Northpond Ventures
UnclaimedAt a Glance
- Check Size
- $2M – $25M
- Stage
- Seed, Series A, Series B+
- AUM
- $1.5B
- Sectors
- Biotech, Digital Health
- HQ
- Bethesda, MD
About Northpond Ventures
Northpond Ventures is a science-driven venture capital firm headquartered at 7500 Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, Maryland, investing in life sciences, medical technology and adjacent deep technology companies. Michael P. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., CFA is its founder and chief executive officer, and Sharon Kedar is a co-founder; the firm's site is npv.vc. It should not be confused with Northpond Partners, an unrelated Chicago retail real estate firm led by Sam Ankin that owns the northpond.com domain. Northpond is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC and invests from multi-stage funds, taking positions from seed and Series A through later private rounds and continuing to support companies into the public markets. The firm concentrates on platforms that make biology measurable and analyzable rather than on single therapeutic assets, which is why its disclosed positions cluster in tools, diagnostics and data: 10x Genomics in single-cell and spatial biology, Guardant Health in blood-based cancer testing, Veracyte in genomic diagnostics, Personal Genome Diagnostics in cancer genomic profiling, and CareDx in transplant surveillance testing. Its diligence draws on scientific and clinical training inside the investment team, and it typically works closely with academic and translational research groups where an underlying technology originates. Deals often involve leading or co-leading a round and taking a board seat, with capital sized to carry a company through a technical milestone such as a validated assay, a regulatory clearance or a commercial launch rather than through a single experiment. Public founding-date claims for the firm are inconsistent, and no SEC filing or company statement supports a mid-2000s start, so the record now omits a founding year rather than asserting one.
Investment Thesis
“Investing in life sciences companies that harness breakthrough scientific discoveries to develop transformational medicines and medical technologies.”
Leadership Team
Northpond Ventures was founded by Michael P. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., CFA, who is its chief executive and the named related person on the firm's fund filings. That combination of clinical, doctoral and investment credentials sets the pattern for the firm: it underwrites science first and is staffed accordingly. Sharon Kedar, CFA, is co-founder and partner, with Andrea Jackson also a partner and Pat Smerkers, CPA, chief financial officer and partner.
The investing bench is unusually credentialed for a venture firm of its size. Managing directors Andrew Lee, Ph.D., Steve Liapis, Ph.D., and Paxton Major sit alongside principal Elias Quijano, Ph.D., and director Diana Bernstein, Ph.D. The firm also runs a dedicated portfolio operations function under Alexis Fleming and Ben Hartheimer, and a Northpond Labs arm for company creation, consistent with a strategy of building and supporting breakthrough science businesses rather than only financing them.
Sector Focus
Investment Stage
Notable Portfolio Companies
Fund History
Northpond Ventures files under its own name in Delaware and Maryland, distinct from the similarly named Chicago real estate firm. SEC records show Northpond Ventures, LP, Northpond Ventures II, LP and Northpond Ventures III, LP, each with a matching general partner entity, alongside Northpond Capital, L.P. for public and crossover positions. The most recent vehicle, Northpond Foundry Fund I, LP, filed a Form D from Bethesda, Maryland in August 2024 on an indefinite offering, with Michael P. Rubin and Northpond Ventures, LLC named as related persons. The firm's registered adviser address is 7500 Old Georgetown Road, Suite 800, Bethesda.
The fund names map to how the firm holds positions. Northpond Ventures, LP and Northpond Ventures II, LP appear on Schedule 13D and 13G filings and Section 16 reports across a series of listed life sciences companies, including Telesis Bio, formerly Codex DNA, Vigil Neuroscience, DICE Therapeutics, IsoPlexis, Mereo BioPharma, Camp4 Therapeutics and Kyverna Therapeutics. Its own portfolio page adds 908 Devices and Candel Therapeutics as listed holdings, and records exits to Eli Lilly, Labcorp, Bruker, SCIEX, Donaldson, OraSure Technologies, Unchained Labs, Vizgen, Innovaccer, Best Buy and Paradigm Health.
Frequently Asked Questions
What stage does Northpond Ventures invest at?
Northpond Ventures primarily invests at the Seed, Series A, Series B+ stages. This means they focus on companies that are building their initial product and finding product-market fit.
Where is Northpond Ventures located?
Northpond Ventures is headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Many of their portfolio companies are also based in this region, though they invest across geographies.
What sectors does Northpond Ventures focus on?
Northpond Ventures focuses on investments in Biotech, Digital Health. Their portfolio reflects deep expertise and networks within these sectors.
What is Northpond Ventures's typical check size?
Northpond Ventures's typical investment check size ranges from $2M to $25M. Actual amounts may vary based on the stage, sector, and specific opportunity.
How much does Northpond Ventures have under management?
Northpond Ventures manages approximately $1.5B in assets under management (AUM) across their funds.
Similar Firms
Fund Operations Resources
Running a fund like Northpond Ventures? Independent guides to the software and processes emerging managers use to operate.
Best Fund Administration Software
Independent breakdown of fund administration platforms by fund size.
LP Reporting Software
Tools for capital account statements and investor updates.
Portfolio Monitoring Tools
How GPs track company performance across the portfolio.
VC CRM Software
Deal-flow and relationship management for investors.
Related tools and reading
The operating system for private capital.
Archstone runs the back office for venture, PE, real estate, and credit funds — LP reporting, capital calls, portfolio tracking, and fund accounting, in one platform. Now in alpha.