Yosemite Deploys Over 18 Million in Grants to Advance Early Stage Cancer Research Across San Francisco and Partner Institutions

Out of San Francisco, a venture capital firm called Yosemite is quietly building a different kind of investment model.

Since launching in 2023, the firm has pushed more than $18 million into cancer-focused grants—not through its core venture fund, but via a donor-advised charitable vehicle designed to fuel early scientific discovery.

The mission is bold: make cancer non-lethal.

And Yosemite isn’t approaching that goal from just one angle.

It’s pairing traditional venture investing with academic philanthropy, blending for-profit backing with nonprofit funding to support science before it’s commercially viable.

Why Grants Matter More Than Ever in Cancer Research

Academic researchers today are competing in one of the toughest funding climates in years.

Federal grant approval rates have tightened, and many promising early-stage ideas struggle to secure backing because they’re considered too experimental.

That’s where Yosemite’s philanthropic arm steps in.

The donor-advised structure allows the firm and its community of supporters to move capital into laboratories at the earliest phases—long before venture investors would normally write a check.

The idea is simple: if you want transformative breakthroughs, you have to be willing to fund foundational science.

In other words, this isn’t about backing what’s safe.

It’s about supporting what’s possible.

A Strategic Alliance With the American Cancer Society

One of the pillars of Yosemite’s grant strategy is its partnership with the American Cancer Society.

Each year, the two organizations identify emerging, high-impact research areas where funding could accelerate meaningful advances.

Their 2025 joint grant cycle reads like a who’s who of biomedical innovation.

Among the awardees are:

• Carolyn Bertozzi, known for her groundbreaking work in bioorthogonal chemistry

• Jennifer Doudna, a central figure in the development of CRISPR gene-editing technology

• William Kaelin Jr., a Nobel Prize-winning researcher for discoveries related to cellular oxygen sensing

• Kai Wucherpfennig, recognized for his work in tumor immunology

• Stephen Elledge, a leader in DNA damage and repair research

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It’s a mix of rising investigators and globally recognized scientific leaders—an intentional balance that reflects Yosemite’s long-term view of progress.

Supporting Care Delivery, Not Just Lab Discoveries

Yosemite’s philanthropic strategy doesn’t stop at bench science.

Through its donor-advised platform, the firm is also backing healthcare delivery initiatives at major cancer institutions, including the Mayo Clinic and City of Hope.

The focus here shifts from molecules to patients.

These programs tackle real-world oncology challenges across the entire care continuum.

Some of the targeted areas include:

• Improving diagnostic precision and speed using AI-powered tools

• Leveraging digital and physiological signals to monitor patient health and anticipate disease risk

• Integrating complex clinical data to better guide treatment decisions

The message is clear: discovering new therapies is only half the battle.

Delivering smarter, more efficient care is just as critical.

Reed Jobs on Moving Science Forward Faster

For founder and managing partner Reed Jobs, the donor-advised model is about timing.

Traditional venture capital often enters once proof-of-concept is visible.

Yosemite wants to operate even earlier.

“Our donor-advised fund strategy enables us and our community to support ambitious, foundational work at its earliest stages and help move promising science toward translation,” Jobs said.

That word—translation—is key. It speaks to the long, difficult path from laboratory insight to real-world therapy.

By stepping in earlier, Yosemite hopes to shorten that distance.

The Bigger Context: A Shifting Cancer Innovation Landscape

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally, but survival rates for many forms have improved significantly over the past few decades due to earlier detection, immunotherapy advances, and targeted treatments.

Yet major gaps remain. Certain cancers still have limited treatment options, and disparities in access to care persist.

Meanwhile, the cost of oncology drugs continues to rise, putting pressure on healthcare systems worldwide.

Private capital has increasingly stepped into areas once dominated by public funding.

But Yosemite’s hybrid approach—combining philanthropy with venture discipline—suggests a new model may be emerging.

One where investors don’t just wait for validated startups, but help seed the science that creates them.

What’s Next?

Looking ahead, Yosemite is likely to deepen both arms of its strategy.

On the philanthropy side, that could mean expanding its annual grant cycles with the American Cancer Society, identifying new frontier research areas like next-generation immunotherapies, early cancer detection technologies, or AI-driven drug discovery.

On the venture side, we may see the firm translate grant-backed discoveries into commercial investments—effectively creating a pipeline from academic insight to startup formation.

There’s also room for broader collaboration.

As more family offices and mission-driven investors look for ways to combine impact with financial returns, Yosemite’s donor-advised framework could become a template others follow.

If the early numbers are any indication—more than $18 million deployed in just a few years—the firm is moving quickly.

Summary

Since its 2023 launch, San Francisco-based Yosemite has committed over $18 million in philanthropic grants aimed at advancing early-stage cancer research.

Working closely with the American Cancer Society, the firm funds high-impact scientific work by both emerging researchers and leading figures such as Carolyn Bertozzi and Jennifer Doudna.

Beyond lab science, Yosemite also supports cancer-care innovation at institutions like Mayo Clinic and City of Hope, focusing on AI diagnostics, patient monitoring, and data-driven treatment decisions.

By blending donor-advised philanthropy with venture investing, Yosemite is building a model designed to push promising cancer science from discovery toward real-world impact.