Joe Mandato

Director

De Novo Ventures
Menlo Park, CA

Joe Mandato joined DeNovo Ventures as a general partner and Managing Director in March, 2003. During his tenure, he led investments in 10 medical device companies spanning a broad range of medical specialties. Prior to DeNovo, he served as Chairman of Confer Software, a developer of software used to create efficiencies and streamline processes in healthcare. He also advised the founders and was appointed to the board of Align Technology, developer of the Invisalign clear orthodontic appliance. Earlier, he served as President/CEO of Origin Medsystems, a developer of minimally invasive surgical devices for use in general, cardio-thoracic, and ob-gyn surgery, where he also co-founded and served as CEO of Gynecare, a women’s health spin-out of Origin. Origin was acquired by Guidant Corporation, where Mandato served as a vice-president and member of the founding management committee and CEO of two of its five operating units, Origin and Heart Rhythm Technology. Subsequent to his tenure at Guidant, he served as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Mayfield Fund, a venture capital firm. Earlier in his career, he was CEO of Ioptex Research, a developer of intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery, which was acquired by Smith & Nephew PLC. He joined Ioptex from Cilco AG in Zug, Switzerland, the Europe, Middle East, Africa headquarters of a unit of Rorer Group where he served as CEO. He began his career in healthcare as a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps. He serves on the boards of Embrace Global, and Save the Children. He received his doctorate degree in management from Case Western Reserve University, and serves on its Board of Trustees. His research focused on the evolving role of boards in ensuring effective governance. He serves on the adjunct faculty of The University of San Francisco’s Graduate School of Management and co-teaches the course Medical Device Innovation at Stanford University.