Social Impact Investors: How Alexander Bussenger Of One Eight Capital Is Helping To Prevent Medical Crises Before They Occur
…This might sound simple, but it’s serious: Go to the doctor and get checked. Too many people wait until it’s too late. If I could go back five years and change one thing, I’d have gotten regular checkups instead of waiting until a catastrophic event forced me to. One of the board members we brought on is the Director of Education and Outreach at the Ronald Perelman Heart Institute. One of her biggest passions is teaching people what to do if someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a reminder that not only should we be proactive about our own health, but we should also educate ourselves on how to help others in life-or-death situations. When minutes matter, that knowledge can save a life. So my message is simple: Get checked. Get educated. Take your health seriously before it’s too late. Obviously, we’re investing in healthcare because I’m passionate about this, but I truly believe that if more people took these steps, we could prevent so many unnecessary tragedies…
I had the pleasure of talking with Alexander Bussenger. Alexander is an American financial services professional and venture capitalist, recognized for his contributions to private banking and early-stage healthcare investments. As the founder of One Eight Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm, he has focused on supporting companies in personalized and preventative medicine. His career spans traditional financial advisory roles and venture funding, reflecting an evolution from wealth management to impact-driven investment in the healthcare sector.
Bussenger’s professional journey began in financial advisory, with early roles at Protiviti, Citi, and Morgan Stanley, where he gained experience in investment research and financial consulting. His transition into private banking took shape during his tenure at Merrill Lynch from 2016 to 2018, leading to a role as Senior Vice President at Bank of America Private Bank. There, he advised high-net-worth clients, including entrepreneurs and executives, on financial strategies related to pre-IPO planning, liquidity management, and estate structuring.
His pivot to venture capital was influenced by a life-threatening health event in early 2024. On January 8 of that year, Bussenger suffered an aortic dissection, an often-fatal condition requiring emergency surgery. The experience led him to reassess his career trajectory, ultimately prompting him to establish One Eight Capital — its name derived from the date of his medical crisis. The firm launched in late 2024 targeting a $100 million fund with $50 million already raised, focusing on innovations in genomics, wellness, and digital health. Early investments have included Nucleus Genomics, a company specializing in advanced genetic testing, and Sollis Health, a provider of concierge medical services.
A distinctive feature of One Eight Capital is its inclusion of professional athletes. The firm’s advisory board includes Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis, both of whom have personal connections to medical challenges and recovery. Bussenger’s firsthand health experience has informed his investment philosophy, positioning his firm as a key player in the shift toward proactive healthcare solutions.
Beyond his investment work, Bussenger is active in philanthropy, serving on the Board of Trustees for God’s Love We Deliver, a nonprofit organization that provides medically tailored meals to individuals with serious illnesses. His involvement underscores a broader commitment to healthcare accessibility and community well-being, aligning with the mission of his investment firm.
Bussenger’s background also includes a personal story of resilience. Born in Seoul, South Korea, he was adopted as an infant and raised in Western New York. He later discovered that his biological mother, a young single woman had placed him for adoption under challenging circumstances. This personal history, coupled with his professional and health experiences, has influenced his outlook on opportunity, perseverance, and purpose.
In venture capital, Bussenger has emphasized founder-driven investment, favoring entrepreneurs with deep personal connections to the problems they aim to solve. His approach prioritizes resilience, execution, customer traction, and long-term competitive advantage — qualities he believes are essential for success in early-stage companies. His first investment, Nucleus Genomics, exemplifies this philosophy, merging genetic testing with personalized healthcare solutions.
Bussenger has also been vocal about the shifting dynamics in healthcare investment. He has highlighted the industry’s traditional focus on reactive care and the growing momentum toward preventive medicine. Factors such as technological advancements, consumer awareness, and evolving financial incentives, he argues, are driving a fundamental transformation in how healthcare is delivered and experienced.
Despite his relatively recent entry into venture capital, Bussenger’s early investments have positioned One Eight Capital as a significant player in the field. His network of healthcare experts, professional athletes, and experienced executives has contributed to the firm’s standing in the market. Among the notable figures associated with the firm are Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett-Helaire, a key scientist in the development of the COVID-19 vaccine, and former executives from major consumer health brands.
Bussenger’s investment strategy reflects a belief in the intersection of health, technology, and entrepreneurship. He has described One Eight Capital’s mission as part of a broader movement toward “Healthcare 3.0” — a new phase in medicine focused on early intervention, data-driven personalization, and long-term health optimization.
As Bussenger continues to develop One Eight Capital, his focus remains on expanding its portfolio and deepening its impact in the healthcare sector. His long-term vision includes fostering innovations that prevent medical crises before they occur — a goal informed not only by market opportunity but also by his own near-fatal health experience. Through his firm, he seeks to bridge financial investment with meaningful healthcare advancements, aligning capital with a broader mission of improving and extending lives.
