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California

Versant Ventures

Versant Ventures, based in California, backs life sciences companies at Seed, Series A, and Series B, mostly leading rounds, with $5.5B under management.

Website LinkedInPortfolioTeam page
Entry stageSeed, Series A, Series B
Check sizen/a
Leads roundsYes
FocusLife sciences
Latest fund$5.5B under management
Investing team13 peopleNo activity since Sep

Who you would pitch at Versant Ventures

13 people on the investing team, 8 of them partners who can make the call. Partners are listed first.

Alex Mayweg
Alex MaywegManaging DirectorHe joined in 2016 and has launched and invested in several portfolio companies.
Brad Bolzon
Brad BolzonChairman & Managing DirectorHe has led successful investments and built the Versant team.
Carlo Rizzuto
Carlo RizzutoManaging DirectorHe previously worked at Novartis and McKinsey & Company, and holds a Ph.D. in virology from Harvard University.
Clare Ozawa
Clare OzawaManaging DirectorShe previously held leadership roles at Inception Sciences and worked at Novartis Pharma and McKinsey & Company.
Jerel Davis
Jerel DavisManaging DirectorHe previously worked at McKinsey & Company and holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University.
Tom Woiwode
Tom WoiwodeManaging DirectorHe previously was a medicinal chemist at XenoPort and holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Stanford.
Markus Enzelberger
Markus EnzelbergerPartnerHe was previously CSO at MorphoSys and holds a Ph.D. from the Technical University of Stuttgart.
Nigel Sheail
Nigel SheailPartnerHe previously held senior business development roles at Novartis, Bayer Healthcare, and Roche.
Ariel Kantor
Ariel KantorPrincipalHe previously held leadership roles at ReCode Therapeutics and co-founded companies in genetic medicines and RNA biology.
Joel Drewry
Joel DrewryPrincipalHe has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Toronto and has been involved in company creation and launch.
Mehmet Badur
Mehmet BadurPrincipalHe previously worked at Rheos Medicines and earned his PhD in Bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego.
Michael Wong
Michael WongPrincipalHe previously worked at Flagship Pioneering and co-founded ARCHITECHealth and Industry Link.
Nikita Sharma
Nikita SharmaPrincipalShe previously worked at Novartis, Sandoz, and Axalta, and earned an MBA from Symbiosis International University.

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Check size not reported yet.

Bars: how many firms in the atlas report each band. Highlighted: this firm.

No recent activity since September 2026. Quiet does not mean closed.

Weekly count of activity updates. Activity is not a confirmed deal.

Notable investments

CRISPR TherapeuticsInari MedicalGlaukos CorporationBlack Diamond TherapeuticsBlueRock TherapeuticsVividion TherapeuticsChinook TherapeuticsAkero TherapeuticsMonte Rosa TherapeuticsGritstone Oncology

In their words

Versant Ventures | HomeVersant partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build and fund breakthrough biotechnology companies around the globe.www.versantventures.com
Founders and investors at a Mode VC gathering

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One email when this firm shows new activity. Nothing else.

Firms like Versant Ventures

DCVC$10M to $30M+ · active Oct 8
Foothill VenturesCheck size not reported · active Sep 23
Hitachi Ventures$1M to $30M · active Oct 15
The Longevity Fund$500K to $10M · active Sep 24
AgFunder$25K to $10M
Alexandria Venture InvestmentsCheck size not reported

On these lists

Seed life sciences investors in California71Series A life sciences investors in California65Series B life sciences investors in California30Seed investors in United States2836Series A investors in United States1790Seed investors in California699Series B investors in United States563Series A investors in California480

Questions

What stage does Versant Ventures invest in?

Versant Ventures reports entry at seed, series a, series b.

How much does Versant Ventures invest?

Versant Ventures has not reported a check size.

Does Versant Ventures lead rounds?

Yes. Versant Ventures says it can lead.

Who are the partners at Versant Ventures?

Alex Mayweg (Managing Director), Brad Bolzon (Chairman & Managing Director), Carlo Rizzuto (Managing Director), Clare Ozawa (Managing Director), Jerel Davis (Managing Director), Tom Woiwode (Managing Director).

Is Versant Ventures active right now?

No recent activity since September 2026.

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