Jonathan Behr

Jon is a Partner in the Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF) and has supported the funding and formation of numerous DDF companies developing transformational new medicines for dementia. He joined SV Health Investors in 2019 and brings over 15 years of venture and venture creation experience to the DDF including as managing director of a mission driven fund.

DDF Portfolio Board Roles

Caraway Therapeutics, Nitrase Therapeutics, QurAlis, Ribometrix, Transposon Therapeutics and Violet Therapeutics.

Prior to joining the DDF, Dr. Behr was the first managing director of the JDRF T1D Fund, a now $175 million mission-driven fund focused on venture investments in companies developing solutions for type 1 diabetes. In less than three years, he developed the fund’s investment strategy with the board of directors, built an investment team, and invested in an initial portfolio of 13 equity investments including Semma Tx (acquired by VRTX), Provention Bio (PRVB, acquired by SNY), SQZ Biotechnologies (SQZ), and Pandion Therapeutics (PAND, acquired by MRK).

Prior to the JDRF T1D Fund, Jon was a Market Sector Leader and Executive in Residence at Partners Healthcare Innovation, leading a team responsible for driving technology translation from research hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School. His areas of responsibility included neuroscience, and successes included Tilos Therapeutics (acquired by MRK). He has held senior venture creation roles, including Principal at PureTech Ventures (PRTC) and Vice President of New Ventures for Enlight Biosciences. In these roles he co-founded and supported seven companies and took senior operating roles in several. In his prior roles he was a director or observer on more than 14 company boards including Provention Bio, Pandion Therapeutics, Semma Therapeutics (acquired by VRTX), AntolRx, Exosome Diagnostics, and Entrega Inc.

Academic credentials

Jon earned a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellow, and received his B.S. in Bioengineering summa cum laude as phi-beta-kappa co-valedictorian from Rice University.