13 Leading Biotech Venture Capital Firms Shaping the Industry

In biotech, the investors behind a company often shape its trajectory as much as the science itself. From early company formation through later stages of development, their experience helps determine which ideas move forward, how teams are built, and how programs are positioned for the long road ahead.

This is where the major biotech venture capital firms come in. They have the capital—and the business expertise—to bridge this gap between a company’s research and its commercial success. As the sector has matured, these firms have taken on more active, long-term roles in building and scaling life sciences companies.

Finding biotech funding is becoming more commonplace, says Lindsey Mignano, JD, an attorney with SSM Legalwho represents a variety of early-stage health and biotech companies. She says that what used to be a niche field is now a hybrid ecosystem that combines financial backing with company creation. Some biotech venture funds even function like incubators, creating companies internally and spinning them out, says Mignano.

“Plus, many of these funds are led by experts, specifically, PhDs, MDs, or former biotech executives who can evaluate the science directly,” she says. “Some not only fund these startups, but actually incubate them internally while ensuring the successful buildout of a management team. They [sometimes even provide] shared infrastructure to accelerate early proof-of-concept.” 

The firms included in this list reflect that shift. Some focus on early company creation, others invest across multiple stages, and many do both. What they share is a track record of identifying promising science and staying involved as companies take shape. Together, they offer a snapshot of the investors shaping how biotech companies are built today.

A global venture capital firm with a long track record of investing in healthcare and life sciences companies alongside technology and other sectors.

HQ: Menlo Park, CA

Year Founded: 1977

Key Leaders: Scott Sandell, Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer; Tony Florence, Co-CEO; Mohamad Makhzoumi, Co-CEO; Al Behbahani, MD, Partner, Co-Head of Healthcare; Paul Walker, Partner, Co-Head of Healthcare; Rick Yang, Partner, Head of Technology

Number of Employees: 229

Investment Scope: All stages from seed stage through IPO 

Financial Snapshot: Over $25 billion in assets, 284 portfolio company IPOs, and more than 500 mergers and acquisitions 

Notable Portfolio Companies: Strive Health, Databricks, Genies Recent Highlights: In 2023, NEA announced that it had closed on approximately $6.2 billion across two funds. This pair of funds was a first for NEA—one fund is dedicated to early-stage investing and the other to venture growth-stage opportunities. Not only does this reflect the firm’s continuous evolution, but both funds will be invested across a broad range of technology and healthcare sectors including digital health and life sciences among others.

A multi-strategy life sciences investment firm that invests across private and public markets, including early-stage biotech, late-stage companies, and post-IPO life sciences businesses.

HQ: New York, NY

Year Founded: 1989

Key Leaders: Trey Block, CFO; Doug Coon, Chief Compliance Officer; Andrew P. Kanarek, CFA, CIPM, Chief Risk Officer; Daniel Rhee, CISSP, Chief Technology Officer

Number of Employees: ~ 150

Investment Scope: Early-stage, late-stage, post-IPO, private equity

Financial Snapshot: Over $17 billion in public and private investments

Notable Portfolio Companies: Entero, Adaptive, Delfi

Recent Highlights: In October 2025, Biogen licensed one of Vanqua Bio’s new medicines designed to help treat immune-related diseases. Vanqua Bio is one of OrbiMed’s portfolio companies. OrbiMed also closed a $183 million Series C financing for Electra. The company will be dosing the first patients in SURPASS, Electra’s Phase 2/3 pivotal clinical trial evaluating ELA026 in sHLH. ELA026 has also been granted FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation and EMA Priority Medicine Designation.

A venture creation and investment firm that builds and launches biotech companies internally, often remaining closely involved through early development and company formation.

HQ: Cambridge, MA

Year Founded: 2000

Key Leaders: Noubar Afeyan, Founder and CEO; Hari Pujar, Operating Partner, Founding President of Mirai Bio, and COO of Tessera Therapeutics; Luciano Rossetti, Chief Medical Officer, Flagship Pioneering and Head of R&D, Pioneering Medicines

Number of Employees: ~ 700

Investment Scope: Early stage and seed

Financial Snapshot: More than $10 billion in committed capital

Notable Portfolio Companies: Denali Therapeutics, Foghorn Therapeutics, Generate:Biomedicines

Recent Highlights: In October 2025, Flagship unveiled Expedition Medicines and committed an initial $50 million to support scaling Expedition’s platform for generating small-molecule medicines. In May 2025, Mirai Bio, a genetics medicines company founded by Flagship, announced a strategic collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific. In April 2025, Repertoire Immune Medicines, a biotech company developing programmable T cell-targeted immune medicines founded in 2019 by Flagship, entered a collaboration and license agreement with Genentech.

