed Nov 2018 · $20M raise

Tryton MedicalBoard seat

via RiverVest Venture Partners · filed Feb 2017 · $8M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Other disclosed investments

Investor

Salient Surgical

Sources: SEC Form D filings · the investor's own website.

Colleagues at RiverVest Venture Partners

Alessandro Sette

Scientific Advisor; Professor and Member, La Jolla Institute for Immunology at RiverVest Venture Partners

Andrew Kleiboeker

Associate at RiverVest Venture Partners

Andy Craig

Co-founder at RiverVest Venture Partners

Corrin Short

Executive Assistant at RiverVest Venture Partners

Courtney Harris

Controller at RiverVest Venture Partners

Gary DeCrescenzo

Scientific Advisor; Independent Consultant, Pharmaceutical Research and Development at RiverVest Venture Partners

Isaac Zike

Managing Director at RiverVest Venture Partners

Jared Rutter

Scientific Advisor; Professor of Biochemistry and HHMI Investigator, University of Utah at RiverVest Venture Partners

Network1

Tom Melzer

Co-founder at RiverVest Venture Partners

Investors connected to Jay in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jay W. Schmelter?: Jay Schmelter is a co-founder of RiverVest Venture Partners, a St. Louis-based venture capital firm focused on life science companies, which he helped launch alongside Tom Melzer and Andy Craig. Since RiverVest's formation and Fund I, the firm has made investments across medical device and biopharma companies, with 61 investments and 41 exits, and portfolio companies whose products have treated patients worldwide. Schmelter was a co-founder of portfolio company Salient Surgical, one of the firm's first two investments. He continues to focus on enabling entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize novel life science technologies.
Where does Jay W. Schmelter work?: Jay W. Schmelter is Co-founder & Managing Director at RiverVest Venture Partners and Board director at Alleviant Medical Inc and Board director at Smart Wires and Board director at Tryton Medical.
What boards does Jay W. Schmelter sit on?: Jay W. Schmelter holds tracked board seats at Alleviant Medical Inc, Cardialen Inc, Intervene Inc, Smart Wires, Tryton Medical.
What companies has Jay W. Schmelter invested in?: Investments tracked here include Salient Surgical.
Where did Jay W. Schmelter go to school?: Jay W. Schmelter studied at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (MBA); Michigan State University (B.A. Accounting).