Baker & Eastlack Ventures

About The Fund

Baker & Eastlack Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2016 by founding physicians Kenneth D. Baker M.D., a general surgeon, and Robert K. Eastlack M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon. Their venture capital firm is rooted in their experiences as active angel investors within an angel investment group, which led them to identify the inherent risks in angel investing. They sought to reduce these risks by implementing strict investment criteria, allocating larger investment amounts, and fostering close collaboration with the management of the companies they invest in. Through analysis of their successful exits, along with numerous startups they encountered over a decade, Baker & Eastlack Ventures formulated an investment strategy that caters to early-stage companies in the medical devices and diagnostics sectors. The firm has developed a niche specializing in early-stage IT, BioTech, HealthTech, and TMT industries with an additional emphasis on medicinal advancements. Investors in the fund include physicians, industry executives, and other professional investors who contribute to the fund's extensive domestic and international network. Central to their investment thesis is a preference for companies that have already made some progress, such as filing for intellectual property, having a roadmap for product development, understanding the FDA pathway, and designing clinical trials. While they do favor companies that have reached this stage, Baker & Eastlack Ventures remain open to groundbreaking ideas at even earlier stages. Their belief in strong management teams is firm, underlining the importance of experience and unified direction. They also recognize that building a capable team is critical to success and offer support in assembling one by providing connections to research and development firms, patent counsel, engineers, and clinical and regulatory experts.