A multi-stage investment manager that makes public and private investments in healthcare and life sciences companies and supports company formation and growth.

HQ: Boston, MA

Year Founded: 2004

Key Leaders: Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, Managing Partner; Rajeev Shah, Managing Partner; Eric Rose, CFA, CPA, Chief Compliance Officer; Michael Saulnier, CPA, Chief Financial Officer; Emily Minkow, MBA, Executive Investment Director

Number of Employees: >150

Investment Scope: Venture and multi-stage investing from early company creation through commercialization

Financial Snapshot: More than 450 investments made and over $10 billion in assets under management

Notable Portfolio Companies: Moderna, Shockwave Medical, Orchard Therapeutics

Recent Highlights: In September 2025, an affiliate of RA Capital Management alongside an affiliate from OMERS Life Sciences entered into a senior secured term loan facility of up to $250 million with ARS Pharmaceuticals, including an initial $100 million investment. The firm continues to deploy structured capital and equity financing across healthcare and life sciences companies, spanning innovation stages and financing types.

An early-stage venture firm that focuses on forming and backing life sciences companies based on academic and translational research.

HQ: Chicago, IL

Year Founded: 1986

Key Leaders: Robert Nelsen, Co-Founder, Managing Director; Keith Crandell, Co-Founder, Managing Director; Clinton Bybee, Co-Founder, Managing Director, Emeritus; Mark McDonnell, Managing Director, CFO, CAO

Number of Employees: ~ 60

Investment Scope: Early stage

Notable Portfolio Companies: Illumina, GRAIL, Juno Therapeutics

Recent Highlights: ARCH’s Seaport Therapeutics was included on Fierce Biotech’s 2025 Fierce 15 list of companies redefining biotech, while ARCH-backed Dispatch Bio and Sironax were named to Endpoints 11 list of most exciting startups in 2025.

A healthcare and life sciences venture capital firm that invests in and helps build biotechnology and related companies across stages of development.

HQ: San Francisco, CA

Year Founded: 1999

Key Leaders: Brad Bolzon, PhD, Chairman and Managing Director; Max Eisenberg, COO; Rich Van Doren, CFO

Number of Employees: ~ 70

Investment Scope: All investment options including early, late, debt financing, private equity, etc.

Financial Snapshot: Approximately $2.4 billion under management

Notable Portfolio Companies: Foresight Visions, Anokion, Lava Therapeutics

Recent Highlights: In January 2025, Helicore Biopharma Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) antagonists for obesity and related conditions, received $65 million in Series A financing by founding investor Versant Ventures and by OrbiMed. Longitude Capital and Wellington Management also participated.

An early-stage life sciences venture firm that partners with founders to build and scale biotechnology and healthcare companies from inception.

HQ: Boston, MA

Year Founded: 2007

Key Leaders: Robert Tepper, Co-Founder; Mark Levin, Retired Founding Partner; Kevin Starr, Retired Founding Partner; Kevin Gillis, COO; Chris Robinson, Chief Talent Officer

Number of Employees: ~ 110

Investment Scope: Early-stage, seed, late-stage, private equity

Notable Portfolio Companies: Bluebird Bio, MyoKardia, Terremoto Biosciences

Recent highlights: In May 2025, Element Science received FDA approval for its Jewel Patch Wearable Cardioverter Defibrillator, which is a wearable device that protects people at temporary risk for sudden cardiac arrest. In 2023, the FDA approved Bluebird Bio’s Lyfgenia for people aged 12 and older with sickle cell disease. This approval is the first time gene therapies were approved to treat patients with this genetic disorder.

An early-stage venture capital firm that creates and invests in biotechnology companies, partnering with founders to build and scale therapeutic innovation.

HQ: Cambridge, MA

Year Founded: 1980

Key Leaders: Kevin Bitterman, PhD, Partner; Bruce Booth, DPhil, Partner; Jean-Francois Formela, MD, Partner; Michael Gladstone, Partner; David Grayzel, MD, Partner; Jason Rhodes, Partner; Maurizio Fazio, MD, Partner

Number of Employees: ~ 30

Investment Scope: Early stage

Notable Portfolio Companies: Judo Bio, Intellia Therapeutics, Kymera Therapeutics

Recent Highlights: In September 2025, the firm announced that it had raised a $400 million Opportunity Fund. This fund allows its portfolio companies to advance therapeutic programs. This raise follows the firm’s $450 million Fund XIV, an early stage vehicle closed in December 2024.

A venture capital firm that funds and helps build early-stage life sciences and biopharmaceutical companies across multiple therapeutic and technological areas.

