Ron Conway, a longtime venture capitalist and major donor to Democratic causes, said Friday that he has a “rare” form of cancer and is starting treatment for it immediately.

Conway, founder of SV Angel, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm, said he will step back from his company, but still remain involved at times.

“SV Angel has a deep, experienced team that remains fully focused on supporting exceptional founders,” he wrote in a post on X.

Conway said that he was deliberately choosing not to share the type of cancer so that there would be no speculation about his prognosis.

“I appreciate your understanding and respect for this,” he said. “I am optimistic about my prognosis. I am fortunate to have the best/amazing team of UCSF doctors in San Francisco, and as you know, I never back down from a fight.”

Conway, often dubbed the “Godfather of Silicon Valley,” has been involved in venture capital since the 1990s, and his early investments include Google, PayPal, and Twitter.

He has also been a major donor to political and civic causes.

In 2024, he donated $100,000 to an independent expenditure committee that opposed former Supervisor Aaron Peskin’s mayoral bid. He also played a major role (opens in new tab) in encouraging President Joe Biden to hand over his election campaign to Vice President Kamala Harris.

In October, after Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff called for the deployment of National Guard troops in San Francisco, Conway resigned from the company’s board.