# Jonathan Sporn

> Jonathan Sporn is the New York-based co-founder and CEO of Gilgamesh Pharma. His career spans academic research, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer and the founding of Perception Neuroscience. He co-founded Gilgamesh in 2019, joined Y Combinator’s Summer 2020 batch, and continued leading its spinout following AbbVie’s 2025 acquisition of the original company.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Gilgamesh Pharma
- **Organizations:** Gilgamesh Pharma Inc., Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, Perception Neuroscience, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Columbia University, National Institutes of Health, Massachusetts General Hospital
- **Education:** B.S. in Zoology and Animal Biology, Duke University, M.D., University of Miami School of Medicine
- **Known for:** Founded Perception Neuroscience, subsequently acquired by ATAI Life Sciences., Co-founded Gilgamesh and led it through Y Combinator’s Summer 2020 batch., Led Gilgamesh through an AbbVie transaction announced at up to $1.2 billion in 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1980** — Graduated from Duke University with a B.S.
- **1984** — Earned an M.D. from the University of Miami.
- **2000-2003** — Research fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.
- **2003-2006** — Held a research leadership role at Johnson & Johnson.
- **Before 2017** — Worked at Pfizer, including research and business development responsibilities.
- **2017** — Founded Perception Neuroscience.
- **2019** — Co-founded Gilgamesh with Andrew Kruegel, Dalibor Sames, Mike Cunningham and Jeff Witkin.
- **2020** — Gilgamesh participated in Y Combinator’s Summer 2020 batch.
- **2022** — Gilgamesh announced a $39 million Series B led by Prime Movers Lab.
- **2024** — Gilgamesh signed a collaboration and option-to-license agreement with AbbVie, including $65 million upfront.
- **2025** — AbbVie acquired the original Gilgamesh company; employees and remaining programs continued in Gilgamesh Pharma Inc.
- **2026** — Gilgamesh Pharma announced a $60 million Series A led by Satori Neuro.

## Achievements

- Founded Perception Neuroscience, subsequently acquired by ATAI Life Sciences.
- Co-founded Gilgamesh and led it through Y Combinator’s Summer 2020 batch.
- Led Gilgamesh through an AbbVie transaction announced at up to $1.2 billion in 2025.
- Continued as CEO of Gilgamesh Pharma, which closed a $60 million Series A in March 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-03** — Gilgamesh Pharma announced a $60 million Series A led by Satori Neuro; the company retained the management team from the original Gilgamesh business.
- **2026-03** — Sporn appeared on Business Trip to discuss building Gilgamesh and its AbbVie deal.
- **2026-09** — A Forbes profile featured Sporn and co-founder Andrew Kruegel discussing their company and its remote operating model.

## Links

- Website: https://www.gilgameshpharmaceutical.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-sporn-4ba7802
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/spornj

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jonathan-sporn
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25