DT

Desney Tan

Corporate VP and Managing Director (Microsoft Research) | Board Director (ResMed + Washington Research Foundation) | Startup and Real Estate Investor

Greater Seattle Area

Invests in

Stages:

  • Min Investment:

    $500,000.00
  • Max Investment:

    $1,500,000.00
  • Target Investment:

    $1,000,000.00

Work Experience

2004

  • Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, Microsoft Research

    2023

    Responsible for multidisciplinary global organization working to create scientific knowledge and deliver innovation that leads to positive human impact at scale. Managing portfolio of work in systems and infrastructure, artificial intelligence and algorithms, as well as human-computer interaction and sociotechnical systems.

  • Vice President and Managing Director, Microsoft Health Futures

    2021 - 2023

    Responsible for Microsoft’s cross-organizational Health and Life Science R&D (and moonshots). Built portfolio of programs and partnerships in biomedical technologies (e.g. natural language processing, medical imaging, machine learning), the life sciences (e.g. immunomics, genomics, metagenomics, synthetic biology), as well as various application areas (e.g. population health, mental health, global health access).

  • Managing Director, Microsoft Healthcare

    2015 - 2021

    Drove strategy, research, technical development, and business creation for Microsoft Healthcare. Developed new products such as Microsoft Health Bot (millions of monthly active users and tens of millions of messages exchanged in just its first year), EmpowerMD (which powers Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience), etc.

  • Senior Director, Medical Devices Group

    2014 - 2015

    Transitioned Microsoft consumer wearable program (e.g. Band) into a medical device program, focused on cardiovascular health. Included development of quality management system and navigating regulatory landscape.

  • Principal Research Manager, Computational User Experiences Group

    2007 - 2014

    Started and ran mobile sensing and interaction technique group. Developed and shipped physiological sensing platform on Xbox and Microsoft Kinect. Incubated, developed, and shipped Microsoft Band.

  • Principal Research Manager, Human-Computer Interaction Group

    2009 - 2012

    Started and ran haptics and interaction hardware group (including researchers, hardware/software engineers, designers, and social scientists), as well as hardware manufacturing ecosystem that US groups could leverage.

  • Researcher, Visualization and Interaction Group

    2004 - 2007

    Research on large display experiences as well as natural user interfaces. Developed and shipped Windows Multi-Monitor functionality, as well as the (neural network-based) Microsoft Handwriting Recognition Engine and the associated Tablet Input Panel (frontend UI/UX).

2021

  • Member, Board Of Directors

    2021

    ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD) pioneers a comprehensive range of life-changing products and connected health solutions that help people breathe and sleep better.

  • Member, Board of Directors

    2023

    Washington Research Foundation (WRF) supports research and scholarship in Washington state, with a focus on life sciences and enabling technologies.

  • Strategic Advisor

    2022

    Immortal is an original content studio dedicated to Essential Wuxia stories, the martial arts fantasy genre of heroism, fantasy action & empowerment.

  • Co-Founder and Managing Partner

    2019

    Multifamily real estate investing (>$25M and 100+ door portfolio, and growing).

  • Affiliate Professor

    2007

    Faculty, Computer Science + DUB Human-Computer Interaction and Design group Co-founder and Chair of Industrial Advisory Board, NSF Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering

  • Senior Advisor and Chief Technologist

    2019

    IntuitiveX is a health and life science incubator and consultancy that helps entrepreneurs and startups transform their ideas from concept to commercialization.

  • Technical Advisor

    2019

    Proprio develops computational imaging enhanced augmented reality systems to improve the efficacy of precision tasks, like spinal and brain surgery.

  • Angel Investor

    2014

    Investments in: Aqueduct, KustomNote, ATG Risk Solutions, Ravenna Solutions, Lumen Learning, Autograph, Bennett Rank, Fanzo, SamePage, Giftbit, Record360, Cartogram, Innovative Dental Technologies, Zipline, Footmarks, Visual Vocal, 2Morrow, Crelate, Slope, RIPL, Hero Sports, Cardtapp, Nexgenia, UTrip, Media Partners, Drone Compiler, Vendor Hawk (acquired by ServiceNow), ActX, Hemex Health, Shark Bite Games, Mindshare Medical, Cardiac Insight, Keepe, Matcherino, Ad Lightning, ...

  • Angel Investor

    2013

    Investments in: Red Tricycle, Momunt, SignPost, Recurrency, Wrapify, Cozy, Scout, Crux (acquired by Butter.ai, which was acquired by Box), Red Clay, LeadIQ, Brilliant, Mouth, Birdi (acquired by Luma, which was acquired by First Alert), Clect, DailyDrip , Butter, Talla, Zembula, Stay Wonderful, Votion, Blokable, Underground Cellar, Bee Roll, inside.com, ...