JOHN YOUNGER ‒ NYA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
John Younger joined New York Angels in 2021 and focuses on companies in the life science, medtech, and healthcare sectors. He leads ArgoPond, a boutique advisory and operational firm that supports management teams, boards of directors, and investors navigating strategic inflection points — including turnaround, turbulence, and scaling challenges.
Before joining NYA, John spent two decades as a physician-scientist and tenured professor at the University of Michigan, from which he co-founded Akadeum Life Sciences, his first start-up. He served as its Chief Scientific Officer through its early venture financing before moving to Philadelphia. After arriving on the east coast in 2019, he led life science investments at Phase One Ventures, a Philadelphia-based seed fund that backed life science, medical device, and diagnostic start-ups coming out of the major universities in Philly and the Delaware Valley. John also advises federal agencies — most notably the National Institutes of Health — and in 2020 testified before the U.S. House Small Business Committee on alternatives to SBIR and STTR funding for seed-stage life science companies.
Outside of his start-up work, John was recently named the Chair of the Board of Visitors for Orthopedic Surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where his family also endows an annual lectureship focused on innovation in pediatric orthopedics.
John shares how he stepped into a 14-month restructuring CEO role at a company in which NYA had invested, why it’s important for founders to be realistic, and how he reads a company’s scientific papers before considering investing.
How did you connect with New York Angels?
Before the pandemic, I was managing a public-private life science incubator and early-stage investment group in Philadelphia. Like many things, COVID blew that all up. I stepped away in late 2020 but in no time at all began exploring angel networks. New York Angels quickly stood out for its member engagement, discipline, and willingness to dig in.
What has been your most memorable experience as a New York Angel so far?
I had the privilege of stepping into 14-month restructuring CEO role at a company in which NYA had invested. It was one of the most challenging professional jobs I've ever had, and it taught me a great deal. First, I discovered that I have both the temperament and a real affinity for the hurly-burly of early-stage companies in urgent need. Second, the opportunity was an outstanding case study of how NYA members come together to support a portfolio company when it matters most. Colleagues in who'd been acquaintances became, and remain, trusted counsel. I'm really grateful to have had a chance to assist that way.
What do you look for when you are investing in a company?
I start by reading the key scientific papers behind the technology. It's a real problem of life science that much of the biomedical literature can't be duplicated for whatever reason, so I spend a few hours doing my own gut check. If the science looks sound, I pivot quickly to evaluating whether the team has a grounded sense of their market and the discipline to pursue it.
I don't need pitch decks full of market projections and exit comparables. I'm drawn to founders who say: "This won't be easy. It's not going to help every patient. But we know who it will help, and they are why we keep going” – those are the companies I want to work with.
What do founders appreciate most about working with you?
“You’d have to ask them, but I suspect they appreciate that I actually want to understand their work — and ask the kinds of questions that show I’m taking them seriously. Attention to science can seem wonky, but much of the earliest risk a company faces is technical, and I consider understanding a company’s science a way of showing teams I want to have their back”
What advice would you give founders starting to fundraise?
Realism. If a founder uses the phrase "slam dunk," I worry they're misjudging both their own height and how far away the basket actually is. When a team is ready to hear that their idea is actually far from a slam dunk, they're ready to move forward.
What differentiates companies that you see at Screening versus those who make it through to Due Diligence?
Never forget that when you raise a round of investment, you are not just selling part of the company – you’re starting a relationship that could easily last a decade. Choose wisely. Tread lightly.
When you look at your past investments, what do you think is most critical for founders to be able to deliver a successful exit?
We're in the middle of a once-in-a-generation shakeup in early-stage healthcare funding – founders rely on historical precedent at their peril. That said, a few traits seem to endure: flexibility, frugality, and the courage to revisit hard questions about who should hold what role within the company as it grows.
What advice do you have for newer New York Angels Members?
Two things. First, sit in on diligence calls far outside your expertise — there's real value in watching how others ask questions. My academic and clinical training makes me precise – probably too much so sometimes - , and I'm always learning from other NYA members who elevate diligence with clarity and grace. Second, I think NYA offers the most when it serves as an onramp to help companies out in substantial ways. If you get the chance to step into a more involved role with a portfolio company, like a board role, seriously consider it. It's where the real learning — and impact — happens.
