RiverVest Venture Partners
Venture capitalSt. Louis · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 24 people tracked
Also known as RIVERVEST VENTURE MANAGEMENT LLC
Investment thesis
RiverVest focuses on building life sciences companies, aiming to improve patient outcomes by backing innovation in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. The firm supports entrepreneurs through a combination of scientific insight, strategic guidance, and operational involvement, and seeks to earn the trust of its investors. Its portfolio spans therapeutics areas such as neurodegenerative disease, rare liver diseases, and metabolic conditions like difficult-to-control type 2 diabetes, reflecting a deep-science approach to venture creation.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
Team · 24 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 35 of 77 portfolio companiesBiotech ×25Medical Devices ×16Healthtech ×13Digital Health ×3SaaS ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2Enterprise Software ×2AdTech ×1
HQs:United States×28Mexico×1
Investments · 77 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBiotechSouth San Francisco, US
Kirk Ways(Director)Javier Szwarcberg(Executive Officer, Director)Simpson Camilla(Director)Percival Barretto-Ko(Director)Tiba Aynechi(Director)Samir Gharib(Executive Officer)
Board seatNiall O'Donnell· per SEC Form D
A biotechnology company developing targeted therapies for rare respiratory diseases.
Avalyn Pharma develops a nebulized inhalation treatment for pulmonary fibrosis designed to improve tolerability compared to existing oral therapies by directly delivering the drug to the lungs.
BiotechMedical Devices
Lyn Baranowski(CEO)in
MacroGenics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibody-based therapies for cancer patients, including oncology, hematology, and autoimmune applications.
BiotechMedical Devices
Rare liver disease treatment company.
San Diego, US
OnKure discovers and develops precision medicines targeting specific cancer drivers and vascular anomalies using structure-based drug design.
BiotechDigital HealthMedical DevicesBoulder, US
Jason Leverone(Executive Officer)Samuel Agresta(Executive Officer)Dylan Hartley(Executive Officer)Nicholas Saccomano(Executive Officer, Director)Scott Weiner(Director)Wendy Johnson(Executive Officer)
BiotechWaltham, US
Paul Clancy(Director)Daniel Curran(Director)Peter Dudek(Director)David Grayzel(Director)Nancy Hong(Director)Rachel Humphrey(Director)
Alleviant Medical develops an investigational minimally invasive medical device using interatrial shunt therapy to treat heart failure patients, currently in FDA-approved clinical trials (ALLAY-HF and ALLAY-HFrEF).
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesAustin, US
Adam Berman(Executive Officer, Director)Jacob Kriegel(Executive Officer, Director)Avni Patel(Executive Officer, Director)Christopher Alex Arevalos(Executive Officer, Director)Albertien Greijdanus(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardGeoff Pardo(Director)
Board seatJay W. Schmelter· per SEC Form D
Bonum Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company.
