Cape Fear BioCapital
Venture capitalDurham · Pre-Seed–Series B · 3 people tracked
Investment thesis
Cape Fear BioCapital invests at the earliest stages in therapeutics companies rooted in North Carolina's life sciences ecosystem, drawing on innovation from Duke, UNC, NC State, and the broader NC corridor. The firm writes first checks and joins syndicates, aiming to create seed-ready opportunities from academic science. It targets companies with genuinely differentiated biology — validated mechanisms, novel modalities, and category-creating platforms — and backs both multi-indication platform companies and single-asset programs. It focuses on companies within roughly three years of an IND filing, where capital can accelerate the path to the clinic, and contributes hands-on operational experience and company-building support.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 11, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from the firm's website
What they invest in
from 5 of 6 portfolio companiesBiotech ×5Healthtech ×3AI & Machine Learning ×1Deep Tech ×1Hardware ×1Medical Devices ×1
HQs:United States×5
Investments · 6 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 12025 · 12021 · 13 dated
Eldec is a biotechnology company developing peptide-based therapeutics targeting SPLUNC1's modulation of Orai1 activity, with lead programs ELD615 and ELD607 for lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis and non-CF bronchiectasis.
BiotechHealthtechChapel Hill, US
Robert Tarran(Co-founder, President & Chief Scientific Officer)Saira Ahmad(Co-founder)Flori Sassano(Co-founder)Robert Schotzinger(Executive Officer, Director)Robert J. Schotzinger(Chairman & Chief Executive Officer)Robert Hughes(Chief Financial Officer)
Early-stage oncology company developing a breakthrough siRNA platform to target undruggable cancer pathways.
BiotechPittsboro, US
Michael Dombeck(Executive Officer, Director)Chad V. Pecot(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJoe McMahon(Director)Sue Mahony(Director)
Incyclix Bio develops precision cancer treatments targeting the CDK family of enzymes to restore cell cycle control in tumors, including CDK targets beyond CDK4/6 such as CDK2.
BiotechHealthtechDurham, US
Patrick Roberts(Executive Officer and member of the Board of Managers.)
BoardFredric N. Eshelman(Executive Officer and member of the Board of Managers.)Sid Subramony(Member of the Board of Managers.)Norman Sharpless(Member of the Board of Managers.)
Co-investorsEshelman Ventures, LLCHatteras Venture PartnersHatteras
iOrganBio builds CellForge, an AI- and automation-driven platform for engineering and manufacturing human cells and organoids.
Co-investorsFirst Star VenturesHartmann Capital
Ten63 develops drug-discovery technology that combines generative chemistry with quantum-accurate molecular simulation, including BEYOND (a large quantum chemistry model) and Sentinel (a virtual CSO for target selection), to design therapeutics against previously undruggable targets.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechDurham, US
Mark A. Hallen(Executive Officer, Director)Marcel Frenkel(Executive Officer, Director)Damien Petty(Director)Jia Wei Xu(Director)
Co-investorsDFJ DragonFundDraper AssociatesDuke Capital PartnersHatterasHatteras Venture Partners
Thoracic Innovations is a medical device company that develops products using computer-aided design, rapid prototyping, and 3D printing, with a focus on the cardiothoracic and thoracic clinical area.
BiotechHardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesChapel Hill, US
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesIncyclix Bio · clinicaltrialvanguard.com · Apr 10, 2026
Eldec Pharmaceuticals · eldecpharmaceuticals.com · Apr 9, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Cape Fear BioCapital made?
- Cape Fear BioCapital has 6 tracked investments, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Cape Fear BioCapital invest at?
- Cape Fear BioCapital invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
- What sectors does Cape Fear BioCapital focus on?
- Cape Fear BioCapital focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Biotech, Digital Health, Healthtech, Medical Devices.
- Where is Cape Fear BioCapital located?
- Cape Fear BioCapital is headquartered in Durham, US.
- Does Cape Fear BioCapital lead rounds?
- Yes, Cape Fear BioCapital leads investment rounds.
- Who does Cape Fear BioCapital co-invest with?
- Cape Fear BioCapital most often shares deals with DFJ DragonFund, Draper Associates, First Star Ventures, among 7 tracked co-investors.
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