14 Notable Life Science Venture Capital Firms

For founders in the life sciences, biotech, or medtech sectors, understanding which venture capital firms specialize in your field is a critical part of preparing to raise capital. It helps you focus your time on the right potential partners who truly understand your business.

To help with your research, our team has curated this overview of top life science and healthcare VC firms. We created this guide to give you a quick summary of active investors so you can confidently approach your fundraising process.

Rho provides access to business banking, corporate cards, and bill pay—built for startup teams moving fast. Once funding is secured, our integrated financial tools help startups manage and deploy capital efficiently.

Key Takeaways

• For life science startups, securing venture funding provides the necessary capital for long-term research and development while gaining a strategic partner familiar with the sector's unique challenges.

• Firms like RA Capital Management, SV Health Investors, DCVC Bio, and Fifty Years are some of the top investors actively funding companies in the life science sector.

• After closing a funding round, Rho helps you manage your capital with fast business banking, corporate cards, and automated bill pay.

Which VC Firms in Life Science Are Right for Your Stage?

Whether your company is in its early stages or preparing for an exit, it helps to know which investors to approach. Here is a brief overview of active life science VC firms and the stages where they typically invest.

Pre-seed and Seed VC Firms in Life Science

This initial funding stage is for getting your idea off the ground, often before you have a fully built-out product or extensive data. Some biotech venture capital firms that focus on this critical first step include Breakout Ventures, Fifty Years, and DCVC Bio.

Early Stage VC Firms in Life Science

Early-stage funding, which includes Series A and B rounds, is designed for companies that have a product and early traction and are ready to grow their team and customer base. For founders at this point, early-stage healthcare venture capital firms like 5AM Ventures, Genoa Ventures, and LifeSci Venture Partners are often a great fit.

Late Stage VC Firms in Life Science

Late-stage funding supports established companies as they scale operations, expand into new markets, or prepare for an exit through an acquisition or IPO. Prominent investors in this space include life sciences venture capital firms such as RA Capital Management, SV Health Investors, and MPM Capital.

It's also worth noting that many VC firms invest across multiple funding stages, from seed to exit. Once your funding is secured, our integrated financial tools—including business banking, corporate cards, and automated bill pay—can help you manage and deploy your new capital efficiently.

Below is our overview of top VC firms focusing on the life science sector. For each firm, you'll find key details about their investment stages, location focus, and what makes them a notable partner for founders.

1. RA Capital Management

Based in Boston, RA Capital Management is an investment advisor that specializes in the life sciences and drug development sectors. The firm actively funds public and private companies that are working to advance new therapies and medical technologies.

A key characteristic of the firm is its ability to invest across a company's entire lifecycle, from seed and venture stages to post-IPO. Their portfolio includes major successes like Moderna, whose mRNA technology was central to its COVID-19 vaccine, and POINT Biopharma, which was acquired by Eli Lilly.

RA Capital is a strong potential partner for founders in biotech and medtech who want an investor with deep sector expertise. Their capacity to provide long-term support makes them a good fit for ambitious teams planning for growth from the earliest stages through a public offering or acquisition.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, late-stage, post-IPO, and private equity

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology, life science, and medical

• Geographical presence: Boston, Massachusetts

• Founded: 2001

• Notable portfolio companies: Moderna, POINT Biopharma, Shockwave Medical

You can refer to their website here.

2. SV Health Investors

SV Health Investors is a Boston-based venture capital and private equity firm that invests in the biotechnology and healthcare industries. They support companies across the life science sector, from medical devices to new therapies.

The firm is notable for its flexible investment strategy, backing companies from the seed stage through to post-IPO and private equity deals. Their portfolio includes significant exits like the telehealth platform American Well (Amwell) and the acquisition of Achillion Pharmaceuticals by Alexion.

This firm is a strong potential partner for founders who need a long-term investor with the capacity to provide capital across multiple growth stages. Their deep experience in both biotech and medtech makes them a good fit for teams with ambitious, long-range plans.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, late-stage, post-IPO, private equity, and debt

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology, health care, life science, and medical devices

• Geographical presence: Boston, Massachusetts

• Founded: 1993

• Notable portfolio companies: American Well (Amwell), Insulet Corporation, Achillion Pharmaceuticals

You can refer to their website here.