HQ: San Francisco, CA

Year Founded: 2002

Key Leaders: Kush M Parmar, MD, Managing Partner; Andy Schwab, Founder and Managing Partner; Michael Calore, Partner and Head of Investor Relations; John Kelly, Partner, CFO, and COO; Deborah Palestrant, PhD, MBA, Partner and Executive Chair of 4:59 Initiative; Paul Stone, JD, Partner and Chief Legal Officer; Anna Yaeger, Partner and Head of Public Equities

Number of Employees: ~ 25

Investment Scope: Seed and early-stage investing, with additional participation in later-stage and public equity opportunities

Notable Portfolio Companies: Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Audentes, Artiva Biotherapeutics

Recent highlights: In October 2025, Crinetics received FDA approval for PALSONIFY (Paltusotine) for the treatment of adults with acromegaly, a hormonal disorder. In September 2025, Ensoma received $53 million in financing to support key clinical milestones for EN-374 and for continued development of in vivo hematopoietic stem cell engineering.

A global venture capital firm that invests in life sciences, healthcare, and technology companies across multiple stages of growth.

HQ: Cambridge, MA

Year Founded: 1969

Key Leaders: Carolyn Haley, MS, Partner, COO, and CFO; Clay Basser-Wall, Chief Compliance Officer; Jessica Alston, PhD, Partner

Number of Employees: ~ 120

Investment Scope: Seed, series A, series B

Financial Snapshot: $5.3 billion assets under management

Notable Portfolio Companies: Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Ultragenyx, Beam Therapeutics

Recent Highlights: In October 2025, ABK Biomedical, Inc., a medical device company focused on imageable embolic medical devices, received an oversubscribed $35 million Series D financing. The round was led by new investor, J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital alongside F-Prime and other investors.

A science-driven venture capital firm that partners with academic and industry founders to invest in and build early-stage life sciences and technology companies.

HQ: Cambridge, MA; San Francisco, CA; and Bethesda, MD Year Founded: 2018

Key Leaders: Michael P. Rubin, MD, Founder and CEO; Sharon Kedar, Co-Founder, Partner; Pat Smerkers, CFO, Partner; Andrea Jackson, Partner

Number of Employees: ~ 40

Financial Snapshot: Over $2 billion in committed capital

Investment Scope: Seed, Series A, and early growth stages and supports academic translation programs

Notable Portfolio Companies: Kyverna Therapeutics, Vigil Neuroscience, Candel Therapeutics

Recent Highlights: Northpond founded The Laboratory for Bioengineering Research and Innovation at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. It also launched the MIT-Northpond Program – Advancing Life Science & Engineering Innovation and launched the Northpond Laboratories — Program for Research and Innovation at Stanford Medicine.

A venture capital firm that invests in life sciences, healthcare, and data-driven biotechnology companies across stages of growth.

HQ: San Francisco, CA

Year Founded: 2011

Key Leaders: Jim Tananbaum, MD, Founder and CEO; Stella Ho, CFO and Managing Director; Amelia Stoj, CCO, Assistant General Counsel; Richard Lau, CFA, Partner; Stephen Peterson, CFA, Partner; Cindy Xiong, PhD, Partner; Dennis D. Ryan, MBA, CPA, Managing Director

Number of Employees: ~ 50

Investment Scope: Multi-stage

Financial Snapshot: $3.5 billion in assets under management

Notable Portfolio Companies: 10x Genomics, Relay Therapeutics, Element Biosciences, Inscripta

Recent Highlights: In October 2025, the Indomo team, which is backed by Foresite, launched out of stealth. They are focusing on bringing ClearPen, an investigational at-home injectable therapy for inflammatory acne, to market. In 2025, Foresite was named to TIME’s Inaugural List of America’s Top Venture Capital Firms (eighth place). In September 2025, the firm announced it was returning for Thyme Care’s Series D. Thyme Care is a sophisticated data engine for cancer care.

The dedicated biotech and healthcare investing platform within Andreessen Horowitz, focused on life sciences and health investments distinct from the firm’s broader technology and consumer portfolios.

HQ: Menlo Park, CA

Year Founded: 2015

Key Leaders: Vijay S. Pande, PhD, Founder and Former General Partner; Julie Yoo, General Partner; Vineeta Agarwala, MD, General Partner; Jorge Conde, General Partner

Number of Employees: 201–500

Investment Scope: Seed to late-stage

Financial Snapshot: Part of a firm with ~$46 billion in total committed capital across multiple funds

Notable Portfolio Companies: Nautilus Biotechnology, EQRx, Erasca

Recent Highlights: In January 2025, the company announced a newly formed venture capital fund in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company (“Lilly”). The Biotech Ecosystem Venture Fund will focus on investing in therapeutic platforms and cutting-edge technology companies that can bring new medicines and disease treatments to improve patients’ lives. This fund will deploy up to $500 million to invest in companies at all stages with a focus on advancing the development of new medicines, enabling novel modality platforms, and scaling emerging health technologies.