Versant Ventures
Versant Ventures is a leading healthcare-focused venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in medical devices, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, healthcare services, and healthcare information technology. The firm, founded in 1999, consists of a seasoned team of eleven managing directors with more than 115 years of venture capital investing experience and more than 145 years of operating experience.
Versant Ventures currently manages over $1 billion in committed capital having recently raised its third fund in November 2005, and is currently managing over 70 companies in its portfolio.
5am Ventures
5AM Ventures makes seed and early-stage investments in next-generation life science companies. Founded in 2002 by former Bay City Capital principals, 5AM Ventures has offices in Boston and San Francisco.
As successful former company leaders and established venture capitalists, the 5AM Team take a hands-on approach to company building. In addition to holding board seats in the majority of its portfolio companies, 5AM is directly involved in company strategy, management recruiting, business development, and fundraising in the majority of ventures it backs.
The 5AM portfolio, built on advanced life science technologies, is diversified among innovative platforms, spinouts from established biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and companies developing near-term products.
Abingworth
Abingworth is a long-established venture capital firm dedicated to the life sciences sector on both sides of the Atlantic. The company invests across all stages of development, including early-stage as well as public companies. Abingworth has provided backing for more than 90 unquoted life science businesses.
The majority of these have gone public or have merged or been acquired. Abingworth has funds under management of more than $750 million. Founded in 1973, Abingworth has offices in London, Cambridge (UK), Menlo Park (California) and Boston.
Novo A/S
Novo A/S is the holding company of the Novo Group, and is wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Novo A/S was established in 1999 to manage the assets of the Foundation and actively make investments on behalf of the Foundation. Novo Ventures is recognized as a significant force within life science venture capital and is active in both Europe and North America. The Novo Ventures team consists of six Partners in Copenhagen, one in London and two in San Francisco.
With an evergreen structure, Novo A/S annually invests approximately $85 million in venture capital into private life sciences companies and acts at a pace comparable to a traditional $400 million fund. Novo A/S is not a corporate strategic fund; the group invests for financial rather than strategic returns. In total, Novo A/S has more than $8 billion under management, which includes significant shareholdings in the independently operating and publicly listed companies Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S.
