Fundraising Fox

Adam Cotton

Investor

Principal at Novartis Venture Fund

Cambridge, MA, USA

About

Adam Cotton is a Principal at the Novartis Venture Fund. Before joining the firm, he conducted antibody engineering research in the labs of Jim Wells and Ian Seiple, and he is a scientific co-founder of Epi Biologics who also contributed to establishing Rezo Therapeutics and HYKU Biosciences as they emerged from academic labs. He holds a BA in Chemistry from Harvard University, an MBA from the University of New Mexico, and a PhD in Chemistry & Chemical Biology from the University of California, San Francisco.

Invests in

Biotech

Experience

  1. Novartis Venture FundPrincipalcurrent2025 — presentCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
  2. Novartis Venture FundAssociate2023 — 2025Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
  3. Novartis Venture FundAnalyst2022 — 2023Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
  4. Mediar TherapeuticsBoard Directorcurrent2022 — present
  5. Protego BioBoard Observercurrent2025 — present
  6. GentiBioBoard Observercurrent2023 — present
  7. ONL TherapeuticsBoard Observer2024 — 2026
  8. Hyku BiosciencesBoard Observer2023 — 2026
  9. FoRx TherapeuticsBoard Observer2022 — 2023
  10. EpiBiologicsCo-Founder2021 — 2022
  11. RA Capital Management, L.P.Consultant2021 — 2022
  12. University of California, San FranciscoPhD candidate2017 — 2021San Francisco Bay Area
  13. UCSF Innovation VenturesTechnology Analyst2020 — 2021San Francisco, California, United States
  14. The University of New MexicoChemistry Tutor2016 — 2017
  15. The University of New MexicoTrack and Field Athlete2015 — 2017
  16. Harvard Extension SchoolTeaching Fellow2015
  17. Harvard UniversityResearch assistant2013 — 2015
  18. Harvard UniversityPeer Tutor2013 — 2015
  19. Harvard UniversityTrack and Field Athlete2011 — 2015
  20. Harvard Extention SchoolTeaching Fellow2014

Skills & more

PythonChemical Biology1antibody engineeringChemistry3Research3Organic Chemistry2Organic Synthesis1R&D1NMR1Mass Spectrometry2UV/Vis1Spectroscopy1
+2 moreInorganic ChemistryMolecular Oncology

Languages English

From Adam's professional profile.

Colleagues at Novartis Venture Fund

Anís
Head of Scoping, Pharma at Deep Science Ventures
Anja Koenig
Global Head of NVF at Novartis Venture Fund
Anja König
Global Head at Novartis Venture Fund
Bart Dzikowski
Managing Director, Head of Transactions & Legal at Novartis Venture Fund
Beat Steffen
Managing Director at Novartis Venture Fund
Christoph Meier
Investor at Novartis Venture Fund
Elaine Jones
Investor at Novartis Venture Fund
Elena Battistello
Analyst at Novartis Venture Fund

Network3

Ron ConwayScout
Founder of SV Angel
Mo KoyfmanScout
Founder and General Partner at Shine Capital
Dyson Bogg
Investor at Mercuri.vc

Investors connected to Adam in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Adam Cotton?
Adam Cotton is a Principal at the Novartis Venture Fund. Before joining the firm, he conducted antibody engineering research in the labs of Jim Wells and Ian Seiple, and he is a scientific co-founder of Epi Biologics who also contributed to establishing Rezo Therapeutics and HYKU Biosciences as they emerged from academic labs. He holds a BA in Chemistry from Harvard University, an MBA from the University of New Mexico, and a PhD in Chemistry & Chemical Biology from the University of California, San Francisco.
Where does Adam Cotton work?
Adam Cotton is Principal at Novartis Venture Fund.
What does Adam Cotton invest in?
Adam Cotton invests in Biotech.
Where did Adam Cotton go to school?
Adam Cotton studied at University of California, San Francisco (Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Chemistry and Chemical Biology); UNM The James & Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership (Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.), General Management); Harvard University (A.B, Chemistry).

Founder mafias

University of California, San Francisco mafia28

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Geoffrey von MaltzahnMSFounded Sienna Biopharmaceuticals +5Dino Di CarloPh.D.Founded Partillion +2Luke EvninPhDFounded Mpmcapital +1Alec NielsenBiophysicsFounded Asimov +1William GreeneMDFounded Pear Therapeutics +1Reinhard MeierPostdoctoral Research FellowshipFounded TeleClinic +1

+ 21 more

RA Capital mafia3

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Habib DableAdvisorFounded AcceleronEmily MinkowManaging Director, VentureFounded Stylus Medicine

Mediar Therapeutics mafia2

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Bharat SrinivasaBoard DirectorFounded Radiant Biotherapeutics

Novartis Venture Fund mafia2

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Huw NashConsultantFounded Aileron Therapeutics

UNM The James & Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership mafia2

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Madalyn ArmijoBBAFounded Dispatch io

Same school

Also attended University of California, San Francisco86

Douglas CrawfordManaging General Partner at Mission BiocapitalLuke EvninAdvisor at MPM BioImpactCharles White, Ph.D.Principal at Illumina VenturesMatt MaurerInvestor at WVV CapitalAlec NielsenFounder & CEO, Asimov & Venture Partner at Pillar VCStephan ChristgauFounding Partner at EIR Ventures

+ 80 more

Also attended UNM The James & Gail Ellis School of Business Leadership7

Bill MillerFounder / Managing Partner at FirstMile VenturesEdmundo PichardoOffice Manager at SpeedinvestRob RyanSenior Associate at CVS Health VenturesLarsen MettlerManaging Director at S2G InvestmentsLindsey JacotPrincipal, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Compliance Officer at PennybackerRiya NagpalInvestments at Aroa Venture Partners

+ 1 more

Also attended Harvard University1,885

Alfred LinPartner at Sequoia CapitalChris DixonFounder & Managing Partner of a16z crypto at Andreessen HorowitzSarah TavelVenture Partner at BenchmarkDanny RimerPartner at Index VenturesLaela SturdyManaging Partner at CapitalGBill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft; Chair of the Gates Foundation

+ 1,879 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Novartis Venture Fund164

Rebecca JamesInvestor at Index VenturesScott BillerInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Freya Svedberg-KeatingInvestor at MedicxiAndrea AmadorCompliance Manager at Inveready Technology Investment GroupAbbie CelnikerInvestor at Third Rock VenturesJesper GromadaInvestor at Third Rock Ventures

+ 158 more

Also worked at Mediar Therapeutics10

Anja KoenigGlobal Head of NVF at Novartis Venture FundAnja KönigGlobal Head at Novartis Venture FundChristoph KocherPrincipal at GimvAndreas JurgeitPartner at GimvKat McGuireSenior Analyst at Trust VenturesBharat SrinivasaPrincipal at Amplitude Venture Capital

+ 4 more

Also worked at ONL Therapeutics2

Marian NakadaVice President, Venture Investments at JJDCMarian NakadaVice President at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC

Also worked at University of California, San Francisco102

Logan HilleLife Sciences Analyst at CincyTechPaul JennyBoard Chair at CincyTechDavid KaufmanInvestor at Third Rock VenturesFrancisco GimenezInvestment Team at 8VCUlrik B. NielsenGeneral Partner at Mission BiocapitalNana Kusi MinkahAccounting and Operations Associate at Mission Biocapital

+ 96 more