Sebastian Caliri
The Palantir-to-8VC Pipeline
Partner, 8VC
Last verified November 6, 2026
Overview
Led healthcare at Palantir Technologies (a CIA-backed defense/intelligence data company) where he built relationships with HHS, CDC, and CMS as a vendor. Now invests in health tech through 8VC, a $6B+ fund run by Joe Lonsdale, Palantir co-founder, $1M+ Trump donor, and political confidant of Elon Musk. Sits on a CMS advisory committee while his portfolio companies seek to sell into the same agency. He leads the committee's Deploying Real-Time Data working group. In July 2026 Senators Wyden and Merkley named him in a letter to Kennedy and Oz over his stake in BlinkRx, whose board includes Donald Trump Jr., and said his duty to investors conflicts with the advisory role. CMS lists him as a partner; 8VC's own site shows him leading its healthcare team without that title.
Since March 2026
What has changed
- April 26, 2026Newser, citing the Financial Times: Finn Kennedy, son of HHS Secretary Kennedy, previously worked at 8VC and is raising a $100 million health fund, Victura Ventures, with about $70 million committed. source
- May 18, 2026Attended the inaugural HAC meeting and was named lead of the Deploying Real-Time Data Working Group, one of six working groups, focused on data liquidity, data sharing between payers and clinicians, and Medicaid data infrastructure. source
- July 14, 2026Sens. Wyden and Merkley wrote Kennedy and Oz naming Caliri as a venture capitalist with a stake in BlinkRx, whose board includes Donald Trump Jr., and said his fiduciary duty to investors conflicts with his advisory role. source
- July 14, 2026STAT reported the Wyden and Merkley letter, which raised 'serious concerns' about credibility and conflicts of interest among committee members and asked about Federal Advisory Committee Act compliance. source
- August 1, 2026Public Citizen column on the committee said 8VC invests in Blink Health, a prescription drug platform whose board includes Donald Trump Jr., and identified Caliri as an 8VC venture capitalist. source
- August 31, 2026Presented the Deploying Real-Time Data Working Group vision and initial ideas at HAC meeting 2. source
- November 9, 2026Scheduled to present the Real-Time Data Working Group recommendations for a vote at HAC meeting 3, including modernizing Medicaid data systems for real-time program integrity. source
Career arc
Professional timeline
Current
Partner (as listed by CMS); leads the healthcare team
8VC
Led healthcare division
Palantir Technologies
Stanford MD program (one year)
BS/MS magna cum laude
Yale: Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry
Business interests and affiliations
- •8VC: $6B+ AUM. Run by Joe Lonsdale (Palantir co-founder, ~$3.3B net worth, $1M+ America PAC / Elon Musk's pro-Trump super PAC).
- •8VC healthcare investments include Oscar Health (health insurance): notable because Bill Gassen also sits on Oscar's board.
- •Palantir healthcare contracts include HHS, CDC, and CMS.
- •Caliri's published position: billing codes constrain innovation; CMS must create new payment categories: i.e., categories his portfolio companies can bill into.
Red flags
Conflicts and concerns
Built government relationships at Palantir selling data analytics to CMS and HHS. Now invests in health tech through 8VC. Sits on a committee advising the same agencies his former employer contracts with and his current portfolio companies seek to sell into.
8VC/Lonsdale is a Trump-aligned political operation. Committee appointment connects VC deal flow to federal policy.
Oscar Health crossover: 8VC invested in Oscar; Gassen sits on Oscar's board; both sit on this committee.
Published advocacy for new CMS billing categories is a direct financial interest dressed as policy opinion.
Physician-owned hospitals
Caliri represents the venture capital layer seeking to capture new CMS payment categories for health tech. This agenda serves platform companies, not physician owners. No stated interest in physician ownership expansion.
Sources