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Eshelman Ventures, LLC

Venture capital

Wilmington · Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Eshelman Ventures is an investment company primarily focused on healthcare companies. Founded by Fred Eshelman, who previously built Pharmaceutical Product Development (PPD) as CEO and Executive Chairman before its sale to private equity, the firm typically takes an active role in its portfolio companies, with its founder frequently serving on their boards.

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Series A
HQ
Wilmington, North Carolina, US
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2014
Last 12 months
2 investments
Tracked investments
23
IPOs
1

Team · 3 people

from the firm's website & public directories

What they invest in

from 20 of 23 portfolio companies

Biotech ×16Healthtech ×7Deep Tech ×4Medical Devices ×3Digital Health ×2Fintech ×2Marketing Tech ×2AdTech ×1

HQs:United States×16Canada×1

Who they back

founder profiles across 9 portfolio companies
56%
solo founders
5 of 9 mapped founding teams
50%
repeat founders
of 10 founders with career history

Founding team size:solo founder×52 founders×23 founders×14+ founders×1

Where their founders studiedfrom 10 founders with education data

Clemson University ×2

What their founders studiedfrom 12 founders with field-of-study data

Life Sciences ×5Business & Management ×3Chemistry ×2Physics ×2

Where their founders worked beforefrom 10 founders with career history

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ×3

Investments · 23 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 22025 · 22022 · 12016 · 22015 · 32014 · 111 dated

Hyperion Defihyperiondefi.comin𝕏NASDAQ: HYPDJul 2016SEC filingmedium confidence

Hyperion DeFi is a U.S.

BiotechCrypto & Web3FintechHealthtechLaguna Hills, US

Michael Rowe(Executive Officer, Director)Hyunsu Jung(Chief Executive Officer)inBARRY BUTLER(Executive Officer)David(Chief Financial Officer)TSONTCHO IANCHULEV(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardCURT LABELLE(Executive Officer, Director)

Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D · $8M raise · filed Aug 2016

Co-investorsTullis Health Investors

Dignify Therapeuticsdignifytherapeutics.cominOct 2014

Dignify Therapeutics develops "on demand" drugs that trigger emptying of the bladder and/or bowel when a person chooses, aimed at restoring control of bowel and bladder function.

BiotechDigital HealthMedical DevicesResearch Triangle Park, US

Edward C Burgard(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Karl Thor(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inBenny Ward(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inAnthony DiTonno(Executive Officer, Director)

BoardHoward Palefsky(Director)

Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D

Co-investorsRA CapitalMontreux Equity Partners

Aravivearavive.com

BiotechHouston, US

Amato Giaccia(Director)Rudy Howard(Chief Financial Officer)Robert B. Geller(Chief Medical Officer)inGail McIntyre(Chief Executive Officer)Leonard Scott Dove(Chief Operating Officer)Joshua Brumm(Executive Officer)

Co-investors3E Bioventures CapitalAdvent Life Sciences

Aruna Bioarunabio.com

Aruna Bio develops a proprietary neural exosome platform and a lead therapeutic neural cell-derived exosome, AB126, designed to cross the blood-brain barrier.

BiotechHealthtechAthens, US

Steven Stice(Chief Scientific Officer and Director)inHarold W. Ingalls(Chief Financial Officer and Director)Tracey Stice(Chief Operating Officer and Secretary)

BoardJohn F. Mangan, Jr.(Director)C. William Griffin(Director)Russell C. Lindner(Director)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsEvolution VC PartnersGRA Venture

Auven Therapeuticsauventx.com

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsScientia Ventures

Breakthrujoinbreakthru.comin𝕏Jan 2026

Breakthru operates a data platform with engagement tools designed to help brands connect with and build trust among young audiences.

Creator EconomyData & InfrastructureFintechMarketing TechSaaSLewes, US

Alex Miles(Founder & CEO)inGean Martinez(Co-Founder & CTO)in

Co-investors37 AngelsOld Line Capital PartnersTechstars

Breakthrubreakthru.meJan 2026

Breakthru offers a library of 2-minute guided movement and breathing microbreaks designed to reduce stress and musculoskeletal pain while improving focus, energy, and cognitive endurance.

Digital HealthFuture of WorkWellness & Fitness

Co-investorsEmerging VenturesGraham Walker VentureWXR FundFullCircleWedbush Ventures

Breakthru Medicinebreakthrumed.com

Breakthru is a drug development company that applies medicinal chemistry expertise to accelerate the discovery of breakthrough medicines, emphasizing data-driven decision-making about compound viability.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtech

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Carboncarbon3d.comin

Carbon provides 3D printing hardware, photopolymer resins, and computational design software that brands use to design, develop, and manufacture high-performance products.

