Avestria Ventures Closes Fund I

Rhea-AI Summary

Avestria Ventures, a venture capital firm based in the San Francisco-Bay Area, has successfully closed its Fund I aimed at investing in early-stage women’s health and female-led life sciences companies.

Founded by Linda Greub and Corinne Nevinny, Avestria targets sectors traditionally underserved by venture capital, with less than 1% of the $4T US healthcare market focused on women’s health as of 2020. Notable achievements include the June acquisition of portfolio company Alydia Health by Organon (NYSE: OGN) for up to $240M, indicating strong investor interest in these areas.

Positive

• Avestria Ventures Fund I has closed, signaling strong investor confidence.
• The acquisition of Alydia Health by Organon for up to $240M indicates a successful exit for the fund.
• Focus on women's health and female-led companies offers significant growth potential and addresses market gaps.

Negative

• None.

Avestria Ventures is a San Francisco-Bay Area venture capital firm focused on women’s health and female-led life sciences companies

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Avestria Ventures, a Bay Area-based life sciences venture fund, has closed Avestria Ventures Fund I.

Founded by veteran life science industry executives Linda Greub and Corinne Nevinny, Avestria invests in early-stage women’s health companies and female-led life science ventures.

Avestria seeks to generate strong returns by focusing on these two under-invested sectors. Although the NIH has accepted sex as a biological variable since 2016, less than 1% of the venture capital invested in the $4T US healthcare industry was directed towards women’s health in 2020 according to Pitchbook Inc. Similarly, only 2.3% of venture capital was invested in female-led companies last year, even though female-led teams generate a 35% higher ROI than all-male teams.

“Men still represent approximately 85% of the investment partners at venture capital firms,” Greub summarized, “and many of them are missing out on great investment opportunities when they underinvest in women’s health and female entrepreneurs.”

Avestria closed Fund I to new investors due to the June 16^th acquisition of its portfolio company Alydia Health for up to $240M by Organon (NYSE: OGN), a global women’s health company. Uqora, a second Avestria portfolio company, was acquired on July 1^st by Pharmavite for an undisclosed amount.

“We believe that both of our focus areas – women’s health and female-led life science companies – are ripe for innovation,” Greub concludes. “And the two exits we’ve already had indicate that strategic investors are beginning to draw the same conclusion.”

About Avestria:

Avestria Ventures was launched in 2019 to invest in early-stage women’s health and female-founded life science ventures. Its co-founders each bring 30+ years of healthcare investment and operating expertise, as well as their extensive life science industry networks, to the firm.

Avestria invests in life science companies that have products or services which address unmet needs, improve healthcare quality and/or access, maintain or lower costs, and induce clinical or behavioral change. You can learn more about Avestria, its team, and its portfolio companies via the firm’s blog, website, LinkedIn, or Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210826005196/en/

Eva Epker

Director of Marketing, Avestria Ventures

eva@avestria.vc

413-648-7668

Source: Avestria Ventures

FAQ

What is Avestria Ventures Fund I?

Avestria Ventures Fund I is a venture capital fund focused on investing in early-stage women’s health and female-led life sciences companies.

How much did Organon pay for Alydia Health?

Organon acquired Alydia Health for up to $240 million.

What percentage of venture capital was invested in women's health in 2020?

Less than 1% of venture capital was directed towards women's health in 2020.

Who are the founders of Avestria Ventures?

Avestria Ventures was founded by Linda Greub and Corinne Nevinny, both with extensive experience in life sciences.

What impact does Avestria Ventures aim to have on women's health?

Avestria Ventures aims to improve healthcare quality and access for women by investing in innovative solutions and services.