Jon Flint

Jonathan A. Flint is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur who co-founded the venture capital firm Polaris Partners and the beauty company Living Proof.

This article is about the venture capitalist. For the psychiatrist, see Jonathan Flint (scientist).
Jon Flint
Born
Jonathan Andrew Flint

August 11, 1951
New York City, New York, USA
NationalityAmerican
Alma materHobart College
University of Virginia School of Law
OccupationCo-Founder and Managing Partner, Polaris Partners; Co-Founder and Chairman, Living Proof
Spouse(s)Alice Parker Flint
Children4

Early career

Flint graduated with a BA from Hobart College and a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law.[1] In 1971 Flint was the assistant director and an actor in John Landis' first film Schlock.[2] From 1974 to 1976, Flint was on the research team of the Impeachment Inquiry Staff of the House Judiciary Committee, working alongside Hillary Clinton, Lawrence Lucchino and William Weld and then served as a researcher under Richard Ben-Veniste on the Watergate Special Prosecution Force.[3] Flint later worked as a litigator with Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, a venture capital law firm based in Boston. In 1984, he changed careers and became a venture capitalist at Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. (BEDCO).[4] Flint later became a partner of BEDCO and was instrumental in a series of successful software startups including a $105 million payback on a $3 million investment in Powersoft Corporation.[5]

Polaris Partners

Along with Terry McGuire and Steve Arnold, Flint left BEDCO in 1996 and founded the venture capital firm Polaris Partners.[5] Polaris has been a lead investor in life sciences companies: Alimera Sciences, Ascend Health, deCODE genetics, Free&Clear, Ironwood and Momenta; and technology companies: Akamai Technologies, Allaire Corporation, eRewards, Imprivata, LegalZoom, LogMeIn, SolidWorks, and WordPress; and the beauty company, Living Proof.[6] Polaris closed on $500 million for its sixth fund in 2010.[7] Flint currently serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Polaris and sits on the board of directors of Athletes' Performance, JibJab, and is Chairman of Living Proof.

Living Proof

In 2005, Flint and Dr. Robert Langer started a company to apply polymer technologies often used in medical applications to beauty products.[8] Polaris seed funded Living Proof with $1 million in initial funding. The company hired five scientists who had been working in cancer research and other medical areas but who had never worked in the beauty industry. The scientists' first invention was a polymer called OFPMA that is used on frizzy hair and they have since been awarded over 15 patents for a number of beauty products.[9] The company closed $7 million in Series A financing with Polaris and other investors.[10] The company raised $16 million in a Series B financing in March 2011.[11] Flint stepped down as CEO in 2011 but remains Chairman of the company.[9] Living Proof hair care products are sold at retailers such as Sephora and Ulta.[12] In 2012, Jennifer Aniston became a co-owner and spokesperson for the company.[13] Living Proof announced the closing of $30 million financing in 2013.[14]

References
  1. "Jon Flint," CrunchBase
  2. "Jonathan Flint," IMDb.
  3. Robert Buderi, "Who Knew? Xconomy Uncovers the Strange-But-True Details of Boston’s Innovation Leaders," Xconomy, February 29, 2008.
  4. Udayan Gupta, "Done Deals: Venture Capitalists Tell Their Stories," Harvard Business School Press ISBN 978-0-87584-938-6.
  5. Glenn Rifkin, "A Generation Gap in Venture Capital," New York Times, May 25, 1995.
  6. "Polaris Partners," Crunchbase.
  7. "Polaris Hits Fund-Raising Speed Bump," PEHub, June 16, 2010.
  8. Elizabeth Holmes and Ron Winslow, "To Sell More Shampoo, Mix Science And Celebrity," Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2012.
  9. Nicole Hong, "Lawyer Takes On Beauty Care," Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2013.
  10. Ryan McBride, "Polaris and MIT’s Langer Meet L’Oreal. Don’t Believe It? There’s “Living Proof”, Xconomy, August 26, 2008.
  11. Kyle Alspach, "Living Proof raises $30M, launches 1st national campaign with Jennifer Aniston," Boston Business Journal, February 21, 2013.
  12. Antoinette Alexander, "Living Proof launches Restore to battle dry, damaged hair," Drug Store News, October 19, 2011.
  13. Timothy Hay, "Jennifer Aniston is Living Proof Investing in Beauty Products Is a Science," Wall Street Journal, October 11, 2012.
  14. "Living Proof Sees $30 Million Investment," GCI, February 21, 2013.
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