MRL Ventures Fund
Corporate VCCambridge · Pre-Seed–Series B · 8 people tracked
Investment thesis
MRLV is a science-first corporate venture fund investing in early-stage, preclinical therapeutics companies pursuing first- and best-in-class innovation with the potential to transform standards of care. It evaluates opportunities on the strength of underlying biology, quality of translational data, a clear path to human proof-of-concept, and the team's capabilities and syndicate alignment. MRLV focuses exclusively on therapeutics across all modalities — from small molecules to cell therapies — and explicitly excludes medical devices, diagnostics and digital health. It typically leads or co-leads with up to $25M per company from concept to IND, taking board or observer roles and offering access to MSD's scientific and business-development expertise without requiring product or technology rights.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 8 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directories
What they invest in
from 25 of 39 portfolio companiesBiotech ×25Healthtech ×15Medical Devices ×11AI & Machine Learning ×5Deep Tech ×5Digital Health ×2Longevity ×2
HQs:United States×17Australia×1Belgium×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 15 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×92 founders×43 founders×2
Investments · 39 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12024 · 22023 · 22020 · 12015 · 17 dated
Aktis Oncology discovers and develops targeted radiopharmaceuticals for treating solid tumors.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesBoston, US
Todd Foley(Co-founder and Chairman)inPatrick Baeuerle(Co-founder & Advisor)inShulamit Ron-Bigger(Executive Officer)in
BoardHelen S. Kim(Director)Oleg Nodelman(Director)inAndrew Levin(Director)
Co-investorsAndreessen HorowitzEcoR1 CapitalMPM BioImpactRA CapitalTCG CrossoverVida Ventures+2 more
Alector develops therapies targeting neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson's disease through protein removal, replacement, and immune cell restoration.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechLongevityMedical DevicesSan Francisco, US
Arnon Rosenthal(Ph.D.)Tillman Gerngross(Director)Arnon Rosenthal PhD(Founder)in
BoardCarl Gordon(Director)Terry McGuire(Director)in
Co-investorsForesite CapitalMission Bay CapitalMission BiocapitalSV Health InvestorsPolaris Partners
Intracellular delivery of biologics (NASDAQ: TRDA).
Invivyd develops monoclonal antibody medicines for the prevention and treatment of serious viral infectious diseases, starting with COVID-19 and other high-need indications.
BiotechHealthtech
Co-investorsBain Capital Life SciencesForesite CapitalPremji Invest
Kymera is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel medicines using targeted protein degradation technology to treat diseases caused by previously "undrugged" proteins.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtech
Nello Mainolfi(Founder)in
Co-investorsAtlas VentureAvoro Capital AdvisorsBain Capital Life SciencesBessemer Venture PartnersHatteras Venture PartnersNextech Invest+3 more
Spero Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing medicines for immune-mediated diseases, led by SP001, a third-generation anti-CD40L antibody targeting IgG4-related disease.
BiotechCambridge, US
Ankit Mahadevia(Executive Officer, Director)inStephen Garbacz(Executive Officer)in
BoardJean-Francois Formela(Director)inReza Halse(Director)Casper Breum(Director)Vikas Goyal(Director)
Co-investorsHEALTHCARE ROYALTY PARTNERSOUP (Osage University Partners)RA CapitalAlphabetAtlas Venture
Xilio Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing masked immuno-oncology therapies that use protein engineering to remain inactive until activated by tumor-specific proteases within the tumor microenvironment.
BiotechHealthtechWaltham, US
Rene Russo(Executive Officer, Director)inJoseph Farmer(Executive Officer)Timothy Clackson(Executive Officer)Paul Clancy(Director)Daniel Curran(Director)Nancy Hong(Director)
Co-investorsBain Capital Life SciencesBay City CapitalF-Prime CapitalM VenturesRA CapitalRiverVest Venture Partners+4 more
ATB Therapeutics is a biotech company developing bispecific antibody therapies and related immunological treatments.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Dr. Mark Throsby(Chief Executive Officer)
Co-investorsV-Bio VenturesVIVES PartnersEQT Life SciencesSambrinvestWallonie Entreprendre
Axonis Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing small-molecule medicines that target KCC2, a mediator of inhibition in the brain, to treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy and pain.
BiotechDeep TechBoston, US
Shane V. Hegarty(Chief Scientific Officer & Co-Founder)inJoanna Stanicka(Chief Executive Officer, President & Co-Founder)inJeff Imbaro(Chief Operating Officer)inTiasha Shafiq(Chief of Staff)in
BoardCorey . Goodman(Director)inJonathan Leff(Director)in
Co-investorsvenBio PartnersSofinnova VenturesCivilization Ventures Management, LlcCreative Destruction Lab (CDL)Hatteras Venture PartnersIaso Ventures+7 more
InduPro develops next-generation protein therapeutics by leveraging inherent and induced proximity to modulate disease biology, with a focus on ADCs and T-cell engagers.
BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesSeattle, US
K. Chris Garcia(Scientific Founder)Prakash Raman(CEO)Amanda J. Redig(Chief Medical Officer)Scott Lesley(President & CSO)Pamela Holland(SVP of Biology)Sally Johnson(Chief People Officer)
Co-investorsThe Column GroupVida Ventures
Photys Therapeutics develops bifunctional small-molecule medicines that use induced proximity to recruit kinases and drive targeted protein phosphorylation, aiming to modulate and repair disease-driving proteins.
BiotechHealthtechLongevityWaltham, US
Amit Choudhary(Scientific Founder)David Steinberg(Chairman & Founding CEO)Edward Holson(Co-founder & CSO)Lizzie Ngo(Co-founder)Brian Fenton(President & CEO)
Co-investorsLongwood FundMPM BioImpact8VCOno Venture Investment, Inc.
Therini Bio is a biotechnology company developing fibrin-targeting therapeutics to treat neurological and ophthalmological diseases, leveraging scientific discoveries in neurovascular and neuroimmune mechanisms of disease.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesSacramento, US
Katerina Akassoglou(Scientific Founder, Director of the Center for Neurovascular Brain Immunology and Professor of Neurology at UCSF and Gladstone Institutes)inKaterina Akassoglou, PhD(Scientific Founder)Leslie Schulze(Executive Officer)Tara Nickerson(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardOlga Danilchanka(Director)Laia Crespo-Martin(Director)
Co-investorsSanofi VenturesSV Health InvestorsAngelini VenturesMitsui Global InvestmentApollo Health VenturesDementia Discovery Fund+1 more
Topo Therapeutics is a drug discovery company developing treatments targeting ion channels and transmembrane proteins for conditions such as pain, epilepsy, and CNS, pulmonary, and renal diseases.
BiotechHealthtechCambridge, US
Hui Tian(Executive Officer, Director)Madgalene Moran(Executive Officer, Director)Magdalene Moran(Chief Executive Officer)
BoardBruce Bean(Director)James Jeffrey Goater, Jr.(Director)
Board seatKarin Kleinhans· per SEC Form D · $95M raise · filed Dec 2024
Co-investorsSR One Capital ManagementThe Column Group
Structure-based small-molecule drug design targeting protein aggregation diseases.
BiotechThousand Oaks, US
James Treanor(Also a former CEO)Gary Wilcox(Director)John Frank(Director)Madhavan Balachandran(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsRA Capital
Ambagon develops small molecule stabilizers of 14-3-3 protein complexes to modulate disease-related protein interactions, targeting therapeutic areas including cancer, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative and infectious diseases.
BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesEindhoven, US
Christian Ottmann(Executive Officer)inJosh Seidenfeld(Executive Officer)Michelle Arkin(Director)Nancy Pryer(Executive Officer)Margarita Chavez(Director)Bryan Miller(Executive Officer)
Co-investorsDroia VenturesMission BiocapitalNextech InvestInkefRA Capital
Systematically drugging the phosphatase target class with small molecules.
Restoring balance to disinhibited brain circuits to treat neurological disorders.
Caraway Therapeutics was a preclinical biopharmaceutical company developing small-molecule therapies modulating lysosomal function to treat neurodegenerative and rare diseases.
BiotechHealthtech
Co-investorsEisai Innovation, Inc.SV Health Investors
CAR-Macrophage cellular therapeutics with initial oncology focus (NASDAQ: CARM).
BiotechPhiladelphia, US
Steven Kelly(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardMargarita Chavez(Director)Eran Nadav(Director)Althea Stillman(Director)Jacob Gunterberg(Director)Regina Hodits(Director)
Co-investorsAju IB Invesment CorporationAnzu PartnersGrazia Equity GmbHHealthCapSolasta VenturesAgent Capital+1 more
Global company developing next-generation eye disease therapies; acquired by Merck & Co.
Co-investorsBain Capital Life SciencesJeito CapitalSV Health Investors
HotSpot Therapeutics develops novel biopharmaceutical products and therapeutic platforms focused on innovative biomedical technologies.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtech
BoardBruce Booth(Chairman)
Co-investorsAtlas VentureB Capital GroupB4 CapitalSofinnova PartnersSolasta VenturesSR One Capital Management
Epigenetic therapeutics for oncology; NASDAQ IMGO, acquired by Merck.
Insamo develops an automated platform for drug discovery that designs, synthesizes, and tests cyclic peptides at scale using machine learning and proprietary experimental data.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechChippendale, AU
Tim Craven(CEO)Toby Passioura(CSO)Glen McIntyre(COO)
BoardCOREY GOODMAN(Director)inMATT HERSHENSON(Director)in
Co-investorsCivilization Ventures Management, LlcPlayground GlobalvenBio PartnersAxial VCvenBio Global Strategic
LAVA develops the Gammabody platform, which generates bispecific antibodies that activate gamma-delta T cells to treat cancer by directing immune cells to tumors and triggering anti-cancer immune responses.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Ton AdangHans van der Vliet(Head of Innovation)Steve Hurly(Chief Executive Officer)Oxana Polyakova(Chief Scientific Officer)
Co-investorsSanofi VenturesYsios Capital
Leveraging fungal biology to find novel chemical matter for intractable targets.
