MF

Michael Finney

Managing Director at Finney Capital

San Francisco, California

Overview 

Michael Finney is a Board Director for public and private companies based in San Francisco, California, with a focus on investing in BioTech companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some highlights of his career include serving as Board Chair, Member Board of Directors, and Interim Chief Executive Officer at Vaxart, Inc., as well as being the Board Chair for Thrive Bioscience, Inc.

Work Experience 

  • Board Chair

    2023 - Current

  • Member Board of Directors

    2007

  • Interim Chief Executive Officer

    2024 - 2024

    I've served on the Board of Directors since 2007, became Chair in 2023, and Interim CEO in January 2024. Previously, I served as CEO for over two years, July 2009 to October 2011. Vaxart is a game-changing company with its technology for oral vaccination, and has an excellent team.

  • CEO

    2009 - 2011

    Having served on the board since 2007, in 2009 I came in as acting CEO and ended up staying over 2 years. In this time, we closed a $12 million Series B, completed preclinical work, ran a Phase I clinical trial, and hired a permanent CEO.

Vaxart is a biotechnology company that develops vaccine technology for the treatment of infectious diseases.

Raised $138,668,419.00 from RA Capital Management.

  • Board Chair

    2014

Thrive sells instruments and software that automate with extensive imaging, analytics, and AI manual and stem cell culture.

Raised $25,700,000.00 from Xandex Investments LLP.

  • Director

    2019

    Enabling single-cell genomics for solid tissues

S2 Genomics is developing spatial sequencing technology solutions for processing solid tissues for single-cell applications.

Raised $18,217,365.00 from BroadOak Capital Partners, Research Corporation Technologies and HealthTech Capital.

  • Board Chair

    2019

    Commercializing technology from the Collins lab at UC Berkeley

  • Managing Director

    2004

  • Director

    2016

    Reagent systems for DNA sequencing

SeqWell’s is a biotechnology company that specializes in the fields of gene sequencing and laboratory services.

Raised $21,394,166.00 from Research Corporation Technologies, BroadOak Capital Partners and Codexis.

  • Director

    1998

  • Board Chair

    2005

    Board Chair, December 2015-present

Sage Science is a biotechnology company developing lab instruments and consumables for life sciences research and diagnostic lab markets.

Raised $8,656,388.00 from BPEA.

  • Director and Permanent Member

    1999

    Formerly named G Corp, TGP is a non-profit corporation that is responsible for, among other things, the AGBT Genomics meeting. The meeting has been held every February since 2000. It provides an opportunity for academics and commercial companies in the field of genomics to exchange the latest advances.

Advances in Genome Biology and Technology (AGBT) is considered the preeminent genome science and technology conference.

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