Chicago · Pre-Seed–Series A
Investment thesis
Portal Innovations operates as a venture development platform for science-driven and life science entrepreneurs. It combines seed capital with fully equipped laboratory space and a supporting community, giving founders access to expertise as well as introductions to additional investors and partners. The firm aims to help ambitious innovators build their companies in their home regions rather than relocating, fostering thriving local innovation ecosystems. Walder Ventures serves as the founding sponsor, reflecting a shared focus on accelerating biomedical innovation and supporting life science founders.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
What they invest in
from 25 of 25 portfolio companiesBiotech ×22Healthtech ×12Deep Tech ×10Medical Devices ×10AI & Machine Learning ×7Digital Health ×3Longevity ×3Hardware ×1
HQs:United States×15
Who they back
founder profiles across 15 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×22 founders×53 founders×44+ founders×4
Where their founders studiedfrom 17 founders with education data
Northwestern University ×2University of Illinois College of Medicine ×2University of Wisconsin-Madison ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 18 founders with career history
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ×3Georgia Institute of Technology ×2Harvard Medical School ×2Sana Biotechnology ×2
Investments · 25 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2024 · 12023 · 12022 · 35 dated
Arase Therapeutics develops first-in-class oncology therapeutics that target ADP-ribose Hydrolases, novel proteins in cancer stress pathways.
BiotechMedical Devices
Paul Chang(President, CEO / CSO and Lead Founder)inW. Lee Kraus(Scientific Founder)Michael Taylor(Executive Chairman)in
Co-investorsMission Biocapital
Cardiosense develops wearable sensing hardware and deep-learning algorithms that convert physiological signals into clinical insights for cardiovascular disease detection and management.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesChicago, US
Omer Inan(Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer)inAndrew Carek(Co-founder, Chief Technical Officer)inAmit Gupta(Co-founder, Advisor)inMozziyar Etemadi(Co-founder, Head of AI)Omer Inan, PhD(Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer)inAndrew Carek, PhD(Co-founder, Chief Technical Officer)in
Co-investorsBayMed Venture PartnersBroadview VenturesCross-Border Impact VenturesLaerdal Million Lives FundOSF VenturesHatteras Venture Partners
CiRC Biosciences develops cellular reprogramming therapies that convert fibroblasts directly into specific neurons and cell types lost in degenerative eye and brain diseases.
BiotechDeep TechMedical Devices
Co-investorsParagon Biosciences LLC
ClostraBio develops next-generation probiotics and a platform for delivering bacterial metabolites to support gut health, targeting inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and food allergy.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechChicago, US
Jeffrey Hubbell(Secretary)Cathryn Nagler(President)inBrett Newswanger(Chief Operating Officer)
BoardJohn Flavin(Executive Chairman)
Co-investorsStone Mountain Ventures
CrossBridge Bio, launched in 2023, develops next-generation antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to address a range of cancer indications.
BiotechHealthtechHouston, US
Kyoji Tsuchikama(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Michael Torres(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
BoardWilliam F. McKeon(Director)Damir Illich(Director)Patrick James Crutcher(Director)
Co-investorsTMC Venture FundPortal
Dimension Bio is a biotechnology company that designs and manufactures regenerative therapeutics using its BioNidum™ platform to restore tissue function lost to disease, trauma, or aging.
BiotechHealthtechNew MaterialsChicago, US
Caralynn Nowinski Collens, M.D.(Co-founder & CEO)inRamille Shah, Ph.D.(Co-founder & CSO)Ramille Shah(Director)Caralynn Collens(Executive Officer, Director)inAdam Jakus(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardRima Chakrabarti(Director)in
Co-investorsBetter Ventures Central LlcLofty VenturesPathway BioventuresSolas BioVenturesKdT Ventures
Grove Biopharma develops Bionic Biologics, a drug discovery platform combining AI-enabled molecular design, precision polymer chemistry, and experimental biology to target protein-protein interactions that are inaccessible to conventional therapeutics.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechChicago, US
Geoffrey Duyk(CEO)inGeoffrey M. Duyk, M.D., Ph.D.(Chief Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsDCVC (Data Collective)DCVC BioInVivium Capital
Inomagen Therapeutics develops a non-viral gene therapy delivered via a single-dose, minimally invasive procedure to target the underlying mechanisms of atrial fibrillation.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesChicago, US
Rishi Arora(Founder)Gerard Abate(Chief Medical Officer)Eric Sandberg(Chief Business Officer)in
BoardMarc Penn(Director)James R. Vogler(Director)
Iterion Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cancer therapies targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
BiotechHealthtech
Rahul Aras(Chief Executive Officer)inOvid Trifan(Chief Medical Officer)inSteve Horrigan(Chief Scientific Officer)in
Co-investorsGreen Park & Golf VenturesLumira Ventures
March Bioscience is a cell therapy company assembling leading scientists and drug developers to advance cell therapy treatments.
BiotechMedical DevicesHouston, US
Sarah Hein(CEO, Co-Founder)inMaksim Mamonkin(Co-Founder, Chair Scientific Advisory Board)Malcolm Brenner(Co-founder)
BoardThomas Luby(Director)inPeter Olagunju(Director)inJoseph Petrosino(Director)
Co-investorsMission Biocapital4BIO CapitalCancer FundFitz Gate VenturesModi VenturesTMC Venture Fund+1 more
Moonlight Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company developing an intradermal stamp-based immunotherapy for people with food allergies.
