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 · 6
Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2021Breyer CapitalAustin · $500K – $10M checks · since 2021DFJSan Mateo · since 2021Han River PartnersMenlo Park · 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 MedicalHelixJHP PharmaceuticalsOutset MedicalSilk Road MedicalSingular BioSOC Telemed
Sources: SEC Form D filings · the firm's website.
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, Helix, JHP Pharmaceuticals, Outset Medical, 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 mafia903
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Peter ThielJ.D.Founded PayPal +1Reid HoffmanB.S.Founded LinkedIn +2Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +3Mike Maples JrBSFounded Pattern BreakersSteve JurvetsonMSEEFounded Mojo VisionBalaji SrinivasanGraduate StudentFounded Counsyl +1
+ 896 more
Stanford University Graduate School of Business mafia267
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Steve JurvetsonMaster of Business Administration (MBA)Founded Mojo VisionTony XuMBAFounded DoorDashDavid VélezMBAFounded NubankMatt RouifStanford Ignite (Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship)Founded Photoroom +3IanMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Founded Immunity Project +2Mikhail KokorichStanford Executive ProgramFounded Destinus +2
+ 260 more
The Boston Consulting Group mafia52
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Adam BergerCase Team LeaderFounded Digital Room +2Jake SchwartzSummer ConsultantFounded Brave Health +1Sheel MohnotConsultantFounded Thistle +1Remco van ZantenProject LeaderFounded Zalando +1Sergio FurioProject LeaderFounded Creditas +1Victor NogueraConsultantFounded Labsense +1
+ 45 more
Khosla Ventures mafia14
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Vinod KhoslaFounderFounded AliveCorDelian AsparouhovPrincipalFounded Nightingale +1Nessan BerminghamOperatorFounded Korro Bio +2Uri LopatinOperatorFounded Pardes Biosciences +1Hari ArulInvestorFounded BoldAustin HayOperatorFounded Clarify
+ 7 more
Stanford Law School mafia13
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Miriam RiveraJDFounded Ulu Ventures +1Ross ChaninDoctor of Law - JDFounded Reputation Com +1Lauri Kien KotcherJDFounded The Shade StoreMichael BroukhimJDFounded FabFitFunElizabeth CholawskyDirectors' CollegeFounded HG InsightsKat OrekhovaDirectors’ CollegeFounded Vareto
+ 6 more
Same school
Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business1,384
Roelof BothaAdvisor & former Steward at Sequoia Capital; SpaceX board memberPeter FentonGeneral Partner at BenchmarkSteve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesDavid SzeAdvisory Partner at GreylockKatherine BoyleGeneral Partner at Andreessen Horowitz (American Dynamism)Hunter WalkCo-founder & Partner at Homebrew
+ 1,378 more
Also attended Stanford Law School74
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
+ 68 more
Also attended Stanford University2,000
Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundReid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; former White House AI & Crypto CzarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital
+ 1,994 more
Shared employers
Also worked at DFJ Growth16
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
+ 10 more
Also worked at Khosla Ventures85
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
+ 79 more
Also worked at Warburg Pincus72
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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+ 66 more
Also worked at Onyx Pharmaceuticals7
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
+ 1 more