PRESS RELEASE
8 July 2025
NUS Enterprise appoints global innovation experts to advance innovation and research translation efforts
NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), has appointed Dr Patrick Ennis and Ms Donna See as strategic advisors to support its next phase of growth in innovation and deep-tech commercialisation.
Dr Patrick Ennis (LinkedIn) brings more than three decades of experience at the intersection of science, business, and venture capital. He has held leadership roles at Bell Labs, ARCH Venture Partners, and Intellectual Ventures, and currently serves as a Venture Partner at Madrona Venture Group in Seattle. He has helped build and fund 10 deep tech companies that have gone public or been acquired by major global firms.
At NUS, he will advise on research translation policy, incubation, start-up evaluation, venture investment strategy and international engagement to help accelerate the translation of research into scalable global ventures.
“NUS has the key ingredients to become a global hub for deep-tech innovation, and I’m excited to contribute to its growing momentum by helping connect world-class research with international research institutions, partners, capital and markets,” said Dr Ennis.
Ms Donna See (LinkedIn) brings deep expertise in academic research commercialisation, with a focus on technology-enabled life sciences. She has co-founded, operated, and invested in university spin-offs and held senior leadership roles at the nexus of science, business, and intellectual property, including as Director at Columbia Technology Ventures and founding CEO of Xora Innovation, Temasek’s deep tech investment platform.
At NUS, she will advise on strengthening research translation policies, capabilities, and global networks, advancing the university’s ability to compete on the world stage and maximise the impact of breakthrough innovations from its deep tech labs.
“As a Trustee, mentor, and investor in NUS spin-outs, I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of NUS research. NUS Enterprise is turning that potential into real-world impact — sustainably and at scale. I'm proud to support this bold vision and look forward to helping shape its future alongside university leadership,” said Ms See.
Commenting on the appointments, Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise), said, “We are delighted to welcome Patrick and Donna as strategic advisors to NUS Enterprise. Their deep expertise in research translation and global venture capital aligns directly with our ambition to position NUS as a magnet for top talent and a driver of innovation at global scale. Their guidance will be critical as we scale our venture-building and investment platforms, build our international presence, and pursue bold targets for revenue generation, job creation, and societal impact.”
Please see the annexe for corporate biographies of Dr Patrick Ennis and Ms Donna See.
Annexe - Corporate Biographies for Dr Patrick Ennis and Ms Donna See
Dr Patrick Ennis
Venture Partner
Madrona Venture Group
Dr Patrick Ennis is an accomplished scientist, engineer, entrepreneur, and venture capitalist with over 30 years of experience spanning technology innovation, start-up creation, and investment. He is currently a Venture Partner at Madrona Venture Group, where he supports the growth of start-ups across diverse technology sectors. Dr Ennis also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, providing thought leadership on science and technology commercialisation.
Previously, he spent more than a decade at Intellectual Ventures, leading global start-up incubation and technology commercialisation efforts, particularly in Asian markets. He was a founding board member of Evolv Technology (Nasdaq: EVLV) and the founding CTO of Xinova, an open-innovation spinout. Prior to that, he was Managing Director at ARCH Venture Partners, investing in early-stage start-ups across computing, communications, semiconductors, materials science, and energy. He was also a founding board member and investor in Impinj (Nasdaq: PI), the world leader in Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID).
Dr Ennis began his career in research and product management at AT&T, Bell Labs, and Lucent Technologies, where he led technology projects and managed product lines. Earlier, he conducted nuclear physics research at government laboratories in North America and Europe.
Over the course of his career, Dr Ennis has served on the boards of more than 25 private and public companies and educational organisations, including Wipro Ltd., Yoodli, and the University of Helsinki Commercialisation Board. He holds multiple patents and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
Dr Ennis holds a PhD, MSc, and MPhil in Physics from Yale University, an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BSc in Mathematics and Physics from the College of William and Mary, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Over the past two decades, he has conducted business in 31 countries, cultivating strong relationships with leaders across technology, corporate, and academic sectors.
Ms Donna See
Ms Donna See is a seasoned executive in biotechnology and life sciences, with over 20 years of experience in deep tech investing, venture building, and translating scientific and engineering innovations into commercially viable ventures.
From 2019 to 2023, she was the founding CEO of Xora Innovation, a deep science investment and venture creation platform backed by Temasek. She previously held senior roles in the life sciences sector, including Chief Business Officer and Advisor at TARA Biosystems, a venture-backed organ-on-a-chip company, and Chief Business Officer at Allied-Bristol Life Sciences.
Donna remains active in the innovation ecosystem as a board member of Think Bioscience and has served on the Board of Trustees at the National University of Singapore (NUS) since April 2023. She is also a member of the NUS Innovation and Enterprise Committee, supporting the Board in advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, industry partnerships, and research translation.
Donna’s leadership experience also includes co-founding Vixen Pharmaceuticals, contributing to the development of a novel therapy for alopecia areata now marketed by Eli Lilly. She was previously Vice President of Investments at Allied Minds, a London-listed venture platform focused on commercialising research from US universities and federal labs, in fields such as advanced materials, computing, communications, and cybersecurity.
Earlier in her career, Donna served as Director at Columbia Technology Ventures, one of the leading university technology transfer offices in the United States. There, she managed the commercialisation of more than 2,000 research assets and helped launch over 30 deep tech start-ups in areas spanning engineering, science, and medicine. She began her career at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, assessing emerging technologies and new business opportunities, and has also contributed to a range of public-private healthcare initiatives across the US and with international development agencies such as the World Bank.
Donna holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, an MPH in Health Policy from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and a BA in Natural Sciences from The Johns Hopkins University.