BiotechHealthtech
Co-investorsAllerfund Ventures, Llc
NovaScan develops a platform technology combining AI and spectral bioimpedance for oncology applications, with multiple diagnostic and intraoperative products built on a shared hardware and software foundation currently in clinical trials.
AI & Machine LearningHealthtechMedical Devices
Co-investorsDipalo VenturesGreen Park & Golf Ventures
Pelagos Pharma develops drugs targeting hard-to-treat receptors for age-related diseases, with a focus on extending healthspan and longevity.
BiotechDeep TechHealthtechLongevity
Reaxbio develops a chemoproteomics platform that identifies and targets novel protein sites for drug discovery across disease-relevant biological contexts.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep Tech
Co-investorsOMX Ventures
Rhaeos develops FlowSense, a noninvasive wireless wearable skin patch that monitors fluid flow in the body, initially targeting hydrocephalus patients who depend on implantable shunts for cerebrospinal fluid management.
HardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesEvanston, US
Dr. Chad WebbJohn A. Rogers(Executive Officer, Director)Roozbeh Ghaffari(Director)inAnna Lisa Somera(Executive Officer)inChad Seaver(Director)R. Chad Webb(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsCreative VenturesLateral Capital
RNAV8 Bio develops a toolkit for engineering mRNA therapeutics, optimizing non-coding sequences to improve expression and efficacy of mRNA-based treatments.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechLaguna Niguel, US
Devan ShahinMichelle Lynn Hall
Co-investorsBioBritElmehøj VenturesService Provider Capital
Syntax Bio develops a discovery platform that accelerates stem cell-derived therapies by using its proprietary Cellgorithm technology to control and direct cell differentiation.
BiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesChicago, US
Ryan Clarke(Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer)inNiko Balanis, PhD(Co-Founder, Chief Technology Officer)inBrad Merrill, PhD(Co-Founder, Head of Innovation)Matt MacDougall, MD, PhD(Scientific Cofounder, Immunology Physician, Stanford University)inJohn Craighead, PhD(Chief Executive Officer)
Co-investorsAstellas Venture Management LLCDCVC (Data Collective)DCVC BioDraper AssociatesIllumina Ventures
Syntis Bio develops oral therapies that use the biology of the small intestine to treat conditions ranging from rare genetic disorders to common diseases.
BiotechDeep TechDigital HealthHealthtechBoston, US
Rahul Dhanda(Executive Officer, Director)inCarlo Giovanni Traverso(Director)Robert Langer(Director)
BoardTeymour Boutros-Ghali(Director)inTEYMOUR BOUTROS-GHALI(Director)inMartin Madaus(Director)
Co-investorsBill & Melinda Gates FoundationBold Capital PartnersCerity Partners VenturesSafar Partners
BiotechAtlanta, US
Yogi Patel(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardPeter Yunker(Director)David Weiss(Director)
Transcera is a biotech company developing a new class of therapeutics that use lipid trafficking pathways to direct extracellular proteins into lysosomes for degradation, aimed at treating chronic diseases.
BiotechDeep TechBoston, US
Wayne Lencer(Co-Founder & SAB Chair)Hunter Goble(Co-Founder & CEO)inJustin Wolfe(Co-Founder & CSO)in
Co-investorsTau VenturesKdT Ventures
Vincere Biosciences develops small-molecule therapeutics targeting mitochondrial quality control and mitophagy, primarily for neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechLongevity
Co-investorsBeiersdorf Innovation FundBeresford VenturesDraper AssociatesquadraScope Venture Fund
Vivtex is a drug development company applying computational science and pre-clinical research to advance new medicines.
AI & Machine LearningBiotechDeep TechMedical DevicesCambridge, US
Thomas von Erlach(CEO & Co-founder)inRobert Langer(Co-founder)Giovanni Traverso(Co-founder)JAMES WINSCHEL(Executive Officer, Director)JUAN LOPEZ(Executive Officer)JACQUES BARBUT(Director)
Walder Ventures is a mission-driven investment vehicle established by Joseph and Elizabeth Walder to support programs and organizations benefiting the Chicago region, with a focus on life sciences and sustainability.
BiotechImpact & Social GoodChicago, US
Joseph Walder(Co-founder)Elizabeth Walder(Co-founder & President)
Zylem Biosciences develops Metabolic Redox Modulators (MRMs), a patented platform of drug candidates targeting the SR-B1 receptor to treat cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other age-related conditions.
BiotechLongevityMedical Devices
Shad Thaxton(MD, PhD)Kaylin McMahon(PhD)Philip Bligh
BoardJay Venkatesan(MD, MBA)Leo Gordon(MD)
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
NovaScan · proactiveinvestors.com · Aug 20, 2026
Syntax · bizjournals.com · Jun 23, 2026
CrossBridge Bio · portalinnovations.com · Apr 16, 2026
TopoDx · news.emory.edu · Apr 15, 2026
Syntis Bio · clinicaltrialsarena.com · Mar 4, 2026
Grove Biopharma · xtalks.com · Jan 8, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Portal Innovations made?
- Portal Innovations has 24 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Portal Innovations invest at?
- Portal Innovations invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Portal Innovations focus on?
- Portal Innovations focuses on Biotech, Deep Tech, Digital Health, Healthtech, Medical Devices.
- Where is Portal Innovations located?
- Portal Innovations is headquartered in Chicago, US.
- Who does Portal Innovations co-invest with?
- Portal Innovations most often shares deals with DCVC Bio, DCVC (Data Collective), Draper Associates, among 38 tracked co-investors.
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