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Chris Shanahan

Chris Shanahan

Principal·DFJ Growth

Bio

Professional summary

Chris Shanahan is a Principal on DFJ Growth's investment team. He focuses on companies at the intersection of hardware and software, including defense technology, autonomy, energy, robotics, smart systems, and life technology. He has been involved with investments including Commonwealth Fusion, Hidden Level, Neuralink, Paradigm Health, Saronic, SpaceX, Vannevar Labs, X, and xAI, and previously worked in M&A at Greenhill and in R&D engineering roles at Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson's Acclarent division.

Notable companies

Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed

Commonwealth FusionHidden LevelNeuralinkSaronicVannevar Labs

Background

Career, education, and skills

Career history

  • DFJ GrowthPrincipal2018 – Present
  • NeuralinkDFJ Growth Fellow2022 – 2022
  • Greenhill & Co.Analyst
  • Boston ScientificResearch and Development Engineering
  • Johnson & Johnson AcclarentResearch and Development Engineering

Education

  • California Polytechnic State UniversityBS with honors, Biomedical Engineering

Other partners at DFJ Growth

12 more profiles

Angel Duan

Angel Duan

Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth associate with prior technology investment banking experience at PJT Partners.

Consumer mediaCybersecurityFintechIoTSoftwareSupply chain
Barry Schuler

Barry Schuler

Founder and Managing Partner

DFJ Growth

Founder and Managing Partner at DFJ Growth, focused on growth-stage companies that have moved beyond seed and early funding and are emerging category leaders.

AIConsumerFrontier softwareLife techMachine assistNew frontiers/space‑defense
Brian Akin

Brian Akin

Senior Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth senior associate with Bain diligence and Dapper Labs strategy experience.

AI infrastructureConsumer blockchainSoftwareTechnology diligenceVenture strategy
Evan Fu

Evan Fu

Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth associate with Goldman Sachs software, internet, and fintech banking experience.

AerospaceDefense technologyFinancial technologyInternetSoftware
Gil Lubetzky

Gil Lubetzky

Chief Information Officer

DFJ Growth

Venture-platform CIO with IT leadership roles across Threshold, DFJ Growth, and Draper Associates.

information technologysystems managementventure operations
Jocelyn Kinsey

Jocelyn Kinsey

Partner

DFJ Growth

Jocelyn Kinsey is a Partner at DFJ Growth, where she has worked on investments across healthcare, consumer, mapping, robotics, defense, and creator platforms.

Deep techDefense/dual‑use
John H. N. Fisher

John H. N. Fisher

Founder and Managing Partner

DFJ Growth

John H. N. Fisher is a Founder and Managing Partner at DFJ Growth and a co-founder of DFJ.

Company buildingGrowth‑stage technology
Justin Kao

Justin Kao

Partner

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth partner investing in healthcare, life sciences, AI, hard sciences, and enterprise applications.

AIenterprise softwaregrowth-stage technologyhard scienceshealthcarelife sciences
Kevin Tu

Kevin Tu

Partner

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth partner focused on AI infrastructure, security, developer tools, and frontier technologies.

AI infrastructureDeveloper toolsEnterprise applicationsFrontier technologiesSecurity
Randy Glein

Randy Glein

Founder and Managing Partner

DFJ Growth

Randy Glein is a Founder and Managing Partner at DFJ Growth, where he backs rapidly scaling technology companies.

Frontier techSpace/aerospace
Rob Ciechowski

Rob Ciechowski

Senior Associate

DFJ Growth

DFJ Growth senior associate focused on biotech, pharma services, and life-science technology.

BiosensingBiotechnologyCell therapyLife sciencesPharma services
Sam Fort

Sam Fort

Partner

DFJ Growth

Sam Fort is a Partner at DFJ Growth focused on enterprise applications and infrastructure, fintech, and blockchain technology.

DataEnterprise softwareSecurity