Larry Bock

Larry Bock is an entrepreneur who has aided in starting or financing 40 early stage growth companies, with a combined market value of more than $30 billion.

Early life

He received a degree in biochemistry and has an MBA. After school, he worked for Genentech. Bock is a donor, co-founder, and the executive director of USA Science and Engineering Festival.

Career

Bock was highlighted as a "keystone species" in the ecosystem of Silicon Valley in the book The Rainforest. A keystone species, in the innovation context, is someone who connects people who would benefit from working together, but who would not work together under normal circumstances because of trust, distance, and/or cultural barriers.

Bock was previously a CEO of Nanosys, where he helped to raise $55 million in funding. Bock was also a special limited partner with Lux Capital.

Investments

Bock's investments include:

3

Bock founded multiple companies:

• Illumina, a biotechnology company for genetic products
• Nanosys, a nanotechnology company for optics and batteries
• Pharmacopeia biotechnology, a company investigating small molecule combinatorial chemistry
• Idun Pharmaceuticals, a company developing drugs targeting apoptosis
• Caliper Life Sciences, which aids in drug discovery.

USA Science and Engineering Festival

Bock worked with Lockheed Martin to start the first festival in San Diego. It was later moved to Washington D.C.