Partner Emeritus
Signal Peak Ventures
Dr. Patel co-founded vSpring Capital (now Signal Peak Ventures) in 2000 and is currently Partner Emeritus at Signal Peak Ventures.
Prior to vSpring Capital, Dr. Patel was an active angel investor in over 20 biotech and technology companies. From 1985 - 1999 Dr. Patel served as Co-Founder, Chairman of The Board of Directors and President & CEO of TheraTech, Inc., a biotechnology company which he took public and eventually sold to Watson Pharmaceuticals. From 1999 to 2004 he was the Founder, Chairman, President & CEO of Ashni Naturaceuticals, Inc., a company that specializes in the research, development and marketing of clinically tested and patent-protected naturaceutical products. In 1999, Dr. Patel co-founded and was the Chairman of Salus Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics, including antisense and gene therapy drugs. He currently holds 15 US Patents and Foreign Counterparts.
Dr. Patel serves on several non-profit boards, and has won numerous awards including; 2013 Willem J Kolff Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2011 Father of the Year, 2010 Utah Youth Village Helping Hand Award, 2006 Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame Inductee, 2006 Ellis Island Medal of Honor, US Small Business Administration's Business Achiever Award, Scientific and Technology Award (State of Utah), Entrepreneur of the Year Award (Mountain West Venture Group) and Scientific and Technology Development Pioneer of Progress Award to name a few. He is also a charter member of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).
Dr. Patel served as co-chair of Governor Huntsman's transition and he is the Chairman of the USTAR Governing Authority board. He is on the National Advisory Board for the University of Michigan's Technology Transfer Office.
Born and raised in Zambia, Africa, Dr. Patel received his bachelor's degree in Pharmacy at Gujarat University located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, his master's degree from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and his Ph.D. in Physical Pharmacy from the University of Michigan.