A. Barr Dolan

A. Barr Dolan is a veteran venture capitalist with over 40 years of experience investing in early-stage technology and life sciences companies in Silicon Valley. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Charter Life Sciences, a clinical-stage venture capital firm focused on early-stage life sciences opportunities. Prior to founding Charter Life Sciences, Dolan was a founding general partner of the Charter Ventures family of venture capital funds, where he served from 1982 to 2010.

Dolan holds an exceptionally strong academic background spanning science, engineering, and business. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and a Master of Science in Engineering from Cornell University, a Master of Arts in Applied Science from Harvard University, and a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University. This combination of deep scientific training and business acumen has informed his ability to evaluate complex life sciences and biotech investments.

Beyond his investing career, Dolan has been an active founder and board member of multiple life sciences companies. He co-founded companies in women's health, cardiac devices, veterinary products, and biologics. He has served on the boards of directors for several public and private companies, including Heska Corporation (1986-2008), Ellie Mae Inc., KFX Inc., CMD Consulting, Xlumina, and Mcure Bio. His dual experience as both operator and investor gives him a distinctive perspective on building and scaling life sciences ventures.

Dolan and Charter Life Sciences focus on clinical-stage and early-stage investments in the life sciences sector. The firm primarily targets Series B rounds in U.S.-based startups, with a particular emphasis on biotechnology, specialty pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, medical devices, and women's health. Dolan's investment approach leverages his scientific background to evaluate technically complex opportunities in therapeutics and medical technology, often backing companies from formation through clinical development and commercialization. His track record demonstrates a pattern of investing in companies that achieve public listings or strategic acquisitions by major pharmaceutical and medical device corporations.