Brendan Dickinson
General Partner / East Coast
Canaan Partners
Canaan General Partner leading the firm’s fintech practice, with emphasis on fintech infrastructure, platforms, products, and insurance.
Bio
Professional summary
Julie Grant is a Canaan General Partner focused on biopharma and company creation. Canaan’s official profile says she joined in 2013 and leads investments and formation efforts in companies that improve patient care. Her listed company work includes Day One Biopharmaceuticals, Reactive Biosciences, Nocion, Synthekine, Protagonist, Cellular Research, Dermira, Labrys Biologics, CytomX, and Unchained Labs. Before joining Canaan, she worked at Genentech on new oncology products across business development, commercial, and cross-functional management roles. Her official profile also states that she serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board, appointed by President Biden in 2023. She holds an MBA from Stanford GSB, an MPhil in BioScience Enterprise from Cambridge, and a BS in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale.
Investment focus
Stage, sector, and overall fit
Stage
venturecompany formationbiopharma startup formation
Sector
biopharmaoncologypatient caretherapeuticslife sciences
Thesis
Biopharma investments and company formationOncology and patient-care-oriented therapeutics
Notable companies
Selected portfolio companies the partner has backed
Day One BiopharmaceuticalsReactive BiosciencesNocionSynthekineProtagonist TherapeuticsCellular ResearchDermiraLabrys BiologicsCytomXUnchained Labs
How to approach
Framing and angles for outreach
Pitch framing
Frame around a clear patient-impact thesis, differentiated science, and company-formation readiness rather than a generic biotech pitch.
Personalization hooks
- 1Former Genentech oncology commercialization and business development experience.
- 2Explicit focus on biopharma companies that tangibly improve patient care.
- 3National Cancer Advisory Board service can be relevant for oncology or cancer-care companies.
Recent signals
What the partner has said or done recently
Canaan profile states she serves on the National Cancer Advisory Board after a 2023 appointment.
Official profile highlights Day One Biopharmaceuticals as acquired by Servier and Protagonist as an IPO outcome.
Background
Career, education, and skills
Career history
- Canaan PartnersGeneral Partner2013 – Present
- GenentechVarious roles (Business Development, Cross-functional Management, Commercial)Prior to 2013
Education
- Stanford Graduate School of BusinessM.B.A.
- Cambridge UniversityM.Phil., BioScience Enterprise
- Yale UniversityB.S., Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Other partners at Canaan Partners
12 more profiles
Brent Ahrens
General Partner / West Coast
Canaan Partners
Canaan GP focused on biopharma and medtech investments.
Butch Yang
Head of Venture Investments
Canaan Partners
Head of Venture Investments at Canaan.
Colleen Cuffaro
Partner
Canaan Partners
Canaan partner focused on early-stage biopharmaceutical companies.
Dennis Podlesak
Managing Partner, Canaan Partners’ Axcelius
Canaan Partners
Canaan Axcelius managing partner and biotech operator-investor.
Ehud Levy
General Partner
Canaan Partners
Canaan Partners Israel GP who led Vertex's early investment in Waze.
Eric Young
Partner and Co-Founder
Canaan Partners
Canaan co-founder who helped lead the firm for more than three decades.
Felipe Ossio
Vice President
Canaan Partners
Canaan VP investing in fintech and consumer technology.
GK
Gregory Kopchinsky
General Partner
Canaan Partners
Longtime Canaan general partner with J.P. Morgan and Davis Polk financing experience.
Hrach Simonian
General Partner / West Coast
Canaan Partners
General Partner at Canaan focused on technology investments, with a marketplace-oriented lens across consumer and enterprise companies.
Ingrid Prueher
Fund Analyst
Canaan Partners
Formerly cited as a Canaan fund analyst with a finance and wellness entrepreneurship background.
John Balen
Partner
Canaan Partners
Canaan technology partner investing across consumer and enterprise companies.