3. DCVC Bio

DCVC Bio is a venture capital fund based in San Francisco that invests in early-stage life science companies. The firm focuses on businesses that are driven by deep-tech approaches to solve major problems in the industry.

A defining feature of DCVC Bio is its focus on companies where technology and life sciences intersect, particularly in agtech and biotech. Their portfolio includes companies like AbCellera, which developed a COVID-19 antibody treatment, and BioPhero, which was acquired for its work in producing synthetic insect pheromones.

This firm is an excellent match for founders with a strong technical background whose companies are applying computational or deep-tech methods to life science challenges. If you are at the seed or early venture stage, DCVC Bio could be a valuable partner.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage venture, and late-stage venture

• Industries of focus: AgTech, Biotechnology, and Life Science

• Geographical presence: San Francisco, California

• Founded: 2018

• Notable portfolio companies: AbCellera, BioPhero, MycoWorks

You can refer to their website here.

4. Fifty Years

Fifty Years is a San Francisco-based venture capital fund that supports early-stage entrepreneurs. The firm is built around backing companies that aim to solve major global challenges through technology.

A defining characteristic of Fifty Years is its mission to support founders tackling significant problems, blending impact investing with a venture capital model. Their portfolio includes well-known companies like the lab automation provider Opentrons and the genetic-testing company Invitae, showing their interest in both deep tech and life sciences.

This firm is a great fit for founders at the seed or early stages whose companies have a clear, positive social or environmental purpose. If your life science startup is built on a mission to address a fundamental global issue, their philosophy may align well with your goals.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, and late-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Impact Investing and Life Science

• Geographical presence: San Francisco, California

• Founded: 2015

• Notable portfolio companies: Opentrons, Invitae, Substack, Worldcoin

You can refer to their website here.

5. Breakout Ventures

Breakout Ventures is a San Francisco-based firm that invests in early-stage companies led by scientist-entrepreneurs. They focus on businesses built on deep science, providing seed and early-stage funding to help bring new ideas from the lab to the market.

The firm's emphasis on backing "bold scientist entrepreneurs" signals a deep appreciation for technical founders who are solving hard problems. Their portfolio includes companies like Cytovale, which developed a rapid sepsis diagnostic test, and Immusoft, which is engineering cells to produce therapeutics.

Breakout Ventures is a good match for founders with a strong scientific or technical background who are at the seed or early venture stage. If your company is built on a core scientific breakthrough in areas like life science or advanced materials, this firm could be a strong partner.

• Investment stages: Seed and early-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Life Science, Advanced Materials, and Energy

• Geographical presence: San Francisco, California

• Founded: 2016

• Notable portfolio companies: Cytovale, Immusoft, Ecovative Design

You can refer to their website here.

6. Anzu Partners

Anzu Partners is an investment firm based in Washington, D.C., that funds companies in industrial and life science technology. They operate as both a venture capital and private equity firm, giving them a wide investment scope.

A key feature is their ability to invest across a company's full lifecycle, from seed funding to private equity. Their portfolio includes Banyan Biomarkers, which developed the first FDA-approved blood test for mild traumatic brain injury.

This firm is a strong match for founders whose companies combine deep technology with life science or industrial applications. Their long-term capital support is ideal for teams planning for growth from early stages through a potential exit.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, late-stage, post-IPO, and private equity

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology, Industrial, and Life Science

• Geographical presence: Washington, D.C.

• Founded: 2014

• Notable portfolio companies: Banyan Biomarkers, Arduino, Axsun Technologies

You can refer to their website here.

7. 5AM Ventures

5AM Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests in life science companies, with a focus on providing seed and early-stage financing. Based in Menlo Park, they have been backing scientific entrepreneurs since 2002.

The firm is notable for its ability to support companies across their entire lifecycle, from initial funding rounds to post-IPO and private equity stages. Their portfolio highlights a history of successful exits, including the acquisition of Audentes and the IPO of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals.

This firm is a strong match for founders in biotechnology who are seeking a long-term financial partner with deep sector experience. Their model is well-suited for teams with ambitious, multi-stage growth plans that require sustained capital.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, late-stage, post-IPO, and private equity

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology and Life Science

• Geographical presence: Menlo Park, California

• Founded: 2002

• Notable portfolio companies: Achaogen, Audentes, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals

You can refer to their website here.