BiotechSeattle, US
Samuel Bjork(Director)Neela Patel(Executive Officer)Diane Hollenbaugh(Executive Officer)Samuel Blackman(Director)John Mulligan(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Karl Handelsman(Director)
Board seatJohn McKearn· per SEC Form D
HealthtechSt. Louis, US
Warren Watson(Director)William Schmidt(Director)Robert J. Calcaterra(Director)Brian Buetner(Director)M. Brent Shelton(Executive Officer)Paula Skjefte(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatJay W. Schmelter· per SEC Form D
BiotechSan Diego, US
Michael J. Kamdar(Director)Daniel D. Burgess(Director)Richard G. Vincent(Executive Officer)Mark W. Surber, Ph.D.(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatNiall O'Donnell· per SEC Form D · $189.2M raise · filed Oct 2023
InterVene, Inc. is a medical device company that has developed a fully integrated mechanical thrombectomy system to treat venous in-stent restenosis and residual thrombotic venous obstructions and occlusions.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesMountain View, US
Mel Schatz(Director)Thomas Fogarty(Director)Fletcher Wilson(Executive Officer, Director)Evan Ng(Secretary)
Board seatJay W. Schmelter· per SEC Form D
BiotechHouston, US
Sean McCarthy(Director)Alice Bexon(Executive Officer)Steven Gillis(Director)Clifford J. Stocks(Director, Executive Officer)Kamal D. Puri(Executive Officer)Carol Gallagher(Director)
Board seatJohn McKearn· per SEC Form D
EnergyOakland, US
Frederick Buckman(Director)Thomas Voss(Director)Jane Lindner(Director)Anthony Arnerich(Director)Jay Schmelter(Director)James C David(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatJay W. Schmelter· per SEC Form D · $20M raise · filed Nov 2018
Sparrow Pharma develops targeted cardiometabolic therapeutics for patients with type 2 diabetes, focusing on cortisol regulation through HSD-1 inhibition.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesPortland, US
Jonathan Root(Director)Zach Scheiner(Director)Klaus Veitinger(Director)Nanna L?neborg(Director)Peter Thompson(Director)Robert Jacks(Executive Officer, Director)
Board seatNiall O'Donnell· per SEC Form D
HealthtechPlymouth, US
John Pigott(Executive Officer, Director)Jenny Zeroni(Executive Officer)Dave Michaelson(Executive Officer)Kathy Leith(Executive Officer)Jill Schweiger(Executive Officer)Shelby Hautman(Executive Officer)
Board seatKaren Spilizewski· per SEC Form D · $7.5M raise · filed Feb 2025
Allotera (formerly Wugen) develops allogeneic T-cell therapies.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesSt. Louis, US
Ayman Kabakibi(Executive Officer)Drew Dennison(Director)Niall O'Donnell(Director)Bosun Hau(Director)Kevin Li(Director)Peter Kiener(Director)
Board seatNiall O'DonnellJohn McKearn· per SEC Form D
Portfolio company that completed a successful 2018 biotech IPO, resulting in a 9x return for RiverVest.
BiotechSan Carlos, US
Nenad Tomasevic(Executive Officer)Farah Champsi(Director)Alejandro Dorenbaum(Executive Officer)Peter Moldt(Director)Christopher Bebbington(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardJohn McKearn(Director)
BiotechSan Diego, US
Chrysa Mineo(Director)Jack Florio(Director)Elaine Heron(Director)Mitchell Mutz(Executive Officer, Director)Santosh Vetticaden(Director)Karen Talmadge(Director)
Biogen is a biotechnology company founded in 1978 that focuses on breakthroughs in biology.
BiotechMedical Devices
Healthcare company acquired by Mirum Pharmaceuticals, a former RiverVest portfolio company.
San Mateo, US
Keting Chu(Executive Officer, Director)Dajun Yang(Director)Nancy Hong(Director)Alon Lazarus(Director)William J. Rutter(Director)Ting Jia(Director)
Portfolio company acquired by Pharmion, delivering a 6x return.
Lifepoint Health operates a diversified network of community hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and behavioral health hospitals across the United States.
Healthtech
Scott Mercy(Founding Chairman and CEO)
Acquired by Horizon Therapeutics in 2020.
BiotechSan Diego, US
Kyle Rasbach(Director)Johan Kordel(Director)Mike Grey(Executive Officer, Director)Ed Mathers(Director)Susan Dube(Executive Officer)
BoardNiall O'Donnell(Director)
Gilead discovers, develops, and delivers innovative therapeutics for people with life-threatening diseases, focusing on virology, oncology, and inflammation across more than 35 countries.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesFoster City, US
Lou Lange(Founder)
Pharmaceutical company whose technology was later commercialized by Merck.
Medtronic designs and develops medical technology for treating complex diseases.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthHealthtechMedical Devices
Bristol Myers Squibb is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and delivers medicines across oncology, hematology, neuroscience, immunology, and cardiovascular disease areas.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesNew York, US
Developing therapies for congenital disorders of glycosylation combining replacement therapies with intracellular delivery vehicles.
