Biomatics Capital Partners, a new healthcare and life sciences venture firm, has closed its debut fund with $200 million, it’s announcing this morning.
This new effort is particularly interesting given its two founders and managing directors. Boris Nikolic is a physician who previously served as chief advisor for science and technology to Bill Gates, investing in both for-profit and not-for-profit outfits.
Those bets include ResearchGate, the nine-year-old, Berlin-based professional network for the scientific community to connect with each other; and Nimbus Therapeutics, a nine-year-old, Cambridge, Ma.-based clinical-stage biotech company.
Meanwhile, Julie Sunderland was previously director of Program Related Investments for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she led the foundation’s $1.5 billion strategic investment pool, which focuses on global health, global development and education, and where Sunderland led 50 investments.
The power duo has already funded nine companies, including Grail, a year-old, Menlo Park-based startup that has raised a whopping $1 billion for its early cancer screening test; and Denali Therapeutics, a 1.5-year-old, San Francisco-based startup focused on neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Founded by former Genentech neuroscientists, it has raised more than $200 million from investors so far.
The firm says it plans to invest in roughly 20 companies with this first fund.