104 investors |
Geography | Checks | Stages | Investment thesis | Open rate | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | SpringTime Ventures
VC firm | ![]() | $500k to $700k | 2. Prototype 3. Early Revenue | We invest in fintech, insurtech, healthcare, logistics & supply chain in the USA only. Founders must be in the US and... | 83% | View profile |
![]() | Scientifica - Young Fu...
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $50k to $500k | 1. Idea or Patent 2. Prototype+2 | We invest in science-backed Deep Tech (Digital and Frontier Technology, Medican/Bio Technology, Sustainability and... | 43% | View profile |
![]() | ZAKA VC
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $100k to $300k | 1. Idea or Patent | We invest in B2B SaaS, FinTech, DeepTech, AI, Industry Tech, Robotics, Defense, BioTech, Marketplace, HR Tech,... | 33% | Fill formView profile |
![]() | Flashpoint VC
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $1M to $5M | 3. Early Revenue 4. Scaling+1 | We invest in Late Seed to Series A rounds. * Target Profile: Companies with $1M-$5M ARR, demonstrating 2x+ YoY... | 20% | View profile |
![]() | Fiddlehead Ventures
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $50k to $1M | 2. Prototype 3. Early Revenue | We invest in Biotech, life sciences, climate tech, health tech, and industrial tech. Fiddlehead Ventures follows two... | View profile | |
![]() Get Intercom free for 1 year with OpenVC
Click the link and use the code "OpenVC". Conditions apply.
|
|||||||
![]() | Horaizon Labs
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $200k to $500k | 1. Idea or Patent 2. Prototype+1 | We invest in Deeptech, AI, ML, Biotech, Pharma, Saas, fintech, IoT, engineering, robotics, commercialization,... | View profile | |
![]() | Berkeley SkyDeck
| ![]() ![]() | $200k to $200k | 5. Growth 4. Scaling+3 | We invest in and accelerate transformational startups from outside of the US. We love deeptech, biotech, quantum... | Fill formView profile | |
![]() | Sree Kasturi
| ![]() | $1k to $25k | 1. Idea or Patent | I invest in people building foundational technologies for tomorrow. My focus is deep / frontier tech: Semiconductors,... | View profile | |
![]() | First Star
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $200k to $1.1M | 3. Early Revenue 1. Idea or Patent+1 | We invest in entrepreneurs solving real-world problems with deep technology in data, machine learning,... | View profile | |
![]() | Mindshift Ventures
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $1M to $3M | 4. Scaling | We invest in software companies (B2B SaaS, ecommerce, AI/ML ...etc.). We do not invest in health tech, bio tech and... | Submit deckView profile | |
![]() | Sentor Investments
| ![]() ![]() | $50k to $1M | 3. Early Revenue 4. Scaling+2 | We invest in many sectors and across numerous regions. We have an open mandate to invest in scale up and growth stage... | View profile | |
![]() | Hedi Ben Chaabane
| ![]() | $10k to $2M | 1. Idea or Patent 2. Prototype+2 | I invest in (personal investment) early stage healthcare start-ups and biotech companies developing unique... | View profile | |
![]() | Harriet Ventures
| ![]() ![]() | $500k to $50M | 4. Scaling 5. Growth+2 | We buy majority stake in cash-flowing companies with > $500k in EBITDA and we are bullish on fintech, saas, ai, B2C,... | View profile | |
![]() | Mer Angels
| ![]() | $100k to $500k | 3. Early Revenue 4. Scaling | We invest in blue economy startups that span a broad spectrum of sectors such as fintech, IoT, web3, SaaS, blockchain,... | View profile | |
![]() | Mayfield Fund
VC firm | ![]() ![]() | $2M to $10M | 3. Early Revenue 4. Scaling+1 | We invest in: - enterprise. SaaS, infra, dev ops, semi, networking, security - consumer: eCommerce (subscription),... | View profile | |
![]() | GSF India
VC firm | ![]() | $100k to $500k | 1. Idea or Patent 2. Prototype+3 | We invest in tech-led startups and are completely sector agnostic. We’ve invested in category defining businesses... | View profile | |
![]() | Helsana HealthInvest
| ![]() ![]() | $1M to $5M | 3. Early Revenue 4. Scaling | We invest in start-ups that improve patients’ access to healthcare. We invest in companies that can demonstrate... | View profile | |
![]() | Realist Ventures
VC firm | ![]() | $100k to $500k | 3. Early Revenue 4. Scaling+1 | We invest in groundbreaking startups with diverse teams of pre-seed, and seed startups in Biotech, Saas, and Software.... | View profile | |
![]() | Matt Sutherland
| ![]() ![]() | $50k to $1M | 1. Idea or Patent 2. Prototype+2 | I invest in life sciences tools, services, and biopharma services companies. Stage: commercial and pre-commercial... | View profile | |
![]() | Hard2beat
VC firm | ![]() | $130k to $800k | 1. Idea or Patent 2. Prototype+2 | We invest in early-stage Polish deeptech startups with a clear technological edge, solving hard problems through... | Fill formView profile |
Raising Capital for Your Biotech Startup? Here’s What You Need to Know.
