Eshelman Ventures, LLC
Venture capitalWilmington · Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked
Find your way into Eshelman Ventures, LLC
58 people in our graph share verified history with the Eshelman Ventures, LLC team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
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.
Team · 3 people
from the firm's website & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 19 of 21 portfolio companiesBiotech ×15Healthtech ×7Deep Tech ×4Medical Devices ×3Digital Health ×2Fintech ×2Marketing Tech ×2AdTech ×1
HQs:United States×14Canada×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 9 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×52 founders×34+ founders×1
Where their founders studiedfrom 11 founders with education data
Clemson University ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 11 founders with field-of-study data
Life Sciences ×5Business & Management ×3Chemistry ×2Physics ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 11 founders with career history
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ×3
Investments · 21 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 22025 · 22022 · 12016 · 12015 · 22014 · 19 dated
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
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)in
BoardDaniel J Ricca(Director, Promoter)Ebrahim Versi(Director, Promoter)
Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D
Co-investorsRA Capital
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 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
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
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-investorsGraham Walker VentureWXR FundFullCircleWedbush Ventures
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
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 M. DeSimone(Executive Officer, Director)inJoseph 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)in
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
Co-investorsSequoia CapitalBMW i VenturesFounders Circle CapitalG2 Venture PartnersNext Legacy PartnersSilver Lake Partners
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)in
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
Co-investorsVenrockMission Biocapital
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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 Company (WDC) is a full-service marketing agency offering custom website design and development, brand identity and logo design, SEO, paid advertising, and digital marketing strategy for small businesses.
AdTechMarketing TechWilmington, US
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
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 IPOsHyperion DefiNASDAQ: HYPD
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesGenesis · techcrunch.com · Aug 26, 2026
Jupiter Bioventures · trysignalbase.com · Jun 30, 2026
Cavalry Biosciences · endpoints.news · Jun 8, 2026
Incyclix Bio · clinicaltrialvanguard.com · Apr 10, 2026
Paradigm Therapeutics · finsmes.com · Jun 20, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Eshelman Ventures, LLC made?
- Eshelman Ventures, LLC has 21 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 19 tracked co-investors.
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