Co-investorsRA Capital
Mozart Therapeutics develops protein therapeutics focused on immunology and oncology treatments.
BiotechMedical Devices
Mark Davis(Scientific Co-Founder)K. Christopher Garcia(Scientific Co-Founder)Calvin Kuo(Scientific Co-Founder)Katie Fanning(President & Chief Executive Officer)
Co-investorsARCH Venture PartnersJDRF T1D FundOno Venture Investment, Inc.Pfizer Venture InvestmentsSofinnova PartnersAlexandria+3 more
RNA-based medicines for genetic heart disease.
Bifunctional small molecules for control of post-translational modifications.
Restoring vision through optogenetics.
BiotechSan Francisco, US
Paul Bresge(Executive Officer, Director)Sean Ainsworth(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardTiba Aynechi(Director)inDmitry Kuzmin(Director)Raymond Camahort(Director)Hannah Chang(Director)
Co-investors4Bio VenturesNorwest Venture Partners
Tallac Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oligonucleotide-based antibody conjugates (TRAAC candidates) designed to deliver immune-activating agents to tumor microenvironments for oncology indications.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesBurlingame, US
Co-investorsLightstone VenturesvenBio PartnersMatrix Partners ChinavenBio Global Strategic
Sanofi is an R&D-driven, AI-powered biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines and vaccines, with a focus on immunology and the immune system.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechHealthtech
Co-investorsNew Enterprise Associates (NEA)Rho VenturesSanofi VenturesFJ Labs
Transmembrane protein drug discovery.
RNA therapeutics; NASDAQ TBIO, acquired by Sanofi.
Co-investorsM VenturesSofinnova Ventures
Vectorized antibodies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Viridian Therapeutics develops treatments for thyroid eye disease, a rare autoimmune condition affecting the eyes and orbit.
BiotechDigital HealthMedical DevicesWaltham, US
Jonathan Violin(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardPeter Harwin(Director)Tomas Kiselak(Director)
Co-investorsBroadview VenturesLongitude Capital
Hierotope platform for precision biologics; acquired by Otsuka.
Co-investorsCTI Life Sciences Fund L.P.Cycad Group LLCLux Capital
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 · 13
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioAktis OncologyNASDAQ: AKTSAlectorNASDAQ: ALECEntrada TherapeuticsNASDAQ: TRDAInvivydNASDAQ: IVVDKymera TherapeuticsNASDAQ: KYMRSpero TherapeuticsNASDAQ: SPROXilio TherapeuticsNASDAQ: XLOCarawayacq. by MerckEyeBioacq. by MerckImago Biosciencesacq. by MerckTidal Therapeuticsacq. by SanofiTranslate Bioacq. by SanofiVisterraacq. by Otsuka
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesSpero Therapeutics · marketbeat.com · Aug 18, 2026
Xilio Therapeutics · tickerreport.com · Aug 15, 2026
Alector · dailypolitical.com · Jul 17, 2026
Therini Bio · ophthalmologytimes.com · May 21, 2026
Carisma Therapeutics · bizjournals.com · Dec 16, 2025
Mozart Therapeutics · nasdaqprivatemarket.com · Jun 27, 2025
Tidal Therapeutics · latamlist.com · Jun 5, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has MRL Ventures Fund made?
- MRL Ventures Fund has 36 tracked investments, 6 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does MRL Ventures Fund invest at?
- MRL Ventures Fund invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B stages.
- What is MRL Ventures Fund's typical check size?
- MRL Ventures Fund typically writes checks of $25M.
- What sectors does MRL Ventures Fund focus on?
- MRL Ventures Fund focuses on Biotech, Healthtech, Medical Devices.
- Where is MRL Ventures Fund located?
- MRL Ventures Fund is headquartered in Cambridge, US.
- Does MRL Ventures Fund lead rounds?
- Yes, MRL Ventures Fund leads investment rounds.
- Who does MRL Ventures Fund co-invest with?
- MRL Ventures Fund most often shares deals with SV Health Investors, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Solasta Ventures, among 57 tracked co-investors.
Co-investors · 2
RA Capital is a multi-stage investment firm focused on healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health, investing across public and private markets and creating new companies through its Raven incubation platform.
MPM BioImpact combines 30+ years of biotech venture capital expertise with impact investing and public market experience, managing early-stage venture funds, private/public impact funds, and a public equities fund focused on transforming patient outcomes.
Firms observed investing alongside MRL Ventures Fund, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with MRL Ventures Fund's recorded portfolio.
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