Yitzi: Alex, it’s so nice to meet you. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Let’s start with you. Can you share a story from your childhood and how you grew up?
Alex: Yes! I was actually born in Seoul, South Korea, and I was adopted when I was less than a year old. What I found out later in life — after a health incident last year — was that I was born to a young single woman named Young Sun. She was 18 years old when she had me, and it must have been really tough because, at that time in South Korea, having a baby out of wedlock was against cultural norms. She made the incredibly difficult decision to give me up for adoption.
I later found out that she went to a social services home called Ae Ran Won, where she received support before and after my birth. From what I’ve learned, she was really saddened by the adoption but also grateful for the help she received and from knowing that I’d have a better opportunity. I realized that it was the most selfless act a mother could do for her son and I’ll forever be grateful.
I grew up in Western New York with a wonderful family, just outside of Buffalo.
Yitzi: Can you tell us a bit about what led you to your career?
Alex: Yeah! Fast-forward a bit — I went to school in Buffalo for accounting. I’d always been interested in financial markets and finance, so after graduating in 2013, I knew that if I wanted a job in finance, I had to move to New York City.
I started in consulting and then explored different areas — equity research, private wealth management — and ultimately spent six years at Bank of America managing private client money.
Then, in 2024, out of nowhere, I experienced an aortic dissection. The main artery in my heart tore, a condition where 40% of people die on the spot. My aorta, which delivers blood to the rest of my body, completely dissected downward, also cutting off blood flow to my leg. I had to undergo a 12-hour open-heart surgery where they actually disconnected my brain from my heart.
The fact that I recovered so quickly is incredible. At one point, I was at risk of losing my leg and even going on dialysis, but I made it through. After a long recovery, I decided I wanted to dedicate my second chance at life to making an impact.
That’s why I launched One Eight Capital. The name “One Eight” comes from the date of my dissection — January 8th, 2024. It’s an incredibly significant date for me, and I wanted the name to be a constant reminder of this second chance and my mission to create a massive impact through our venture capital fund.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake you made when you were first starting in finance and the lesson you learned from it?
Alex: Yeah, I’d say my biggest mistake was having an unrealistic expectation of how quickly success would come. When you’re young and watching movies, you think, “Oh, I’m going to step into this Wall Street job, and by tomorrow, I’ll have millions of dollars.” But it doesn’t work that way, right?
There’s a saying — “10-year overnight success” — that I’ve really come to understand and respect. I learned that success takes years of consistent hard work. It does pay off eventually, but you have to stick with it. My biggest mistake was stepping in and thinking I’d be extremely successful and wealthy overnight. That’s just not how it works.
Yitzi: We love hearing stories about someone further along in their career opening a door or creating an opportunity that changes another person’s trajectory. Do you have a story where someone did that for you, or where you did that for someone else?
Alex: Yeah! I’ll start with a story from college. I’ll admit — I wasn’t as focused on my grades as I should have been. So, based on merit alone, I didn’t have the kind of academic record that would get me into a top consulting firm.
I’ll never forget — one of the senior partners from a top consulting firm came to campus from New York City to host an education session. I reached out to the chair of the accounting department and said, “I know this gentleman is going to be here. Can I get a lunch with him? I’d love to pick his brain and learn more about breaking into the industry.”
At the time, I really wanted to move out of Buffalo, so I knew this was a big opportunity. We had lunch, I shook his hand, he got to know me, and I learned more about the company. Honestly, I probably never would have gotten in just by applying online, but he made one phone call.
The next week, I was on a plane to New York City for an interview. I got the job, and that’s what really allowed me to make the move from Buffalo to New York. Looking back, I think that moment set off a chain reaction that led me to where I am today.
Yitzi: You have such an impressive body of work, Alex. Can you tell us a bit about the projects you’re working on now and what you hope to focus on in the future? Also, why should people follow your trajectory and your work?
Alex: Yeah! Coming out of the experience I went through, my biggest priority was making a massive impact. Being saved by an incredible medical team and seeing healthcare firsthand from the patient side really motivated me to focus on the space.
That’s why our fund, One Eight Capital, is an early-stage venture capital fund exclusively investing in preventive and personalized healthcare. Right now, we’re seeing a major shift away from an episodic, reactive healthcare system — where you only seek treatment when you feel sick — toward a more proactive approach.
I was in that reactive mindset myself. I hadn’t been to the doctor in over five years, and statistics show that about 20% of Americans are in the same boat. Looking back, had I gone earlier, could what I went through have been prevented? Maybe. That’s why I want to help others avoid reaching a crisis point before they engage with the healthcare system.
