Menlo Park, CA-based global venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates has promoted two professionals on its healthcare investing team.
In details, Ed Mathers, a healthcare investor focused on biotechnology and specialty pharmaceuticals, was promoted to General Partner. He joined NEA in 2008.
Blake Wu, who currently focuses on investments in the healthcare services, healthcare IT and biopharma sectors and also works closely with NEA’s healthcare growth and public investing practices, was promoted to Partner. He joined the firm in 2014.
Mathers’ investments have led to numerous positive outcomes including Lumena (acquired by Shire), Ziarco (acquired by Novartis), and Motus Therapeutics (acquired by Allergan), among others. He currently serves on the boards of several public companies, including his role as Chairman of the board of directors of Ra Pharmaceuticals, and as a director of Mirum Pharmaceuticals, ObsEva, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Synlogic, and Trevi Therapeutics; he also serves on the boards of private companies: Akouos, Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Curzion Pharmaceuticals, Envisia Therapeutics, Inozyme, Lumos Pharma, Reneo Pharma, Senti Biosciences, and Shape Therapeutics. Prior to joining NEA, Mathers served as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development and Venture, at MedImmune. Before that he was Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Licensing and Acquisitions at Inhale Therapeutic Systems and spent 15 years in marketing and sales roles at Glaxo Wellcome (GlaxoSmithKline). Mathers earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from North Carolina State University.
Wu works closely with many NEA portfolio companies including American Pathology Partners, Bright Health, Radiology Partners, and XOC Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining NEA, he was a member of the private equity group at Ares Management. His earlier work experience includes investment banking at Moelis & Company, where he focused on transactions in healthcare, as well as equity research at Barclays Capital. Wu graduated from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a B.S in economics with concentrations in finance, real estate and management.
FinSMEs
28/10/2019