Roger Benson

Roger Benson is a Partner at the California Innovation Fund based in Berkeley, California. At the venture capital firm established in 2021, he writes late seed and Series A checks ranging from $250,000 to $1 million for early-stage startups in the therapeutics, biotechnology, and medical sectors. His investment strategy targets companies affiliated with the University of California system, backing startups like Engage Bio and Synvivia while reinvesting fifty percent of fund profits into the university. Prior to venture capital, Benson built his career in revenue growth, notably serving as the Head of Sales for Startups and Growth at Vanta. He also held operational and sales positions at technology companies including Sinch, Kandji, and SuperQuickQuestion. Benson currently combines his enterprise software sales background with early-stage investing to scale university-backed life sciences and technology ventures.