Seeking investment for a biotech startup isn’t exactly like fundraising for SaaS or AI. If you’ve made it past a seed round already, you’re likely familiar with the necessity for massive capital upfront, long development timelines, and high regulatory risk. Biotech venture capital firms are well aware of this—and they’re looking for startups with strong science, clear commercialization pathways, and a team that can execute over the long haul.
Unlike traditional tech startups that can pivot quickly, biotech is a commitment. If you’re aiming to find a lead investor for your startup, you need to prove that your startup is positioned to make it through preclinical, clinical, and regulatory hurdles.
Next, we’ll cover everything you need to know about securing biotech funding.
What Biotech Investors Look for in a Startup
Biotech investors and VC firms know that most startups won’t generate revenue for years—sometimes a decade or more. That’s why they focus on the following criteria:
✅ Strong Scientific Validation – Investors need clear, defensible science backed by preclinical or early clinical data. If you’re still in the idea phase, VCs won’t bite.
✅ Intellectual Property (IP) & Competitive Advantage – Your patents, licensing agreements, or proprietary tech must create a real barrier to entry.
✅ Clear Regulatory Pathway – The FDA approval process is long and complex. Investors will ask: What’s your timeline? What phase are you in? Are there precedents for similar drugs or devices getting approved?
✅ Capital Efficiency & Funding Milestones – Biotech VCs need to see a clear use of funds and how each financing round gets you closer to commercialization.
🚩 Biggest red flags for biotech investors
- Unclear path to regulatory approval
- No clear commercialization plan
- Weak team composition (Lack of a diverse team or credible advisors)
How to Raise Capital in Biotech
Your startup should always have a defined fundraising strategy, especially in the early stages. Before planning too much out, here are some basic biotech funding principles you should be aware of.
Who invests in biotech?
Get a quick breakdown of biotech venture capital:
🔹 Biotech-Focused VCs: (ARCH Venture Partners, Flagship Pioneering, Third Rock Ventures)
🔹 Corporate & Pharma VCs: (Pfizer Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, Roche Venture Fund)
🔹 Generalist VC Firms Investing in Biotech: (Andreessen Horowitz Bio + Health, Sequoia, Khosla Ventures)
What’s expected at each stage?
Pre-seed: A promising scientific breakthrough, strong founding team, and early research grants.
Seed: Preclinical validation, early IP protection, and a clear regulatory plan.
Series A+: Clinical trial progress, strong industry partnerships, and an FDA roadmap.
How long does biotech fundraising take?
- Early-stage (preclinical): 6-12 months
- Clinical-stage (Phase 1+): 12+ months
- Go-to-market (post-approval): Depends on partnerships & commercialization strategy
Top Biotech Venture Capital Firms
Here are 10 of the most active biotech venture capital funds globally.
1. Flagship Pioneering
- Founded: 2000
- Industries: Biotech, life sciences, therapeutics
- Stages: Incubation, seed, early-stage
Flagship is known for creating and funding breakthrough biotech companies from the ground up. The firm has incubated Moderna, Seres Therapeutics, and other industry leaders, making it one of the most influential players in life sciences innovation.
2. Third Rock Ventures
- Founded: 2007
- Industries: Biotech, genomics, medtech
- Stages: Early-stage, Series A
Third Rock specializes in company creation, working closely with scientific founders to launch transformative biotech startups. Their portfolio includes names like Blueprint Medicines and Editas Medicine.
