General Partner
As a physician, Jon Root evaluates investments in the medical field with a practitioner’s eye. Jon joined USVP in 1995 as a Ewing Marion Kauffman Fellow in venture capital. He became a general partner in 1997. Before USVP, Jon was on the faculty and clinical staff at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York City. There he was an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Director of the Neurology-Neurosurgery Special Care Unit. He is board certified in neurology.
Jon currently serves on the board of directors of USVP portfolio companies Carlsmed (CARL), Contego Medical, HealthJoy, Nervonik, Okami Medical, Omada Health (OMDA), Route 92 Medical, Surgical Safety Technologies, VI1 and VS3 Medical. He is a board observer at Carrot Fertility and Sparrow Pharmaceuticals. Jon is on the board of Edgewise Therapeutics (EWTX), a former USVP portfolio company. Jon was on the board of directors of Inari Medical, another former USVP portfolio company, until its acquisition by Stryker Corporation (SYK) in February 2025. Jon is a former board member of the National Venture Capital Association. He is a member of Dartmouth Innovations Accelerator for Cancer External Review Panel.
Jon maintains relationships with leading medical schools on both coasts. He enjoys helping entrepreneurs connect with leading specialists for nuanced input on target product profile, product design and clinical development.
Jon holds an A.B. in Economics from Dartmouth College, an M.D. from the University of Florida College of Medicine, and an M.B.A. from Columbia University.