Fundraising Fox

Krishna Polu

Investor

Principal at Red Tree Venture

San Francisco Bay Area

Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M

FoundedGoldilocks Therapeutics

Experience

  1. R1 TherapeuticsPresident and CEOcurrent2025 — presentRedwood City, California, United States
  2. AbingworthAdvisorcurrent2025 — presentMenlo Park, CA
  3. Catalys PacificAdvisorcurrent2020 — present
  4. Lupus VenturesMember of the Investment Committeecurrent2026 — present
  5. Lupus Research AllianceSteering Committee Member, Venture Philanthropy2024 — 2025
  6. Commit BiologicsChief Executive Officer2023 — 2025Aarhus, Central Denmark Region, Denmark
  7. Sardona TherapeuticsDirector Board of Directors2023San Francisco, California, United States
  8. Bicara TherapeuticsDirector Board of Directors2022 — 2023Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  9. Red Tree Venture CapitalPrincipal2020 — 2023
  10. Frazier Healthcare PartnersDirector Board of Directors2020 — 2022
  11. Equillium, Inc.EVP of R&D and Chief Medical Officer2018 — 2021
  12. Scout BioInterim CEO2018
  13. Frazier Healthcare PartnersEntrepreneur In Residence2017 — 2018Menlo Park, CA
  14. Raptor PharmaceuticalsChief Medical Officer2015 — 2016Novato, California
  15. CytomX TherapeuticsChief Medical Officer2013 — 2014South San Francisco, CA
  16. AffymaxVice President, Clinical Development2009 — 2013
  17. AmgenExecutive Director, Clinical Development2005 — 2009

Education

  1. Stanford UniversityBA, Human Biology1991 — 1995
  2. Harvard Medical SchoolFellowship in Nephrology2003 — 2005
  3. Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessCertificate, Directors Consortium
  4. University of Colorado AnschutzResidency in Internal Medicine1999 — 2003
  5. UT Health San AntonioMD1995 — 1999

Skills & more

Clinical Development60Biotechnology50Cardiovascular Medicine1Pharmacovigilance12Risk Management5Nephrology34Oncology28FDA6Diabetes19Internal Medicine11Therapeutic Areas6Lifesciences11
+12 moreEDCCROMedicinePharmaceutical IndustryClinical ResearchPharmaceutical SalesNeurologyDrug DevelopmentTranslational MedicineClinical TrialsINDBiopharmaceuticals

From Krishna's professional profile.

Deals · 1

Goldilocks TherapeuticsBoard seat

via Red Tree Venture · filed Apr 2021 · $1.2M raise

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

Colleagues at Red Tree Venture

Adam Silverman
Red Tree Venture Labs Biologics at Red Tree Venture
Antonio Lepore
Senior Associate at Red Tree Venture
Ariell Ortega
Executive Assistant at Red Tree Venture
Bill Robinson
Scientific Advisory Board - Immunology; Chief, Stanford Division of Immunology and Rheumatology at Red Tree Venture
Brian Stearns
Red Tree Venture Labs Chemistry at Red Tree Venture
Cassie Lue
VP of Investor Relations at Red Tree Venture
Crystal Mackall
Scientific Advisory Board - Oncology; Director, Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy at Red Tree Venture
Deborah Nguyen
Red Tree Venture Labs Operating Partner at Red Tree Venture

Frequently asked questions

Where does Krishna Polu work?
Krishna Polu is Principal at Red Tree Venture.
What check size does Krishna Polu write?
Krishna Polu typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
What companies did Krishna Polu found?
Krishna Polu founded Goldilocks Therapeutics.

Founder mafias

Stanford University mafia855

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Reid HoffmanB.S.Founded Manas AI +1Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +3Mike Maples JrBSFounded Pattern BreakersSteve JurvetsonBSEEFounded Mojo VisionBalaji SrinivasanGraduate StudentFounded Counsyl +1Jess LeeBSFounded Polyvore

+ 848 more

Stanford University Graduate School of Business mafia252

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Steve JurvetsonMaster of Business Administration (MBA)Founded Mojo VisionIanMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Founded Immunity Project +2Mikhail KokorichStanford Executive ProgramFounded Destinus +2Matt RouifStanford Ignite (Summer Institute for Entrepreneurship)Founded Photoroom +2Jesse BuckinghamMaster of Business Administration (M.B.A.)Founded Vooma +2Don MuirMaster of Business Administration - MBAFounded Arc +2

+ 245 more

Harvard Medical School mafia26

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Sangeeta N. BhatiaDoctor of Medicine (MD)Founded Port Therapeutics +3Lyle BerkowitzMedical informatics sub-fellowshipFounded Apollo Health +1Rushika FernandopulleM.D.Founded Iora HealthKevin BittermanPh.D.Founded Editas MedicineKush M ParmarMDFounded Homology Medicines, Inc.Carlos LoyaPhDFounded Aldebaran Therapeutics

+ 19 more

Frazier Healthcare Partners mafia7

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Maria FardisVenture PartnerFounded Airnexis Therapeutics Inc +1Brian FarmerEntrepreneur in ResidenceFounded InipharmGordon McMurrayEntrepreneur In ResidenceFounded Outpost MedicineChris PeetzEntrepreneur-in-ResidenceFounded Mirum PharmaceuticalsAngie YouSenior AdvisorFounded Architect TherapeuticsMark GilreathOperating PartnerFounded United Digestive

Catalys Pacific mafia2

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Brian Taylor SlingsbyFounder & Managing Director, MD, PhD, MPHFounded Mineralys Therapeutics

Same school

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; PCAST co-chair; former White House AI & crypto czarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital

+ 1,994 more

Also attended Harvard Medical School135

Niko BonatsosInvestment Team at General CatalystAnthony 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

+ 129 more

Also attended Stanford University Graduate School of Business1,291

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

+ 1,285 more

Also attended UT Health San Antonio4

Mitzi KrockoverInvestor at Golden SeedsLawrence CarterFellow at High Street Equity PartnersKavita PatelVenture Advisor at New Enterprise Associates (NEA)Zack ScottGeneral Partner at Norwest Venture Partners

Shared employers

Also worked at Lupus Ventures1

Nishant RastogiVice President at New Rhein Healthcare Investors, LLC

Also worked at Frazier Healthcare Partners27

Steph ScottVice President at Questa CapitalChelsea WeiCFO at OSS CapitalWillis ChandlerExecutive Advisor at LRVHealthKevin LiPrincipal at Frazier Life SciencesMaria FardisVenture Partner at Frazier Life SciencesBrian FarmerEntrepreneur-in-Residence at Frazier Life Sciences

+ 21 more

Also worked at Equillium, Inc.1

Daniel BradburyInvestor at BioBrit

Also worked at Scout Bio5

Brian LongManaging Partner at Atlantic Bridge VenturesJulia StephanusPartner at Borealis VenturesPatrick HeronManaging Partner at Frazier Life SciencesAditya KohliPartner at Frazier Life SciencesJean Baptiste WautierChair of Investment Committee at SCI Ventures