How Silicon Valley’s hospital whisperer bridges the gap between startups and health systems

SAN FRANCISCO — As part of one of the tech industry’s most revered venture funds, Daryl Tol is very familiar with fast-paced, sometimes overblown pitches from go-getter founders, lining up at happy hours and investor panels to score just a few minutes of face time. A chance meeting, or an email to the right person, could propel pie-in-the-sky ideas into billion-dollar, global businesses.

But he’s also deeply embedded in another world: One where inflated claims have life-or-death consequences, and where breathless newcomers inspire more derision than enthusiasm.

In leading General Catalyst’s budding partnerships with health systems, Tol is tasked with bridging the gap between venture funds, startups, and hospitals. His role requires deftly navigating large, bureaucratic enterprises to find just the right executive to hear a startup pitch, and translating it into language they can grasp or even find attractive. It also means managing tense, sometimes emotional conversations between experts who disagree on the right way to improve health care.

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