Mr. Watumull has more than twenty years experience as a biotechnology industry executive, analyst, and investment banker. He is co-founder of Cardax and co-inventor of the Cardax technology.
Previously, as CEO of Hawaii Biotech, he led efforts that resulted in more than $25 million in investor financing and $30 million in federal grant and contract funding. Hawaii Biotech’s dengue vaccine, which progressed significantly during his tenure from this funding, is undergoing late stage clinical development at Merck. He also started and led a West Nile virus vaccine program at Hawaii Biotech that achieved success in a human proof of concept study.
Prior to Hawaii Biotech, Mr. Watumull worked at Paine Webber as a biotech money manager and investment executive, First Honolulu Securities as a biotech money manager, biotech industry analyst, and investment banker, and Aquasearch as Executive Vice president, Finance and Strategic Direction. His clients during his analyst career included the Wisconsin Investment Board, the world’s largest biotech investor at that time. While at Paine Webber, Mr. Watumull helped obtain financing for Amgen, Genentech, and Centocor. At Aquasearch, he helped lead a dramatic increase in the company’s public market capitalization.
He was named one of Hawaii’s “Ten Who Made a Difference” by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin for 1994. He and/or Cardax have also received several other awards recognizing biotech and small business in Hawaii. Mr. Watumull is also past Vice-Chairman of the Hawaii Science and Technology Council, the industry’s trade association in Hawaii.
Mr. Watumull graduated from Punahou School and attended Claremont Men’s College (now Claremont McKenna), majoring in mathematics, and has lectured at Claremont McKenna and the University of Hawaii business school.