This space is growing rapidly. We’re seeing a whole new model of healthcare delivery, and we’re still in the early innings. To lead in this space, we’ve put together an incredible team, which falls into three key buckets:
- Healthcare Experts — We have Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett-Helaire, the co-inventor of the COVID vaccine and a Time Hero of the Year, who is now a top professor at Harvard. We also have an attending cardiologist from NewYork-Presbyterian and the chief of neurosurgery at a major hospital.
- Superstar Athletes — Damar Hamlin, Ray Lewis, Kendall Toole (a well-known fitness instructor), and Bobby Okereke from the New York Giants are all part of our team.
- Executives & Entrepreneurs — Ariel Safira, a former mental health founder who recently sold her company, and Andrew Stanleick, the former CEO of Kylie Jenner’s company and now the president of Skin Health & Beauty at Kenvue, a $15 billion company that reaches 1.2 billion consumers daily through its portfolio brands.
I think people should follow us because we’re investing in what we call “Healthcare 3.0” — the future of preventive and personalized healthcare. We’ve assembled a world-class team that’s truly unmatched, putting us at the forefront of this transformation.
Yitzi: The healthcare industry is huge, but as you pointed out, up until now, it has primarily focused on reactive care. Why do you think preventive healthcare hasn’t been a major focus? And what do you think is changing that now?
Alex: Great question. It’s a massive industry — 20% of U.S. expenditures go toward healthcare, over $4 trillion, and that number is only expected to rise, mainly due to increasing longevity. By 2030, all baby boomers will be 65 or older. By 2050, the World Health Organization expects around 436 million people worldwide to be 80 or older.
As for why healthcare has historically been reactive rather than proactive, a big factor is the way it’s funded. Only about 8% of medical expenses are paid out-of-pocket, while 92% come from insurance providers or other payers. Because of that, the industry hasn’t really prioritized the consumer experience. In other industries — tech, consumer products — you see a major focus on personalization and user experience. But in healthcare, since the money isn’t coming directly from consumers, there’s been less urgency to innovate and improve the experience.
That’s starting to change, though. Consumers are becoming more proactive about their health, technology is making personalized care more accessible, and the financial incentives for preventive care are becoming clearer. It’s an exciting shift, and we’re at the forefront of it.
Yitzi: That’s a great insight. Can you share a story about your most successful VC or angel investment — one you’re most proud of? And what did you learn from it?
Alex: My first investment — and our first investment out of Fund One — was in a company called Nucleus. They do direct-to-consumer genetic testing. It’s a simple cheek swab, but they sequence DNA at a level that’s 1,000 times more detailed than 23andMe. They combine the power of 70,000 genetic tests into one, identifying up to 800 diseases you may be predisposed to over your lifetime.
What’s really interesting is that the CEO himself discovered through their test that he has an extremely high risk of developing schizophrenia. I joked with him, “Well, hopefully, that doesn’t happen while we’re invested in you!” But in all seriousness, this company is a perfect example of what we’re trying to accomplish in preventive and personalized healthcare.
When I first met the CEO, I thought, If we reverse-engineered our entire investment thesis, Nucleus would have been the result. It’s truly the foundation of personalized healthcare — knowing as much as possible about yourself to make informed decisions. And what makes it even more exciting is that this type of genetic testing is now more affordable than ever. In 2007, sequencing a genome cost $10 million. Today, you can do it for under $1,000, making it accessible to a much broader audience.
I love all of our investments — we just closed our third deal — but Nucleus is so perfectly aligned with our mission. Plus, it has some incredible co-investors, including Peter Thiel, Founders Fund, and 776. Being able to co-invest with some of the most legendary firms in the space on our very first deal is a great feeling.
Yitzi: I know you’re relatively new, so maybe this question isn’t applicable, but I usually ask — has there been a company you turned down that you later regretted?
Alex: I’d say it’s too early to tell. In venture, we say no a lot, but I haven’t had enough runway yet to see if any of those decisions turned into a major missed opportunity. I know what you mean — there are VCs who passed on Amazon or Uber and now look back like, Oh my goodness. But for us, it’s still too soon to know if we’ve had one of those moments.
Yitzi: This is the main question of our series — can you share with our readers the five things you need to see before making a VC investment?
Alex: At the pre-seed stage, we’re primarily focused on the founder and their vision, so most of my criteria center around that.
- Grit, resilience, and hustle. The founder has to have that unstoppable drive. Startups are hard, and things are going to go wrong — so we look for people who have the determination to push through challenges.
- A personal connection to the problem they’re solving. I know some investors don’t prioritize this, but I really do. Jeff Bezos talked about the difference between missionaries and mercenaries — are they just building to flip the company, or are they deeply invested in solving a problem? A great example is Nucleus. The founder, Kian, lost his cousin — she was just six or eight years old — when she passed away in her sleep. His uncle also died from a heart condition. Those personal experiences drove him to ask, Can we learn more about our genetics and do something about it? That kind of personal motivation matters.
