Find your path to Justin
492 people in our graph share verified history with Justin — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Luna SchmidunlockedJustin: together at Warburg Pincus (2015)
×7Justin: together at Khosla Ventures
×3Justin: together at Warburg Pincus
Justin: together at Stanford Law School
About
Justin Kao is a partner at DFJ Growth who invests in companies transforming human health. He co-founded Helix in 2015, serving as founding CEO and later chief business officer, where he led partnerships with health systems, payers, and life sciences companies and worked on the company's COVID-19 diagnostic testing efforts. Before DFJ Growth, he was a partner at Khosla Ventures and an investor at Warburg Pincus, and earlier worked at Boston Consulting Group and Onyx Pharmaceuticals. He holds a BS in chemical engineering and MS in bioengineering from Stanford, plus a JD from Stanford Law School and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Contact· self-published, not guessed
Invests in
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechDigital HealthHealthtech
Board director at Earli
Intro paths
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In turn, Justin can intro founders to Earli's investors below.
Earli's investors · 7
Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2021Breyer CapitalAustin · $500K – $10M checks · since 2021DFJSan Mateo · since 2021Han River PartnersMenlo Park · since 2021Khosla VenturesMenlo Park · $5K – $50M checks · since 2021MBX CapitalClaymont · $250K – $2.5M checks · since 2021Menlo VenturesSan Francisco · $1M – $20M checks · since 2021
Co-founders at Earli
DS
Dr. Sam GambhirFounder
CR
Cyriac RoedingCo-founder
DD
Dr. David SuhyCo-founder & Chief Scientific Officer
Experience
- DFJ GrowthPartnercurrent2021 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- Khosla VenturesPartner2020 — 2021San Francisco Bay Area
- HelixCo-Founder and Chief Business Officer2015 — 2020San Mateo, CA
- Warburg PincusVice President, Healthcare2010 — 2015New York, San Francisco
- Onyx PharmaceuticalsIntern, Corporate Development2009
- Cooley Godward Kronish LLPSummer Associate2008
- The Boston Consulting GroupAssociate2005 — 2007
Skills & more
Valuation12Mergers & Acquisitions18Private Equity25Lifesciences2Oncology4Analysis5Financial Modeling8Competitive Analysis9Corporate Development17Due Diligence12Leadership7Management12
+9 more
BiotechnologyInvestmentsStrategyCommercializationMergersLife SciencesVenture CapitalDesignMergers & Acquisitions (M&A)From Justin's professional profile.
Deals · 3
Delfi Diagnostics, Inc.Board seat
via DFJ · filed Dec 2025 · $60M raise
InflammatixBoard seat
via DFJ · filed Mar 2021 · $102.4M raise
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Other disclosed investments
Investor
Accriva DiagnosticsConstitution MedicalDelfi DiagnosticsHelixJHP PharmaceuticalsOsmindOutset MedicalParadigmSilk Road MedicalSingular BioSOC Telemed
Sources: SEC Form D filings · the firm's website · curated public sources.
Colleagues at DFJ
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Justin Kao?
- Justin Kao is a partner at DFJ Growth who invests in companies transforming human health. He co-founded Helix in 2015, serving as founding CEO and later chief business officer, where he led partnerships with health systems, payers, and life sciences companies and worked on the company's COVID-19 diagnostic testing efforts. Before DFJ Growth, he was a partner at Khosla Ventures and an investor at Warburg Pincus, and earlier worked at Boston Consulting Group and Onyx Pharmaceuticals. He holds a BS in chemical engineering and MS in bioengineering from Stanford, plus a JD from Stanford Law School and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
- Where does Justin Kao work?
- Justin Kao is Partner at DFJ and Board director at Earli.
- What does Justin Kao invest in?
- Justin Kao invests in AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Deep Tech, Digital Health, Healthtech.
- What check size does Justin Kao write?
- Justin Kao typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
- What boards does Justin Kao sit on?
- Justin Kao holds tracked board seats at Delfi Diagnostics, Inc., Earli, Inflammatix.
- What companies has Justin Kao invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Accriva Diagnostics, Constitution Medical, Delfi Diagnostics, Earli, Helix, JHP Pharmaceuticals, Osmind, Outset Medical, Paradigm, Silk Road Medical, Singular Bio, SOC Telemed.
- Where did Justin Kao go to school?