8. Genoa Ventures

Genoa Ventures is a San Francisco-based firm that invests in early-stage companies where life sciences and technology converge. They provide seed and venture funding to help founders build businesses in areas like bioinformatics and health diagnostics.

The firm has a clear focus on the intersection of biology and technology, backing companies with deep technical foundations. Their portfolio includes notable successes like Caribou Biosciences, a CRISPR genome-editing company that became their first portfolio IPO.

Genoa Ventures is a great match for founders at the seed or early venture stage whose work is centered on genomics, bioinformatics, or advanced health diagnostics. If your company is applying technology to solve complex biological problems, this firm could be a strong partner.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, and late-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Genetics, Health Diagnostics, and Life Science

• Geographical presence: San Francisco, California

• Founded: 2014

• Notable portfolio companies: Caribou Biosciences, Zymergen, Mission Bio

You can refer to their website here.

9. BioAdvance

BioAdvance is a Pennsylvania-based venture capital firm that provides funding to life science startups. The firm supports companies from their earliest stages through to commercial growth.

A key characteristic of the firm is its strong track record of guiding companies to successful exits, including both IPOs and acquisitions. Their portfolio includes the public offering of Immunome, an antibody-therapeutics company, and the acquisition of Halo Labs by Agilent Technologies, as detailed by Tracxn.

This firm is a strong match for founders in the life sciences, particularly in biotechnology, who are looking for an experienced partner. Their support across seed, early, and late stages makes them a valuable investor for teams with long-term growth plans.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, and late-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology and Life Science

• Geographical presence: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Founded: 2003

• Notable portfolio companies: Immunome, Annovis Bio, Halo Labs

You can refer to their website here.

10. Tachyon Ventures

Tachyon Ventures is a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies at the forefront of medicine and bioengineering. They provide seed and venture funding to support founders building businesses in the life sciences.

The firm has a strong record of successful exits, with portfolio companies like DTx Pharma (acquired by Novartis) and Totient being acquired. They also backed Mammoth Biosciences, a CRISPR company that became a unicorn.

This firm is a strong match for founders at the seed or early stages in the biotech and bioengineering sectors. Their history of guiding companies toward acquisition makes them a compelling partner for teams with a clear path to commercialization.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, and late-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology, life science, and bioengineering

• Geographical presence: Los Angeles, California

• Founded: 2017

• Notable portfolio companies: Mammoth Biosciences, DTx Pharma (acquired by Novartis), Totient

You can refer to their website here.

11. MPM Capital

MPM Capital is a Boston-based investment firm with a deep focus on the biotechnology sector. They specialize in funding companies that are developing new therapeutic technologies, with a particular emphasis on oncology.

The firm is known for investing across a company's entire lifecycle, from seed and venture rounds to private equity. Their portfolio shows a strong history of guiding companies to the public markets, including successful IPOs for Dyne Therapeutics and Cullinan Oncology.

MPM Capital is an ideal partner for founders in the biotech industry, especially those working on cancer treatments. Their ability to provide long-term capital support makes them a good fit for teams with ambitious growth plans, from early research through a potential public offering.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, late-stage, and private equity

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology, Health Care, Life Science, and Oncology

• Geographical presence: Boston, Massachusetts

• Founded: 1996

• Notable portfolio companies: Dyne Therapeutics, Entrada Therapeutics, Cullinan Oncology, ElevateBio

You can refer to their website here.

12. LifeSci Venture Partners

LifeSci Venture Partners is a New York-based firm that provides funding to early and late-stage companies in the life sciences and healthcare sectors.

The firm is notable for its strong track record of guiding companies to the public markets, with portfolio successes like the IPOs of Erasca and Caribou Biosciences.

This firm is a strong match for founders in biotech and healthcare who are seeking a partner with experience in navigating the path to an IPO or major exit.

• Investment stages: Early-stage and late-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Health Care and Life Science

• Geographical presence: New York, New York

• Founded: 2017

• Notable portfolio companies: Erasca, Caribou Biosciences, Centessa Pharmaceuticals, Augmedix

You can refer to their website here.

