National Brain Tumor Society

John Higgins serves as the Managing Director of the Brain Tumor Investment Fund, overseeing the deployment of capital into early-stage drug-development startups. David Arons, the President and CEO, leads the broader organization and represents the Society on the NCI Council of Research Advocates.

The fund sources deals through a network of co-investors and research collaborators, including the Yale Cancer Center via the DNA Damage Response Consortium and the clinical research organization IQVIA. This consortium structure provides access to pre-venture academic discoveries. The Society’s co-founding role in the Jumpstarting Brain Tumor Drug Development Consortium further extends its reach into translational research networks.

No. It functions as a non-profit disease advocacy organization with an embedded investment fund. While it pursues direct equity and convertible-note positions in for-profit startups, the capital derives from donations and grants tied to its 501(c)(3) mission, not from limited partners. This hybrid model aligns financial returns with a charitable mandate to accelerate brain tumor treatments.

The fund targets early-stage, start-up companies — specifically at the translational frontier where academic discoveries require funding to reach clinical trial readiness. Its instruments include direct equity and convertible notes, designed for companies that traditional biotech venture capital often considers too early or too narrow in disease focus.

The investment activity sits within the same non-profit entity, not in a separate for-profit arm. The organization maintains a balance sheet that holds cash, cash equivalents, and a portfolio of investments and convertible notes. Governance oversight comes from a Board of Directors that includes partners from law and financial-services firms.