Steinmetz has been a managing director with Cambridge, Mass.-based Clarus Ventures since its formation in 2005, before which he was a general partner with MPM Capital. His investments have included more than 10 companies that went on to become publicly-traded, plus many more that were sold to large pharma companies. At the time of his death, Steinmetz was sitting on the boards of seven companies, including Tetralogic (TLOG), Heptares Therapeutics and Lycera.

“All of us at Clarus will miss Michael greatly,” the VC firm said in a statement. “He had a positive and lasting impact on our firm, as well as our individual lives. We will always remember him as wise, kind, and thoughtful man.”

Prior to becoming a VC in 1997, Steinmetz held various executive roles at Hoffmann-LaRoche, including global head of biotechnology. He also worked at both Caltech and the Basel Institute for Immunology, after receiving his PhD from the University of Munich.

Steinmetz is survived by his wife Cornelia, and children Lars, Thomas, Stephanie and Silja.

The family has set up a nonprofit foundation in Steinmetz’s memory, to find a cure for (and aid families affected by) Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy, the inherited form of heart disease from which he died. Donations can be made online (find “Genetics- Steinmetz Cardiomyopathy Fund- IMO Michael Steinmetz” via the drop-down menu), or at:

Genetics- Steinmetz Cardiomyopathy Fund- IMO Michael Steinmetz
Stanford University
Development Services
P.O. Box 20466
Stanford, CA 94309-0466

Michael’s son Lars, a Stanford genetics professor and co-director of the Stanford Genome Technology Center, will lead the research.