13. Casdin Capital

Casdin Capital is a New York-based investment firm that centers its strategy on fundamental research within the life science and healthcare industry. They apply this deep research approach to identify and back promising companies across the sector.

A key aspect of their model is the flexibility to invest across a company's full lifecycle, from seed funding and venture rounds to post-IPO and debt financing. Their portfolio includes major names like consumer genetics company 23andMe and drug-development firm BridgeBio Pharma, both noted as key investments.

This firm is a strong fit for founders in the life sciences who are looking for a long-term partner capable of providing capital at multiple growth stages. Their research-intensive model is particularly well-suited for teams with a strong scientific foundation and a clear, data-backed vision.

• Investment stages: Seed, early-stage, late-stage, post-IPO, and debt

• Industries of focus: Biotechnology, Life Science, and Financial Services

• Geographical presence: New York, New York

• Founded: 2012

• Notable portfolio companies: 23andMe, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, BridgeBio Pharma, Recursion Pharmaceuticals

You can refer to their website here.

14. SAV (Scale Asia Ventures)

Based in Palo Alto, SAV (Scale Asia Ventures) is a venture capital firm that backs technology entrepreneurs with global ambitions. The firm focuses on helping founders build international businesses from its Silicon Valley base.

SAV invests in seed and early-stage companies across enterprise software, fintech, and life sciences. A key aspect of their strategy is a strong record of portfolio acquisitions by major tech companies, including Hugging Face, CrowdStrike, and Dropbox.

This firm is a good fit for early-stage founders in their target sectors who are building deep technology with a clear path to market. Their history of successful exits suggests they are a strong partner for teams aiming for acquisition by a larger platform.

• Investment stages: Seed and early-stage venture

• Industries of focus: Enterprise Software, FinTech, and Life Science

• Geographical presence: Palo Alto, California

• Founded: 2021

• Notable portfolio companies: Argilla (acquired by Hugging Face), Cloudvector (acquired by Imperva), Reposify (acquired by CrowdStrike)

You can refer to their website here.

What This Tells Us About The VC Scene for Life Science Companies

This overview of venture capital firms shows a healthy funding environment for the life science sector. For you as a founder, this suggests that strong potential partners exist whether your company is at the seed stage or scaling for growth. The investor base isn't heavily weighted toward one particular stage; instead, it appears well-balanced, offering a good range of options.

One clear trend is the number of firms that can invest across a company's entire lifecycle, from its earliest days through to an IPO. This signals an opportunity for long-term partnerships. Geographically, investors are concentrated in major industry centers like Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area, which is common for a specialized field like life sciences.

Once funding is secured, Rho’s integrated financial tools — including business banking, corporate cards, and automated bill pay — help startups manage and deploy capital efficiently.

Raise Confidently with Rho

A focused list of investors saves you critical time and energy during a fundraise. We hope this guide helps you connect with the right partners who understand your field.

After you secure funding, the next step is putting that capital to work efficiently. Rho can help you set up your financial stack in minutes.

Our integrated platform provides business banking, corporate cards, and automated bill pay. These tools are built to help you manage and deploy your new capital with clarity.

FAQs about Venture Capital Firms Focused on Life Science

What do early-stage healthcare venture capital firms look for?

Early-stage VCs typically look for a strong founding team with deep scientific expertise, a clear product-market fit, and initial data supporting your technology. A well-defined regulatory and commercialization strategy is also important for securing Series A funding.

Which US city is best for biotech venture capital?

Boston and the San Francisco Bay Area are the top hubs for biotech venture capital, with a high concentration of specialized investors and talent. New York City is also a rapidly growing ecosystem for life science and healthcare investment.

Are there many life science venture capital firms in Europe?

Yes, Europe has a growing number of life science VCs, particularly in hubs like London, Cambridge (UK), and Berlin. These firms actively fund biotech and medtech companies, offering an alternative to the US-centric investment scene for founders.

What is the best way to approach a life science VC firm?

A warm introduction through a mutual connection is most effective. If that's not possible, a concise, well-researched email to a specific partner whose portfolio aligns with your company can also open doors. Personalization is key.

How can Rho help after I secure funding?

After your fundraise, our platform helps you manage your new capital. Rho provides integrated business banking, corporate cards, and automated bill pay, giving you the financial tools to scale your company efficiently.