RiverVest Venture Partners
Venture capitalSt. Louis · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 10 people tracked
Investment thesis
RiverVest invests in medical devices and biopharma companies with the goal of developing commercial products that treat patients. The firm employs a disciplined investment approach focused on integrity and trust, supporting companies from early-stage seed rounds through later-stage financings. The strategy emphasizes identifying promising therapeutics and medical technologies capable of achieving significant clinical and commercial impact.
Source: firm website, verified Jul 21, 2026.
Team · 10 people
from the firm's websiteCo-founder of RiverVest who was instrumental in establishing the firm's ethos of integrity, discipline, teamwork, and trust during four decades of corporate and civic leadership. He passed away in 2019.
Co-founder of RiverVest who also co-founded Salient Surgical, one of the firm's earliest and most successful investments that delivered a 3x return.
Joined RiverVest during Fund II and developed a successful biopharma investment strategy with a focus on building out the firm's life sciences expertise.
Joined RiverVest in Cleveland and was promoted to managing director. She has provided improved access to deal flow and due diligence resources.
Joined RiverVest during Fund II and collaborated on developing a successful biopharma strategy that has defined the firm's investment approach.
RiverVest Managing Director who provides insights on healthcare investment trends and industry symposiums.
RiverVest Principal who discusses advances in RNA biology and their potential to reshape treatment approaches for neurodegenerative diseases.
Advisor to RiverVest on device investments and liaison to Israel's innovation community, providing deal flow and strategic guidance.
What they invest in
from 18 of 63 portfolio companiesMedical Devices ×12Biotech ×11Healthtech ×9SaaS ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2Digital Health ×2Enterprise Software ×2AdTech ×1
HQs:United States×8Mexico×1
Investments · showing 60 of 63
founders shown can be your intro pathAlleviant 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 Devices
Pfizer discovers, develops, manufactures, and distributes pharmaceutical medicines and vaccines across therapeutic areas including oncology, cardiology, immunology, and infectious diseases. The company serves patients, healthcare professionals, and consumers globally through its research, development, and commercial operations.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesNew York, US
Charles PfizerCharles Erhart
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)
Biogen is a biotechnology company founded in 1978 that focuses on breakthroughs in biology. The company serves patients through research and development in the life sciences industry.
BiotechMedical Devices
Healthcare company acquired by Mirum Pharmaceuticals, a former RiverVest portfolio company.
Lifepoint Health operates a diversified network of community hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, and behavioral health hospitals across the United States. The company serves patients, clinicians, and healthcare partners across the full continuum of care.
Healthtech
Scott Mercy(Founding Chairman and CEO)
Gilead discovers, develops, and delivers innovative therapeutics for people with life-threatening diseases, focusing on virology, oncology, and inflammation across more than 35 countries. The company combines scientific rigor with global partnerships and licensing programs to expand access to medicines worldwide.
BiotechDigital HealthHealthtechMedical DevicesFoster City, US
Medtronic designs and develops medical technology for treating complex diseases. The company redesigns treatment for more than 70 serious health conditions through applied healthcare technology, artificial intelligence, and medical devices.
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. The company focuses on creating transformative treatments for patients in high-need therapeutic categories.
BiotechHealthtechMedical DevicesNew York, US
Glycomine develops therapeutics for rare diseases, many of which currently lack disease-modifying treatment options. The company focuses on addressing unmet medical needs in the rare disease space.
Biotech
Steven Axon(Chief Executive Officer)Hicham Alaoui(Chief Scientific Officer)Rose Marino(Chief Medical Officer)Peter McWilliams(Chief Business Officer)
WP Engine provides managed hosting and platform services for WordPress websites, serving companies and agencies of all sizes with infrastructure, tools, and support. The company also offers industry-tailored solutions and developer-focused products across the WordPress ecosystem.
Cloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareSaaSAustin, US
Jason Cohen(Founder)
Mirum Pharmaceuticals develops and markets therapies for rare diseases, designing treatment programs with regulatory strategy and patient access in mind. The company operates a global portfolio of approved products and investigational medicines targeting high-need patient populations.
BiotechMedical Devices
MacroGenics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibody-based therapies for cancer patients, including oncology, hematology, and autoimmune applications. The company uses platform technologies such as antibody-drug conjugates, bispecific checkpoint antibodies, and T-cell engagers.
BiotechMedical Devices
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. The device uses a physiology-guided, non-destructive approach as an alternative to ablation and pharmacologic treatments.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Rare liver disease treatment company.
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. The patient-controlled device delivers electrical stimulation directly to the pain source and can be activated on-demand via a handheld controller.
HealthtechMedical Devices
ShareFile provides secure file sharing, document collection, e-signature capabilities, and automated workflow management for teams collaborating with clients, partners, and vendors. The platform serves professional services firms, accounting practices, legal firms, and financial services organizations seeking to streamline client onboarding, document management, and compliance workflows.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaS
Developing therapies for difficult-to-control type 2 diabetes with elevated cortisol
Statcounter provides website analytics and visitor tracking software that displays traffic data, user behavior, and engagement metrics in a simple interface. The service serves website owners, small businesses, and content sites seeking to understand visitor patterns and optimize site performance.
AdTechData & InfrastructureMarketing TechSaaS
Aodhán Cullen(Founder and CEO)
Sparrow Pharma develops targeted cardiometabolic therapeutics for patients with type 2 diabetes, focusing on cortisol regulation through HSD-1 inhibition. The company's lead candidate, clofutriben, is designed to reduce intracellular cortisol levels to improve glycemic control in patients with treatment-resistant diabetes.
BiotechHealthtechMedical Devices
Board seats · per SEC filings · 2
what is this? ⓘ$163M raise · filed Sep 2025 · via John P McKearn, John P. McKearn, Niall O'Donnell
$60M raise · filed Mar 2021 · via John McKearn
Inferred from directors named on each 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 sectors does RiverVest Venture Partners focus on?
- RiverVest Venture Partners focuses on Biotech, Digital Health, 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.
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