Lightstone Ventures
Venture capitalPortola Valley · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 18 people tracked
Investment thesis
Lightstone Ventures partners with visionary founders translating novel scientific breakthroughs into clinically and commercially meaningful therapies. The firm focuses on understanding key market sectors and seeking disruptive technologies across biotech modalities (small molecules, biologics, cell and gene therapies) and medtech applications in disease areas including oncology, CNS, immunology, and ophthalmology. Beyond capital, the firm provides operational guidance and deep life science expertise to help founders build experienced teams and transform their visions into viable products.
Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Team · 18 people
from the firm's websiteFounding Partner of Lightstone Ventures and General Partner at Morgenthaler Ventures with over 25 years in pharma and medical devices. Hank served as CEO of Perclose and co-founded eight medical device companies at The Foundry incubator, bringing extensive exit experience and board leadership.
Managing Partner of Lightstone Ventures focusing on biopharmaceutical and medical device investments out of the Boston office. Jean brings over 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, including a decade at Genzyme Corporation in operational roles and 10 years at BancBoston Ventures managing life sciences investments.
Managing Partner and Team Leader at Lightstone Ventures focusing on biopharmaceutical and medical device investments. Mike is a recognized thought leader featured on the Forbes Midas List with over 30 years of healthcare experience, including roles in business development at Inhale Therapeutic Systems and consulting at The Wilkerson Group.
Partner at Lightstone Ventures focusing on biopharmaceutical and medical device investments from the Dublin office. Caroline brings 15 years of operational experience in pharma at Bayer and early-stage medtech, combined with involvement in clinical development and R&D activities.
Partner at Lightstone Ventures focusing on biopharmaceutical investments with over 20 years in biotech across operational and venture roles. Christina was Chief Business Officer at Magenta Therapeutics and Principal at Third Rock Ventures, bringing expertise in early-stage company formation and operational leadership in life sciences.
Partner at Lightstone Ventures assisting the medical device team with deal sourcing, due diligence, and portfolio management. Hanson is Managing Partner at The Foundry incubator and co-founder of ForSight Labs, with a track record of founding and developing over 20 successful medical device companies.
Vice President at Lightstone Ventures evaluating new biopharma investment opportunities with a background in neurobiology and life sciences strategy. Jingjing was a Life Sciences Consultant at L.E.K. Consulting and a senior fellow at Duke University's Office for Translation & Commercialization.
Vice President of Finance at Lightstone Ventures, joining the finance team in 2022 after serving as Director of Operations at Lightstone Ventures Singapore. Olivia brings financial services experience from PwC Singapore and holds CPA certification.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures and co-founder of Ra Pharmaceuticals, serving as CEO until its 2020 acquisition by UCB. Doug also co-founded Transkaryotic Therapies (acquired by Shire in 2005) and served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Morgenthaler Ventures.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures with over 25 years in product development and commercial leadership. Frank was CEO of Forma Therapeutics until its $1.1B acquisition by Novo Nordisk and served as Senior Vice President at Genentech leading global product strategy for late-stage portfolios.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures and CEO of IFM Therapeutics since 2019, with three successful exits generating $750M in realized proceeds and $4B+ in success-based milestones. Martin previously served as Global Head of BD&L at Novartis NIBR and head of the Genomics Institute, advancing 40+ clinical candidates.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures and President, CEO and co-founder of Tallac Therapeutics. Hong previously served as Chief Scientific Officer at ALX Oncology leading clinical advancement and held leadership positions at Pfizer and Wyeth Research across therapeutic areas.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures and Endowed Distinguished Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Sahel founded the Vision Institute in Paris and at UPMC, conducted dozens of clinical trials on retinal conditions, and holds member status in multiple national academies of science.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures and former senior partner and head of European Life Sciences at L.E.K. Consulting and founding partner at The Wilkerson Group. Kenneth brings consulting experience in pharmaceutical practice and board service across public and private life science companies.
Operating Partner of Lightstone Ventures and co-founder of The Foundry incubator, with over 30 years in medical device design and development. Mark brings extensive expertise in early-stage company formation and engineering leadership, with over 250 issued and pending U.S. patents.
Operating Partner of Lightstone Ventures with over 30 years in sales, marketing, and operational leadership in medtech. Stacy previously served as President of Covidien's $1.7B Vascular Therapies business and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Business, bringing extensive healthcare executive experience.
Advisor to Lightstone Ventures and founder, President and CEO of Calithera Biosciences and Proteolix (acquired by Onyx Pharmaceuticals in 2009). Susan brings extensive operational experience building successful biotech companies with deep expertise in drug discovery and development.
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer at Lightstone Ventures and Advanced Technology Ventures, responsible for accounting, tax, reporting, and compliance. Travis also serves in the same CFO/CCO roles at Morgenthaler Ventures and Canvas Ventures, bringing prior experience from PwC's Private Company Services.
What they invest in
from 1 of 58 portfolio companiesBiotech ×1Digital Health ×1Healthtech ×1Medical Devices ×1
HQs:Canada×1
Investments · 58 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathFlex Pharma provides accessible generic vasodilator medications, including PDE5 inhibitors, to U.S. patients at lower costs than brand-name alternatives. The company focuses on vessel health and blood flow optimization for applications ranging from athletic performance to sexual wellness.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Dr. Rod MacKinnon(Founder)
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Lightstone Ventures invest at?
- Lightstone Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What sectors does Lightstone Ventures focus on?
- Lightstone Ventures focuses on Biotech, Medical Devices.
- Where is Lightstone Ventures located?
- Lightstone Ventures is headquartered in Portola Valley, US.
- Does Lightstone Ventures lead rounds?
- Yes, Lightstone Ventures leads investment rounds.
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