Prospect Venture Partners

Russell Hirsch, MD, PHD
Managing Director

Russell has been a successful venture capital investor in medical technology and biotechnology companies since 1992. He has helped build and grow numerous category leading enterprises as an active investor, board member and co-founder, and he has established a strong investment track record by working closely with executives to build compelling new businesses. Prior to his venture capital career, Russell was an accomplished research scientist, and his research work has been published in a number of prestigious medical journals including Nature. Russell has led numerous successful investments for Prospect in biotechnology and medical devices.

David Schnell, MD
Managing Director

David has been a successful venture capital investor in health care and biotechnology for over 25 years. He has helped build and grow numerous category leading enterprises by providing strategic, financial and operating guidance as an active investor, board member, co-founder, and operating executive. David has invested in over 60 venture-backed companies with his partners and built a strong investment track record by supporting talented entrepreneurs launch and grow compelling new businesses across a variety of industries. He has led numerous successful investments for Prospect in biotechnology.

Alex Barkas, PhD
Co-founder

In Memoriam

Alex co-founded Prospect Venture Partners in 1997. He served as a Managing Director in three Prospect funds and helped create one of the industry’s leading life science venture capital firms. With over $1B of committed capital in the Prospect Venture Partners funds, Alex’s investments were dedicated to advancing breakthrough biomedical technologies and supporting talented entrepreneurs to successfully grow and navigate the complexities of new company creation. Widely respected as an industry leader, a serially successful entrepreneur, and a passionate investor and advisor, Alex was a great friend to many and trusted partner to all those he worked with. In 2011, Alex passed away unexpectedly but his impact and influence live on through the many companies that he helped build and the many patients whose lives he improved.