Glycomine develops therapeutics for rare diseases, many of which currently lack disease-modifying treatment options.
Biotech
Steven Axon(Chief Executive Officer)Hicham Alaoui(Chief Scientific Officer)Rose Marino(Chief Medical Officer)Peter McWilliams(Chief Business Officer)Geoffrey Hird(Chief Technology Officer)
Portfolio company acquired by Roche.
BiotechSeattle, US
Mitchell Mutz(Director)Nicholas Walrod(Director)John Mulligan(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Karl Handelsman(Director)
BoardJohn McKearn(Director)
RiverVest portfolio company where Andrew Kleiboeker holds a board observer seat.
Acquired by Shire in 2014 (now part of Takeda).
Mirum Pharmaceuticals develops and markets therapies for rare diseases, designing treatment programs with regulatory strategy and patient access in mind.
BiotechMedical Devices
Company founded by RiverVest that exited with an 8.0x gross return.
MaxWell Biomedical develops a cardiac resynchronization therapy device (CRT-A) designed to restore both sinus rhythm and atrial mechanical function in patients with atrial fibrillation, particularly those with post-surgical AF or AF combined with heart failure.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Neuros Medical develops the Altius Direct Electrical Nerve Stimulation System, an FDA-approved implantable device for managing chronic phantom limb pain and residual limb pain in adults with lower limb loss.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesAliso Viejo, US
David Veino(President, Chief Executive Officer, and Secretary)Joyce Erony(Director)William Harrington(Director)Fouad Azzam(Director)Zach Stassen(Chief Financial Officer)Marc-Andre Marcotte(Director)
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.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does RiverVest Venture Partners invest at?
- RiverVest Venture Partners invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What is RiverVest Venture Partners's typical check size?
- RiverVest Venture Partners typically writes checks of $500K – $3M.
- What sectors does RiverVest Venture Partners focus on?
- RiverVest Venture Partners focuses on Biotech, Digital Health, Healthtech, Medical Devices.
- Where is RiverVest Venture Partners located?
- RiverVest Venture Partners is headquartered in St. Louis, US.
- Does RiverVest Venture Partners lead rounds?
- Yes, RiverVest Venture Partners leads investment rounds.
Co-investors · 13
Abingworth is a life science venture capital firm that backs early-stage biopharma and biotech companies, helping entrepreneurs translate scientific discoveries into new therapeutics.
Digitalis Ventures invests in solutions to unmet needs in biomedicine and health, backing biotechnology and technology-enabled companies across human health and animal health.
OrbiMed is a global healthcare-focused investment firm providing financing and operational support to companies across biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, digital health, diagnostics, and healthcare services.
Alta Partners is a venture capital firm focused on the healthcare and life sciences sector, backing entrepreneurs building companies across biotechnology, therapeutics, and healthcare innovation.
Canaan is an early-stage venture capital firm backing founders with transformative ideas across technology and healthcare.
SR One is a biotechnology-focused venture capital firm that partners with founders to develop innovative science into new medicines.
Roche Venture Fund is a corporate venture arm that invests in early-stage biotech and diagnostics companies across more than 10 countries, with a portfolio exceeding 30 portfolio companies. The fund is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
Unknown is an investment firm focused on emerging market opportunities in live entertainment, biosciences, technology startups, and real estate, with a portfolio spanning music festivals, artist platforms, creator financial services, and event infrastructure.
OUP (Osage University Partners) is a venture capital firm that backs science-driven startups commercializing deep technology innovations emerging from university and breakthrough research.
Domain Associates (DomainVC) is a life sciences venture capital firm that served as investment advisors to the first VC fund dedicated to biotech and as investment manager of nine subsequent biotech VC funds.
Pivotal Life Sciences is a global healthcare investment firm backing companies that develop high-impact therapeutics for major unmet medical needs. Pivotal bioVenture Partners is its life sciences venture capital arm.
▶1 more co-investors
Firms observed investing alongside RiverVest Venture Partners, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with RiverVest Venture Partners's recorded portfolio.
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