David Luk
Managing Partner at Palm Venture Studios
David Luk
Managing Partner at Palm Venture Studios
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Overview
Work Experience
Managing Partner
2023 - Current
Palm Venture Studios rescues and builds companies that positively impact human and planetary health. We’re a team of seasoned investors, entrepreneurs, and creatives working across a network of US-based studios to provide capital, operations infrastructure, strategic advising and go-to-market expertise. We invest in and support underperforming early-stage startups that are stuck or have not yet reached their potential. We also partner with and back founders and seasoned executives to create new tech-enabled ventures. More at www.palmventurestudios.com.
Co-Founder, CEO
2019 - 2023
EmmaWell empowers new and expectant mothers to take control of their emotional health and helps ease the psychological and physical transition to motherhood. We have created a virtual program that is comprehensive, time-bound and structured, combining tech-enabled therapy (1-on-1 and group), guidance, and education (including cognitive behavioral therapy and prenatal/babycare/safety classes), which is all reinforced by our wraparound mobile app & maternal coach services. Think of EmmaWell as preventative care for your emotional wellness throughout the pregnancy and postpartum journey - with the goal of managing existing symptoms of anxiety and mood disorders and preventing postpartum depression. In a world in which therapy is often supply-constrained and medication isn't always the right solution for everyone, EmmaWell’s virtual program is scalable and tech-enabled, and helps deliver improved maternal, birth and infant health outcomes. Ping me for our white paper: “Proactively Addressing Perinatal Mental Health with a Comprehensive Virtual Care Solution”
Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Financial Officer
2017 - 2019
HeavyWater uses artificial intelligence (AI) to re-invent highly manual processes in the financial industry. Our first application was in the mortgage industry: automating loan production from mortgage intake to processing to servicing. Our transactional AI platform, AIVA, is in production at scale at large enterprises today. AIVA completes mortgage business tasks utilizing machine learning-powered read-and-comprehend, analysis and conclusion skills. At HeavyWater, I led all aspects of business operations, finance and sales of an incredibly successful startup; a tremendously talented team and the best group of people I've ever had the pleasure of working with! Exited to Black Knight Inc. (NYSE: BKI). AIVA is now Black Knight’s AI Solution: https://www.blackknightinc.com/what-we-do/aiva/
Principal
2016 - 2018
Safeguard partnered with Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania and Independence Blue Cross to launch a $6 million funding initiative to provide seed capital to early-stage digital health startups. During my tenure as Safeguard’s representative and a member of the investment committee, we made over a dozen investments in digital health startups.
Principal
2013 - 2018
As a firm, we focused on the following technology verticals: - Healthcare IT - Financial Technology - Digital Media Personally, I spent significant time leading seed stage investments, in addition to Safeguard's core Series A and B thesis, and generally provided a deep level of technology expertise across our 3 industry verticals. Board representative / observer for: Apprenda, Cask (exited to Google), CloudMine, COSY, DriveFactor (exited to CCC Info Services), Lumesis and Transactis (exited to MasterCard). Seed investments have raised follow-on rounds led by A16Z, Intel Capital and Eniac Ventures.
Co-founder / CEO
2011 - 2013
Quewey was a web-based platform for business professionals to ask and answer targeted questions and become personal consultants in their areas of expertise. The idea was: use Quewey if you want an answer from an expert (and are willing to compensate that expert; otherwise, use quora for a free, crowdsourced answer. Exited to a private holding company in February 2013.
Consultant
2008 - 2011
My work at McKinsey was focused primarily in technology and healthcare industries, providing investment due diligence, corporate development / acquisition strategy and digital transformation for large corporations.
Vice President
2002 - 2007
I managed deal teams advising on mergers and acquisitions, public and private equity and debt capital raises and fairness opinions. During my 6 years in corporate finance, I was a key member on over 30 closed transactions and lead transaction manager on a number of these transactions. These transactions represented well over $1 billion of capital. My industry focus was, and fundamentally remains, in the enterprise software and IT services spaces.
Analyst
2001 - 2002
Investment banking analyst - distressed / special situations