Daniel de Boer

Venture Philanthropy in Action: A Case Study of EB Research Partnership and ProQR

Kristin Schneeman, Michael Hund, Alex Silver, Daniel de Boer, Mark de Souza, Esther Krofa

In a 2020 webinar moderated by Michael Hund of the EB Research Partnership (EBRP), experts Alex Silver, Daniel DeBoer, and Mark D'Souza detailed EBRP's venture philanthropy model, which invests capital in for-profit enterprises to de-risk intellectual property in exchange for financial returns rather than traditional grants. The discussion highlighted a successful collaboration with ProQR Therapeutics that led to the rapid formation of Wings Therapeutics, a structure leveraging equity and milestone-based royalties to accelerate Epidermolysis Bullosa drug development by years. By prioritizing specialized legal counsel and strategic flexibility over standard nonprofit conventions, EBRP aims to catalyze over 30 clinical trials and shift rare disease treatment timelines from years to months while generating competitive financial returns.