John Applegate is the Chief Financial Officer of Zephyr AI. John has spent decades crafting strategy, driving growth, and bringing to bear his financial experience to advance companies committed to transforming patient care.

Applegate, a seasoned C-level biotechnology executive, joined Zephyr with over 25 years of experience in finance, strategy, accounting, capital formation, investor relations, and business development. He is the former CFO of biotechnology company Verge Genomics, where he raised a new round of equity financing in conjunction with a strategic partnership with AstraZeneca. Before his employment at Verge, Applegate was the vice president of accounting and finance at Valo Health, where he was a member of a senior leadership team that presided over a company valuation increase from seed to greater than $1B. In addition, Applegate previously worked at Biogen, a biotechnology company, as its senior director and head of finance worldwide for the research and development organization. During his 14-year career at Biogen, Applegate also supported business development transactions, including the $3.25B purchase of TYSABRI® rights from Elan Corporation, plc., and managed critical alliances on Biogen’s behalf that included collaborations with Eisai Co., Ltd., on developing and commercializing LEQEMBI® to treat Alzheimer’s disease, and Genentech for developing and commercializing the oncology blockbuster RITUXAN®. Applegate holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Northwestern University.

At Zephyr AI, John leads capital strategy with a value growth mindset, aligning financial discipline with scientific advancement to scale operations, unlock value, and accelerate long-term impact. He is inspired to serve patients by wisely investing in transformative science.