James E. Washington

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT JAMES E. WASHINGTON

I am an early-stage investor focused on life sciences, biotech, medtech, and digital health, with a long-term goal of building toward a Partner role in venture capital.My background spans 35 years across investment banking, private equity, startup co-founding, and founder advisory. Today, I am active as a Portfolio Screener with Cancer Fund, an All-Star Mentor with Techstars, and a startup mentor with Nucleate Atlanta, where I work closely with biotech and medtech founders translating scientific innovation into venture-scale companies.I have sourced, evaluated, diligenced, and supported companies from pre-seed through growth, partnering with founders on capital formation, market strategy, and execution. I regularly teach founder classes and mentor accelerator cohorts on fundraising, financial modeling, and investor readiness.What differentiates me is founder and patient empathy. I am a two-time startup co-founder and a Stage IV throat cancer survivor who lost the ability to speak for a year. I serve on the Patient & Family Advisory Council at Grady Hospital Cancer Center and as a Head & Neck Cancer Patient Ambassador, giving me an authentic, patient-centered perspective on healthcare delivery, adoption risk, and clinical reality.I am deeply intellectually curious and committed to lifelong learning, with recent training across life sciences investing, private equity, financial modeling, and applied AI. I am also an active member of the Georgia Life Sciences industry community.Atlanta / Southeast primary | National and remote-friendly