Advanced ManufacturingHardwareNew MaterialsRedwood City, US

Joseph DeSimone, PhD(Co-Founder & Board Member)inPhilip DeSimone(Co-founder & Office of the CEO)inSteve Nelson(Launch CEO & Co-founder)inEd Samulski, PhD(Advisor & Co-founder)inAlex Ermoshkin, PhD(Co-founder)inNikita Ermoshkin(Co-founder)in

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsSequoia CapitalBMW i VenturesExposition VenturesFounders Circle CapitalG2 Venture PartnersGaingels+4 more

Cavalry Biosciencescavalry.bioin

Cavalry Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing medicines that leverage the body's inherent regenerative and repair mechanisms, particularly in areas of age-related disease and tissue regeneration.

BiotechDeep TechLongevityMedical Devices

Jan van Deursen, PhD(Co-founder, Advisor)inNathaniel (Ned) David, PhD(Co-founder, Chairman)inTim Stowe(Founder)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsVenrockMission Biocapital

Genesisgenesisbiocapital.com

A biotech-focused investment firm that creates and backs companies in the future of medicine.

BiotechChattanooga, US

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsCrown Predator Holdings

Incyclix Bioincyclixbio.comin𝕏Aug 2025

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.)in

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.)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsCape Fear BioCapitalHatteras Venture PartnersHatteras

Jupiter Bioventuresjupiter.bioin

Jupiter is a biotech company that discovers and develops new medicines across multiple therapeutic areas.

BiotechChapel Hill, US

Ned Sharpless(Co-founder & CEO)Leigh Delacy(Co-founder & Partner and COO)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsMission Biocapital3one4 CapitalBEENEXTHummingbird VenturesLB InvestmentPeak XV Partners+2 more

Komo Bioscienceskomobiosciences.comin

KOMO Biosciences develops genome engineering technology based on hyperactive large serine integrases to transform cell-based manufacturing of biologics and advanced therapies.

BiotechDeep Tech

Jennifer Manning(Founder & CEO)inThomas Page(Acting CTO)inMatt Farabaugh(Acting CFO)Jesse B. Owens(Acting CSA)in

BoardRay Tabibiazar(Chairman of the Board)in

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsGenesis BioCapitalModi VenturesGENERAL INCEPTIONLDV Partners

Med Aditusmedaditus.org

Company working with governments, international agencies, and private partners to improve access to medicine across Sub-Saharan Africa, spanning product development, manufacturing, supply chains, and patient delivery.

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Paradigm Therapeuticsparadigmtherapeutics.comMay 2025

Paradigm Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing Zorblesia (SD-101), a proprietary topical whole-body therapy for treating the wounds, lesions, and infections associated with all subtypes of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a rare genetic connective tissue disorder.

BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesMt Pleasant, US

Robert Ryan(Dr.)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Phoenix Molecular Designsphoenixmd.cain

Phoenix Molecular Designs (PhoenixMD) is a biotechnology company developing targeted breast cancer therapeutics, including PMD-026, a first-in-class RSK2 inhibitor in Phase 2 clinical trials paired with a companion diagnostic.

BiotechDeep TechHealthtech

Sandra Dunn(Founder)inJoseph Leveque(Chief Medical Officer)Aarthi Jayanthan(Chief Operating Officer & Chief Scientific Officer)inMichael Liggett(Chief Financial Officer)Martin S. Olivo(Chief Development Officer)inJoe Ninosky(Chief CMC Officer)in

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsFlucas VenturesPallasite Ventures

Sapience Therapeuticssapiencetherapeutics.cominMay 2022 · $41M

Sapience Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing peptide-based cancer therapies that target traditionally undruggable oncogenic proteins and protein-protein interactions.

BiotechHealthtechScarsdale, US

Barry Kappel, Ph.D.(Executive Officer, Director)Abi Vainstein-Haras(Chief Medical Officer)inMarisa Frackman(Chief Financial Officer)inSeth I. Rubin(General Counsel)in

BoardIsaac Blech(Director)Robert Ruffolo, Ph.D.(Director)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Co-investorsConnectivity Ventures

Wilmington Design Co.wilmingtondesignco.com

Wilmington Design is a marketing agency offering advertising, website development, branding, and digital strategy services for small businesses.

AdTechMarketing TechWilmington, US

Bill Hunter(President / Founder)

PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

AsepticysInnocrin Pharmaceuticals HoldingsMeryxNeoantigenics

Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.

Exits · 1

1 IPOs

Hyperion DefiNASDAQ: HYPD

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Eshelman Ventures, LLC made?
Eshelman Ventures, LLC has 23 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Eshelman Ventures, LLC invest at?
Eshelman Ventures, LLC invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
What sectors does Eshelman Ventures, LLC focus on?
Eshelman Ventures, LLC focuses on Biotech, Digital Health, Healthtech, Medical Devices.
Where is Eshelman Ventures, LLC located?
Eshelman Ventures, LLC is headquartered in Wilmington, US.
Who does Eshelman Ventures, LLC co-invest with?
Eshelman Ventures, LLC most often shares deals with Mission Biocapital, Founders Circle Capital, Sequoia Capital, among 20 tracked co-investors.

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