3. ARCH Venture Partners
- Founded: 1986
- Industries: Biotech, therapeutics, diagnostics
- Stages: Seed to growth
ARCH has a long track record of funding breakthrough biotech companies, including Illumina, Alnylam, and Juno Therapeutics. Known for betting big on science-driven companies, ARCH consistently backs startups at the frontier of healthcare innovation.
4. OrbiMed
- Founded: 1989
- Industries: Biotech, healthcare, medical devices
- Stages: Seed to late-stage, private and public equity
OrbiMed is one of the world’s largest healthcare-focused investment firms. With a presence across the U.S., Asia, and Europe, they invest in both private biotech startups and public companies.
5. Atlas Venture
- Founded: 1980
- Industries: Biotech, therapeutics
- Stages: Seed, early-stage
Atlas Venture has built a reputation for forming and scaling biotech companies. Their early bets include Nimbus Therapeutics and Kymera Therapeutics, both of which went on to raise significant follow-on funding.
6. Sofinnova Partners
- Founded: 1972
- Industries: Biotech, medtech, healthcare
- Stages: Early to late-stage
Based in Paris, Sofinnova is Europe’s longest-standing biotechnology VC. They back startups across therapeutics, medtech, and industrial biotech, with successful exits including DBV Technologies and Corvidia Therapeutics.
7. RA Capital Management
- Founded: 2001
- Industries: Biotech, therapeutics, diagnostics
- Stages: Early-stage to crossover/public
RA Capital is both a VC and a crossover investor, often leading late-stage rounds and continuing support into the public markets. They focus on companies with strong pipelines in rare diseases, oncology, and novel therapeutics.
8. Novo Holdings
- Founded: 1999
- Industries: Biotech, life sciences, healthtech
- Stages: Seed to growth equity
Novo Holdings is the investment arm of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. They invest globally across biotech and healthcare, with a mandate to support long-term innovations in therapeutics and life sciences.
9. Syncona Partners
- Founded: 2012
- Industries: Biotech, cell & gene therapy, therapeutics
- Stages: Company creation, early-stage
London-based Syncona focuses on building companies in advanced therapeutics, with a strong emphasis on cell and gene therapy. Their portfolio includes Autolus, Freeline, and Gyroscope Therapeutics.
10. F-Prime Capital
- Founded: 1946
- Industries: Biotech, healthcare IT, fintech
- Stages: Seed to Series B
F-Prime (formerly Fidelity Biosciences) has decades of experience investing in biotech. Their portfolio spans therapeutics, diagnostics, and healthcare technology, with notable investments in Denali Therapeutics and Blueprint Medicines.
Global Biotech Hubs Worth Knowing
Biotech venture capital is highly concentrated in a handful of global hubs. These regions attract both capital and talent, creating ecosystems where biotech startups thrive.
Boston/Cambridge (USA): The epicenter of biotech VC, home to Flagship, Third Rock, Atlas, and Vertex’s corporate VC arm. Access to MIT, Harvard, and top hospitals make this the world’s leading biotech cluster.
San Diego (USA): The “Sorrento Valley” hub has become a magnet for genomics, medtech, and life sciences startups. With companies like Illumina and Neurocrine as anchors, San Diego also boasts a strong angel and seed investor network.
London & Cambridge (UK): Europe’s most developed biotech ecosystem, backed by funds like Syncona and SV Health. The region benefits from world-class academic research and talent out of Oxford and Cambridge.
Basel (Switzerland): A corporate stronghold where Novartis and Roche dominate. Their venture arms, alongside other European funds, provide strategic capital to startups in therapeutics and medtech.
Singapore: A rising hub in Asia, driven by government-backed initiatives and funds targeting cell therapy, diagnostics, and biotech manufacturing. Its geographic position makes it a gateway for biotech expansion across APAC.
For founders, building in these hubs means stronger deal flow, but also higher competition. On the upside, proximity to pharma partners, research institutions, and capital providers often accelerates fundraising and validation.
How to Pitch Biotech Investors and Win Funding
What biotech investors expect in a pitch
📊 Compelling scientific rationale – Why does your technology work? What’s the mechanism of action?
🚀 Regulatory strategy – What’s your FDA/EMA approval pathway, and how long will it take?
💡 Commercial potential – Who pays for your innovation (insurers, hospitals, pharma companies)?
Common biotech pitch mistakes that cost you funding
- Overpromising timelines. Investors know drug development takes time—be realistic about milestones.
- Lack of a clear reimbursement strategy. If insurers won’t cover it, commercialization will be tough.
