Driving Alpha · 2026-02-18 · 27 min
A cancer diagnosis rarely leads to a venture fund, but for Ben Freeberg, it became the catalyst for building one. As Founder and Managing Partner of Oncology Ventures, Ben transformed a firsthand experience with broken cancer care into a focused investment strategy aimed at fixing the system from the inside out. Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn: 00:12 Introduction and Welcome 01:17 The Origin Story of Oncology Ventures 04:56 Challenges and Surprises in Fundraising 07:07 Superpowers of Oncology Ventures 10:02 Fund Performance and Future Plans 17:28 Impact on Patient Lives 21:39 The Role of Stand-Up Comedy in Venture Capital 24:38 Life in Austin and Closing Remarks In this episode, Host Brian Smiga speaks with Ben Freeberg about the moment his professional trajectory changed forever. After surviving cancer, and navigating delayed diagnoses, fragmented care, and costly inefficiencies, Ben recognized that the biggest opportunities in oncology weren't just in new drugs, but in the infrastructure, data, and care delivery systems surrounding them. That realization became the foundation for Oncology Ventures.
Why you can't vibe-code a factory with Julian Counihan (Schematic Ventures)64 / 100Why Centana invests in Fintech - with Ben CukierHow top healthcare VCs generate alpha with Garheng Kong (HealthQuest Capital)Bridging government and venture capital with Yanev Suissa of SineWave VenturesInside Cathay Innovation: Simon Wu on industry-powered venture capital