Eric Lefkofsky, a serial entrepreneur with a quarter-century of experience, is now focused on his latest venture, health tech firm Tempus AI, as his “enduring legacy.” Founded in 2015, Tempus uses AI to analyze cancer patients’ tumor samples and provide personalized treatment plans. Lefkofsky’s personal experience with his wife’s cancer diagnosis inspired him to enter the healthcare industry despite his initial reservations about its regulations.
Tempus AI went public this summer at a valuation of $6 billion and has since seen its share price rise by 22%, giving Lefkofsky a net worth of $4.4 billion. Venture capitalist Peter Barris, who has worked with Lefkofsky on multiple ventures, describes him as the best entrepreneur he has ever dealt with. Lefkofsky’s track record of experimentation and quick decision-making has led to the success of his previous ventures, including Groupon, but he sees Tempus as the potential pinnacle of his career.
Born in Michigan, Lefkofsky discovered his business acumen early on in college, where he started selling carpets to fellow students. After co-founding and selling multiple companies in rapid succession, he partnered with Brad Keywell to establish Lightbank, a venture capital firm. Tempus, however, represents a departure from Lefkofsky’s previous ventures as he describes it as a personal passion project to revolutionize healthcare.
At Tempus, Lefkofsky has taken a more measured approach to growth, focusing on the U.S. market and slowly expanding into new areas. The company generates revenue by analyzing patient samples for genetic sequencing and licensing its dataset for research purposes. Despite facing competition from larger players in the industry, Tempus has rapidly gained traction and is projected to become profitable in the near future.
While challenges such as intellectual property disputes and labor negotiations with the Chicago lab staff have arisen, Lefkofsky remains optimistic about Tempus’ future. He believes the company has the potential to become a leader in the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare. With a strong focus on patient care and innovation, Tempus aims to revolutionize the way diseases are diagnosed and treated, potentially leaving a lasting impact on the healthcare industry and Lefkofsky’s career.
As Lefkofsky continues to build Tempus into a powerhouse in health tech, he believes the company has the potential to be his most significant achievement yet. With a strong foundation in genomic sequencing, big data, and AI, Tempus is poised to make a lasting impact on the healthcare industry and potentially become the next big player in the field. Lefkofsky’s dedication to problem-solving and innovation drives his ambition to create lasting change in the lives of millions of patients through Tempus AI.