- Weak clinical or preclinical data. If your results aren’t statistically significant, investors won’t bite.
Key slides in a biotech pitch deck
Building a startup pitch deck can be daunting, especially in the biotechnology sphere. Let’s be sure you cover the key aspects investors will be watching out for:
🚨 Problem Slide – Define the unmet medical need or scientific challenge your startup is solving, setting the stage for why investors should care.
💡 Solution Slide – Showcase your breakthrough innovation (drug, therapy, platform) and explain why it’s scientifically and commercially superior.
🗺️ Roadmap Slide – Biotech investors think in milestones—this slide should detail where you are in the clinical/regulatory process and when key inflection points (IND, Phase 1, FDA approval) will occur.
💰 Financials Slide – Between this and the Ask Slide, investors want to see how much capital you need, how it will be spent, and when you’ll need the next round.
👥 Team Slide – Highlight scientific credibility, regulatory experience, and industry expertise to prove you can execute. (Be sure to include advisors).
VC vs. Grants, Nonprofits, and Government Capital
Biotech startups have two primary funding paths: venture capital and non-dilutive funding (grants, nonprofits, and government programs). Each has trade-offs, and the right choice depends on your startup’s risk tolerance, stage, and speed to market. Let’s explain.
Venture capital: fast money, high expectations
VC funding provides millions in capital but comes at a cost.
- Takes equity – Parting with equity is never easy, but it's critical for biotechs to grow.
- Fast-tracks commercialization – This can get you to market much faster.
- High pressure, high expectations – Investors expect significant gains quickly,
- Industry connections & strategic support – Top biotechnology VCs bring access to key partnerships, expertise, and future funding rounds.
Grants, nonprofits, and government capital: non-dilutive but slow
Non-dilutive funding allows startups to raise capital without giving up ownership. But retaining equity isn’t free of drawbacks.
- No equity dilution – You keep full control of your company.
- Highly competitive & slow approval – NIH, SBIR/STTR, BARDA, and disease foundations offer funding but require long application cycles.
- Best for early-stage validation – Grants can fund preclinical research, but they don’t typically cover commercialization.
- Patient advocacy & nonprofit funding – Some foundations and nonprofits provide funding for startups tackling rare diseases and public health issues.
If you need to fund early-stage R\&D, go after grants first, because free money beats dilution. But if you’re scaling into clinical trials or commercialization, VCs move faster, write bigger checks, and open doors. However, expect high pressure and a clear path to ROI.
Types of Biotech Innovations Hot Right Now
Here are just a few areas in biotechnology that are rapidly capturing headlines and catching the attention of investors. If you are among these on the list, know that VCs are keeping a close eye on your market’s landscape.
📌 AI-driven drug discovery
📌 Gene editing & CRISPR advancements
📌 Personalized medicine & precision therapeutics
📌 Synthetic biology & biomanufacturing
📌 Longevity & anti-aging research
📌 RNA-based therapies (beyond mRNA vaccines)
📌 Next-generation diagnostics & biomarker discovery
Related Investor Lists Worth Exploring
Biotech overlaps with several adjacent sectors where investors are also highly active. If your startup sits at the intersection of these fields, you’ll want to explore these related investor directories on OpenVC:
Healthtech Investors List – For startups working on digital health, telemedicine, or data-driven care models.
Medical Device Investors List – If your biotech innovation leans toward diagnostics, wearables, or therapeutic hardware, medtech investors may be a better fit.
AI Investors List – Many biotech breakthroughs rely on AI-driven drug discovery, genomics, and predictive diagnostics. AI-focused funds are increasingly co-investing in biotech rounds.
Climate Tech Investors List – Synthetic biology and biomanufacturing often overlap with sustainable food, agriculture, and climate tech—opening new doors for funding.
Find the Best Biotech Investors and VC Firms on OpenVC
Lastly, here’s how you can use OpenVC for FREE and gain access to biotech investors actively funding startups like yours 🚀
- Browse 5,000+ investors – Filter by industry, stage, geography, check size, and more.
- Submit your pitch deck directly – Find investors who care (faster than any other outreach strategy) and directly send them your pitch deck.
- Get replies – Chat with potential investors through OpenVC (did we mention it’s free?)
- Close your round – Secure the funding your biotech needs to scale.
🔥 Join OpenVC now to start connecting with top biotech investors instantly.