- Justin Kao studied at Stanford University Graduate School of Business (MBA, Business); Stanford Law School (JD, Law); Stanford University (MS, Bioengineering).
Founder mafias
Stanford University mafia1,934
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Peter ThielB.A.Founded PayPalReid HoffmanB.S.Founded LinkedIn +2David SacksB.A.Founded YammerKeith RaboisB.A.Founded OpendoorGarry TanBSFounded Y Combinator +1Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +5
+ 1,927 more
Stanford University Graduate School of Business mafia748
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Steve JurvetsonMaster of Business Administration (MBA)Founded Future Ventures +1Theresia GouwMBAFounded EarlyTony XuMBAFounded DoorDashDavid VélezMBAFounded Nubank +1IanMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Founded Apex Technology +3Matt RouifStanford Ignite (Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship)Founded Photoroom +3
+ 741 more
The Boston Consulting Group mafia83
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Remco van ZantenProject LeaderFounded Zalando +2Jake SchwartzSummer ConsultantFounded Brave Health +1Sheel MohnotConsultantFounded Thistle +1Domenico CipollaProject LeaderFounded Home24 +1Gerry Giacomán ColyerSummer AssociateFounded Clara +1Mohandass KalaichelvanManagement ConsultantFounded Spenmo +1
+ 76 more
Stanford Law School mafia22
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Miriam RiveraJDFounded Ulu Ventures +1Ross ChaninDoctor of Law - JDFounded Reputation Com +1Orlando BravoDoctor of Law (JD)Founded Thoma BravoLauri Kien KotcherJDFounded The Shade StoreMichael BroukhimJDFounded FabFitFunElizabeth CholawskyDirectors' CollegeFounded HG Insights
+ 15 more
Khosla Ventures mafia21
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Vinod KhoslaFounderFounded AliveCorKeith RaboisManaging DirectorFounded OpendoorDelian AsparouhovPrincipalFounded Nightingale +1Nessan BerminghamOperatorFounded Korro Bio +2Uri LopatinOperatorFounded Assemblybio +2Shaoib MakaniInvestorFounded Motive Technologies +1
+ 14 more
Same school
Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business2,000
Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkDavid SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockKatherine BoyleGeneral Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism)Hunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at HomebrewScott SandellExecutive Chairman & Chief Investment Officer at NEA
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Stanford Law School130
Steve AbbottPartner, Capital Markets at Sapphire VenturesMichael KlaykoOperating Executive at Marlin Equity PartnersSandy MillerInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Tim HsiaFounder at Context VenturesRenataCo-founder at Renegade PartnersShawn ConwayManaging Partner and COO at Questa Capital
+ 124 more
Also attended Stanford University2,000
Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; former White House AI & Crypto CzarGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia CapitalJim BreyerFounder & CEO of Breyer CapitalMike Maples JrCo-founding Partner at Floodgate
+ 1,994 more
Shared employers
Also worked at DFJ Growth20
Mikowai AshwillInvestor at Spark CapitalBarry SchulerFounder and Managing Partner at DFJRandy GleinFounder and Managing Partner at DFJSam FortPartner at DFJJocelyn KinseyPartner at DFJKevin TuPartner at DFJ
+ 14 more
Also worked at Khosla Ventures88
Keith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesDelian AsparouhovPartner at Founders Fund and co-founder of VardaDavid WeidenInvestor at Khosla VenturesSamir KaulInvestor at Khosla VenturesSven StrohbandInvestor at Khosla VenturesAdina TeckluInvestor at Khosla Ventures
+ 82 more
Also worked at Warburg Pincus139
Luna SchmidInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Aftab MathurManaging Director at Temasek at Golden Gate VenturesLawrence BettinoManaging Director at Dot CapitalAndrew ScottSenior Finance Manager at GreycroftMiloni Madan PreslerInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Eugene "Gene" PodsiadloSenior Strategic Advisor, Special Limited Partner at AI Capital
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+ 133 more
Also worked at Onyx Pharmaceuticals24
MattInvestor at Bungalow CapitalChris PeetzEntrepreneur-in-Residence at Frazier Life SciencesJohn OsbornVenture Partner and Principal at Bioventures InvestorsKristin Baker SpohnGeneral Partner at CRV (Charles River Ventures)Luigi CostaInvestor at Pureos BioventuresHelen KimPartner at The Column Group
+ 18 more