- Discipline and execution. In early-stage investing, we don’t focus too much on financial models because, realistically, they’re going to change. The business model might shift, the product could evolve — but what doesn’t change is the founder. Can they execute? Do they stay disciplined? This ties back to my first point, but it’s worth emphasizing.
- Customer traction. At pre-seed and seed stages, it’s more about the founder. But by Series A, we want to see that customers genuinely love the product. Are they using it? Are they sticking with it? That’s a key indicator.
- The potential for a durable competitive advantage. Can this company build something that stands the test of time? Do they have a unique edge that will be hard for others to replicate? That’s critical for long-term success.
There are so many other factors, but if a startup checks these five boxes, it definitely grabs our attention.
Yitzi: Lately, there’s been some pushback against ESG and DEI. The argument is that companies should focus solely on profits rather than promoting social impact. How do you respond to that?
Alex: I think ESG and DEI just make good business sense. I ignore the buzz and focus on investing in great businesses that make smart decisions.
Take ESG, for example. Let’s say you run massive, temperature-controlled warehouses. If you use smart thermometers to regulate energy use — cooling down only when needed — you’re not just helping the environment, you’re cutting costs. Your energy consumption drops, and your expenses go down. That’s not just good for sustainability; it’s smart business. ESG and profitability aren’t mutually exclusive.
Same with DEI. I don’t care what color you are — what matters is who can perform the job best. The qualities I mentioned earlier — grit, resilience, execution — those are what determine success. The goal is to build the strongest possible team, and diverse perspectives often contribute to that.
I think where people get it wrong is when ESG or DEI are framed the wrong way — sometimes as an excuse for poor performance. But when done right, they align with strong business fundamentals. They’re not distractions from profitability; they’re tools to enhance it.
Yitzi: If you could give young people one piece of advice about why they should consider making a positive impact on society like you have, what would you tell them?
Alex: I think I have a pretty unique perspective because of what I went through. It was truly life-changing, and it gave me a crystal-clear view of what really matters.
I know there are people who are happy just making a lot of money without necessarily creating anything meaningful, and that’s fine. But even in just the first six months of starting the fund, I’ve realized that while returning capital to our investors is a must, the real fulfillment comes from backing entrepreneurs who are driving the healthcare revolution.
For example, I spoke with a founder whose daughter suffers from severe asthma attacks. She created a wearable device that uses AI to analyze 20,000 microexpressions — deep sounds within the body — to predict asthma attacks up to 24 hours in advance. That technology could prevent emergencies and save lives.
Hearing these stories, supporting these companies, and knowing that our work is helping improve, extend, and even save lives — that’s a level of fulfillment money alone can’t provide.
Yitzi: This is our final aspirational question. Because of the great work you’re doing and the platform you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most good to the most people, what would it be?
Alex: This might sound simple, but it’s serious: Go to the doctor and get checked. Too many people wait until it’s too late. If I could go back five years and change one thing, I’d have gotten regular checkups instead of waiting until a catastrophic event forced me to.
One of the board members we brought on is the Director of Education and Outreach at the Ronald Perelman Heart Institute. One of her biggest passions is teaching people what to do if someone goes into sudden cardiac arrest. It’s a reminder that not only should we be proactive about our own health, but we should also educate ourselves on how to help others in life-or-death situations. When minutes matter, that knowledge can save a life.
So my message is simple: Get checked. Get educated. Take your health seriously before it’s too late. Obviously, we’re investing in healthcare because I’m passionate about this, but I truly believe that if more people took these steps, we could prevent so many unnecessary tragedies.
Yitzi: How can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they support you or your portfolio companies in any way? What can we do to learn more and help?
Alex: I really appreciate that. I’m very active on LinkedIn, so that’s a great place to follow me. We also have a website, oneeightcapital.com, though it’s still in the early stages. We’re working on adding more content, including thought pieces and updates on our investments.
Actually, your question just gave me an idea — maybe we could collaborate with the board member I mentioned earlier and, depending on compliance, put up some educational resources to help people with their own health.
Beyond that, we’re looking to do more podcasts and interviews to spread the message. But most importantly, I hope people take the time to increase their own awareness, stay educated, and prioritize their health. That’s the biggest way to make an impact.
Yitzi: Alex, thank you so much for these great insights. I wish you continued success, good health, and many blessings. I hope we can do this again next year.
Alex: Me too! Thank you so much for taking the time. Your questions were great — I really appreciate it.
Social Impact Investors: How Alexander Bussenger Of One Eight Capital Is Helping To Prevent Medical… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.