Sean George on fundraising
From Founder Stories: Sean George, Co-Founder and CEO of Invitae · · Axial
“We pitched to more than 110 firms raising venture capital — half of them didn't have any money because of the crash and capital reallocation; that period was the first time I really faced failure squarely in the face.”
On , Sean George, Former CEO at Invitae, spoke about fundraising during Founder Stories: Sean George, Co-Founder and CEO of Invitae on Axial.
About Sean George
Sean George, formerly the CEO of Invitae, is now the Head of Business Development at Equitable Advisors. In a November 2025 podcast, George discussed Equitable's position in the wealth management space, stating that the firm is focused on the "great wealth transfer" and aims to attract advisors by offering a model that combines wealth management with protection services. He said Equitable is interested in "doubling our per advisor productivity" and building "the best productivity, the best culture and the best support we can for the advisers." Prior to his role at Equitable, George co-founded and led Invitae, a genetic testing company. In a 2023 interview, he described the company's founding mission to consolidate genetic disorder tests into a single platform to lower costs and increase accessibility. He noted that the company faced significant challenges, including pitching to over 110 venture capital firms and a financing round that fell through before the team secured a larger round. During his tenure, George stated that Invitae focused on bringing genetic information into mainstream medical care, describing it as "a new vital sign." He also discussed a personal medical event in 2008, during which he experienced a heart attack and was clinically dead for over an hour before being resuscitated, a story he has recounted in public appearances.