Eshelman Ventures, LLC
Venture capitalWilmington · Seed–Series A · 3 people tracked
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 14 of 18 portfolio companiesBiotech ×12Healthtech ×5Medical Devices ×3Deep Tech ×2AdTech ×1Advanced Manufacturing ×1Crypto & Web3 ×1Digital Health ×1
HQs:United States×10Canada×1
Investments · 18 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12016 · 12015 · 22014 · 15 dated
Hyperion DeFi is a U.S.
BiotechCrypto & Web3FintechHealthtechLaguna Hills, US
Michael Rowe(Executive Officer, Director)Hyunsu Jung(Chief Executive Officer)CURT LABELLE(Executive Officer, Director)SHUHEI YOSHIDA(Director)BARRY BUTLER(Executive Officer)TSONTCHO IANCHULEV(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D · $8M raise · filed Aug 2016
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
Karl B Thor(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Edward C Burgard(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Benny Ward(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Daniel J Ricca(Director, Promoter)Ebrahim Versi(Director, Promoter)Karl Thor
Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D
BiotechDurham, US
Richard Kent(Director)Kristopher Wood(Director)Thomas Laundon(Executive Officer)S. Edward Torres(Director)Steven Weinstein(Director)William Moore(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D · $28.1M raise · filed Apr 2015
BiotechCharlottesville, US
Edward J. Leary(Executive Officer, Promoter)Brian A. Pollok(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)John C. Herr(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
Board seatFred Eshelman· per SEC Form D · $3M raise · filed Feb 2015
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
Breakthru Medicine is a biotech company developing a portfolio of oncology therapeutics aimed at unmet clinical needs, using platform technologies and multiple independent drug programs.
BiotechHealthtech
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
Carbon designs and manufactures 3D-printed products using advanced photopolymer resins, computational design tools, and proprietary hardware.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareNew MaterialsRedwood City, US
James J. Goetz(Director)Joseph M. DeSimone(Executive Officer, Director)Andy Wheeler(Director)Adam Grosser(Director)Lars Steven Nelson(Director)Alan S. Mulally(Director)
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
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
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
Incyclix Bio is a clinical-stage biotech company developing cell cycle control therapies that target the aberrant cell proliferation driving cancers, with a lead CDK2 inhibitor (INX-315).
BiotechHealthtechDurham, US
Patrick Roberts(Executive Officer and member of the Board of Managers.)Sid Subramony(Member of the Board of Managers.)
BoardFredric N. Eshelman(Executive Officer and member of the Board of Managers.)Norman Sharpless(Member of the Board of Managers.)
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
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
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)Thomas Page(Acting CTO)Matt Farabaugh(Acting CFO)Jesse B. Owens(Acting CSA)Ray Tabibiazar(Chairman of the Board)
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
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 develops small-molecule cancer therapeutics targeting RSK, a driver of tumor growth and metastasis.
BiotechHealthtech
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
BiotechScarsdale, US
Robert Ruffolo, Ph.D.(Director)David Scheinberg, Ph.D.(Director)Isaac Blech(Director)Barry Kappel, Ph.D.(Executive Officer, Director)
PartnerFred Eshelman· solo GP
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
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
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioHyperion DefiNASDAQ: HYPD
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesJupiter Bioventures · trysignalbase.com · Jun 30, 2026
Cavalry Biosciences · endpoints.news · Jun 8, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- 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.
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