Kern Capital, LLC
Family officeLarkspur · Seed–Late Stage · 1 people tracked
Investment thesis
Kern Capital invests in a diversified range of companies from new ventures to established, profitable businesses across many industries, with an emphasis on life sciences. It makes concentrated investments of $5 to $15 million in only a few companies per year and partners with strong management teams for the long term, typically taking board seats without involvement in daily operations. The firm adopts a long-term liquidity approach that is not tied to any single exit path, remaining opportunistic about returning capital via M&A, IPO, recapitalization, dividend, or otherwise. Its capital comes from high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and foundations, and principals typically serve as the largest personal investors in each portfolio company.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 1 people
from public directories
What they invest in
from 4 of 21 portfolio companiesBiotech ×4Healthtech ×1
HQs:United States×5
Investments · 21 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12022 · 12019 · 13 dated
BiotechPalo Alto, US
Edward Pham(Executive Officer, Director)Jeffrey S. Glenn(Director)Menashe Elazar(Executive Officer, Director)Nancy Chang(Executive Officer)
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Life sciences company acquired by Pacific Biosciences
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Co-investorsSamsung Catalyst Fund
BiotechLos Altos, US
John F. Donovan(Executive Officer, Director)Frank J. Bellizzi(Executive Officer)
BoardCraig Husfeld(Director)
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Beverly Hills, US
John Wise(Executive Officer, Director)Colin Close(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardRichard Garman(Director)J.P. Whelan(Director)
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Co-investorsFTV CapitalMotive Partners
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
BiotechThousand Oaks, US
Nima Farzan(Executive Officer, Director)Tim Lugo(Executive Officer)
BoardBeth Seidenberg(Director)inJim Tananbaum(Director)Deborah Palestrant(Director)inKevin Raidy(Director)
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Co-investorsForesite Capital5AM VenturesWestlake Village BioPartners
Cancer diagnostics company acquired by LabCorp
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Co-investorsCatalio Capital Management, LP
Pharmaceutical company acquired by Biogen
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Co-investorsFrazier Life SciencesSofinnova Ventures
Riboscience develops small-molecule therapeutics using ribose-based nucleoside chemistry and structure-guided design, focusing on oncology and virology.
BiotechHealthtech
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
PartnerJay Kern· solo GP
Exits · 3
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioApton Biosystemsacq. by Pacific BiosciencesPGDxacq. by LabcorpReata Pharmaceuticalsacq. by Biogen
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Latigo Biotherapeutics · labusinessjournal.com · Aug 17, 2026
InvestCloud · wealthmanagement.com · Jan 27, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Kern Capital, LLC made?
- Kern Capital, LLC has 21 tracked investments, 3 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Kern Capital, LLC invest at?
- Kern Capital, LLC invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is Kern Capital, LLC's typical check size?
- Kern Capital, LLC typically writes checks of $5M – $15M.
- What sectors does Kern Capital, LLC focus on?
- Kern Capital, LLC focuses on Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech, Fintech, Healthtech, Medical Devices, SaaS, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Kern Capital, LLC located?
- Kern Capital, LLC is headquartered in Larkspur, US.
- Does Kern Capital, LLC lead rounds?
- Yes, Kern Capital, LLC leads investment rounds.
- Who does Kern Capital, LLC co-invest with?
- Kern Capital, LLC most often shares deals with Foresite Capital, Frazier Life Sciences, Motive Partners, among 7 tracked co-investors.
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