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Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
Founded in 1998, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation channels the fortune of Wallace H. Coulter, the inventor whose Coulter Principle revolutionized blood-cell...
Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
Founded in 1998, the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation channels the fortune of Wallace H. Coulter, the inventor whose Coulter Principle revolutionized blood-cell counting. Sue Van, his sister-in-law and former CFO of Coulter Corporation, leads the Miami-based foundation as President and CEO. The foundation operates as a limited-life entity, mandated to spend down its assets and close by 2025. The foundation deploys capital through translational research grants and early-stage venture investments exclusively in biomedical engineering. It funds university projects that convert lab discoveries into commercial products, with an emphasis on biotech and digital health. Its mission-related portfolio targets seed through late-stage venture opportunities across North America, bridging the gap between academic innovation and market-ready medical diagnostics. A second office in Sebastian, Florida supports operations alongside the Miami headquarters. Vice President and CFO Susan Racher manages the endowment's investment portfolio. Sue Van is a member of the Committee of 100, which recognized her with the Philanthropy Excellence Award. The foundation partners with the Biomedical Engineering Society, sponsoring the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation. No dated operational event from the past 24 months is publicly documented. The foundation's imminent 2025 sunset defines its posture. Rather than perpetuating an endowment, it accelerates spending on a focused translational-research mandate, acting as a bridge fund that forces university labs toward venture-ready milestones on a fixed clock.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1998
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Miami
Corporate office
790 NW 107th Ave, Suite 215, Miami, FL 33172
Additional offices
Sebastian, FL
Principals
Sue Van
Trustee, President and CEO
Susan Racher
Vice President and CFO
Wayne Barlin
Vice President and General Counsel
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who controls investment decisions at the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation?
Trustee, President and CEO Sue Van leads the foundation, with Vice President and CFO Susan Racher directly managing the endowment's investment portfolio. Van brings operational experience from her prior role as CFO of Coulter Corporation.
What is the foundation's investment strategy?
The foundation makes mission-related venture investments in early-stage biomedical engineering companies, alongside its core activity of awarding translational research grants to universities. It covers seed through late-stage venture, concentrating on biotech and digital health opportunities in North America.
How does the 2025 sunset affect the foundation's investment posture?
As a limited-life foundation scheduled to close in 2025, it does not seek perpetual endowment returns. Instead it prioritizes spending down assets on translational research and venture-stage biomedical companies before the wind-down date.
Does the foundation co-invest alongside external venture firms?
Public records do not specify a co-investment program alongside external GPs. Its known activities center on direct grants to academic researchers and direct mission-related venture investments rather than fund commitments or club deals.
Where does the foundation's wealth originate?
The endowment comes from the estate of Wallace H. Coulter, the engineer who invented the Coulter Principle — an automated method for counting and sizing microscopic particles that became a standard in hematology. He commercialized the technology through Coulter Corporation, which was later sold to Beckman Instruments.
Which sectors does the foundation explicitly avoid?
Its mandate is narrowly defined: biomedical engineering with an emphasis on translating academic innovations to market. It does not publicize investments in real estate, private credit, hedge funds, or sectors outside healthcare.
What philanthropic structures sit alongside the foundation?
The Wallace H. Coulter Trust operates as a related philanthropic vehicle. Sue Van also maintains a professional affiliation with the Committee of 100, and the foundation sponsors the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Healthcare Innovation through the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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