Split Rock Partners Names Douglas Kohrs Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Sep 26, 2005 - Split Rock Partners Names Douglas Kohrs Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Minneapolis, MN (September 26, 2005) - Split Rock Partners, LLC ("Split Rock Partners") today announced that Douglas Kohrs has become an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the firm. He will focus on new medical device opportunities.
Kohrs is currently Chairman of American Medical Systems (NASDAQ: AMMD), a leading diversified supplier of medical devices and procedures to cure erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, incontinence, menorrhagia, prolapse and other pelvic disorders in men and women. For five years, Kohrs was CEO of American Medical Systems and led the company through rapid growth and an initial public offering. Before joining American Medical, Kohrs was General Manager of Sulzer Spine-Tech. Kohrs had been a founder of Spine-Tech and led its engineering team from the start of the company until the acquisition of Spine-Tech by Sulzer Medica in 1998. Currently Kohrs serves on several medical device company boards including Disc Dynamics, ev3, Kyphon, Axiomed, and Pioneer Surgical Technologies.
Split Rock Partners' Entrepreneur-in-Residence program is part of an ongoing effort to collaborate with industry experts who have proven records of success and have an interest in working to support the firm's strategy of seeding early stage medical device companies.
"We are proud to continue our long and successful association with Doug Kohrs," said Dave Stassen, a Managing Director with Split Rock Partners. "Doug has been a colleague for over 15 years, dating back to the founding of Spine Tech. He has been a key contributor to the success of two outstanding companies, both of which improved medical outcomes while delivering strong financial returns for shareholders. Doug has the experience, drive, and curiosity to succeed again, and we look forward to being his partner."
"I am excited to begin consulting with the experienced team at Split Rock Partners," said Douglas Kohrs. "I look forward to uncovering new technologies that will make a significant impact on improving patient care."
About Split Rock Partners Split Rock Partners, with offices in Minneapolis and Menlo Park, seeks emerging opportunities in healthcare, software and Internet services primarily in the Upper Midwest and West Coast. Split Rock Partners was formed in June 2004 by the healthcare and software investment teams of St. Paul Venture Capital. In April of 2005, Split Rock announced the closing of a new $275 million venture fund. Split Rock Partners' portfolio of healthcare investments includes such industry leaders as Spine-Tech, The Foundry, Santarus, DexCom, Emphasys Medical, and Disc Dynamics. Additional information about the firm can be found at www.splitrock.com.