F-Prime Capital’s Post

Introducing “Pioneering Progress”, a new series showcasing the success stories behind some of the 33 innovative drugs and products approved from our portfolio companies, including F-Prime Capital's contributions in support of advancing groundbreaking science and transforming patient care. In the inaugural article for our new series, we share the path towards commercialization for FARAPULSE, a pulsed field ablation (PFA) system that’s revolutionizing atrial fibrillation (AF) treatment. With AF being the most common irregular heartbeat globally, FARAPULSE is making significant strides by offering patients a safer and more precise treatment option. To read “Pioneering Progress: The FARAPULSE Story”, please check out our LinkedIn article below or visit the link in comments. Robert Weisskoff, Ph.D. │ Kevin Chu #healthcare #innovation #afib #atrialfibrillation Boston Scientific

This summer, we welcomed Yehui Sun, a fourth-year PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at UT Southwestern Medical Center, to our internship/fellowship program. Originally from Shanghai, China, Yehui appreciated our collaborative environment and gained fresh insights into the biotech and pharma ecosystem. Read her Q&A below to learn more about her time with us. Q: How did you learn about F-Prime, and why did you decide to join as an intern/fellow? A: I learned about F-Prime summer fellowship opportunities through LinkedIn and joined F-Prime as a summer fellow due to my interest in exploring alternative career paths after graduation, as well as my enthusiasm for gene editing and drug delivery. F-Prime has a remarkable portfolio of companies focused on addressing clinical unmet needs with these technologies. I also joined to gain insight into VC's perspective on the future of next-generation therapies. Q: Briefly describe the work you've done during your time here. Which parts of the job did you enjoy most, and why? A: I had a great time in all the activities: working on my summer project on China asset landscaping, participating in introductory calls and KOL calls, assisting due diligence on opportunities of interest. The part I appreciated most was the debrief after intro calls, where I learned about the investor perspective on evaluating a company. One important skill I have developed during my time at F-Prime is the ability to keep an open perspective beyond my research expertise, which is crucial for minimizing information gaps and identifying exciting research and deal opportunities. #venturecapital #internship #fellowship

Last year, #Science2Startup brought together academic researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and venture capitalists for a dynamic exchange of ideas. The symposium showcased eight exceptional scientists from leading global research institutions, all working on pioneering advancements in science.    To learn more about the event or to get involved for our 2025 event this May, please email us at info@science2startup.com or visit www.science2startup.com. #biotech #pharma #startup 

Last week we hosted workshops on AI in Medicine and Post-Acute Infection Syndromes (PAIS) in Newport, Rhode Island.   Our AI in Medicine Workshop united leaders in the healthcare AI space to discuss major advancements and insights on opportunities for implementation. Later that week, we held our PAIS Workshop, gathering academic and industry experts, who shared recent findings and key takeaways on the challenges and breakthroughs in post-acute infection syndromes.   Thank you to everyone who joined us at our workshops and for your continued efforts to advance knowledge on post-acute infection syndromes and the role of AI in medicine.   #healthcare #AI #medicine #HealthTech #PAIS 

Alyssa Weninger is a Boston local in the first year of her neuroscience PhD program at Harvard University. She joined us as part of F-Prime’s summer interns and fellows cohort this year, and shared the following insights about her experience. Q: Why did you decide to join F-Prime for the summer, and what did you work on?  A: I wanted to explore a career option in the biotech industry for after I finish my PhD. I did a landscaping of Th2 immunity in the central nervous system, attended many intro calls, helped diligence companies of interest, and presented to the team on certain companies or spaces of interest. Q: What surprised you most about working in VC, and how has our Summer Intern/Fellows Program helped to crystallize your vision for your post-college career? A: I didn’t have many expectations going in, so nothing surprised me necessarily. However, it introduced me to new concepts in the business world and how to approach those problems. I really like this line of work, but I still want to keep an open mind going forward. 

Jiaying Chen is a sixth-year PhD candidate from Hangzhou, China, studying genetics at Yale, and joined F-Prime as one of our summer Fellows and Interns. Her go-to lunch option in Cambridge during her time here was Tatte (where else?), and she enjoyed kayaking on the Charles River, watching Fourth of July fireworks, and exploring the Boston food scene. We caught up to reflect on the work she did with us over the summer. Q: What did you work on while you were at F-Prime? A: I primarily worked on a landscaping project where I compiled bispecific assets in development for inflammation and immunology, and identified several promising lead assets for potential investment opportunities. Additionally, I contributed to the scientific due diligence of ongoing deals, led several interviews with key opinion leaders (KOL), and participated in introductory calls with prospective biotech companies. I truly enjoyed the process of identifying the “gold” among the vast assets in development through scientific due diligence and KOL interviews. It was incredibly rewarding to see how my efforts in scientific due diligence contributed to an investment decision. Q: What surprised you most about working in venture capital?  A: The most surprising aspect of biotech venture capital that I experienced during this fellowship is the breadth and depth of science involved in due diligence, as well as how collaborative the process is for biotech investment and company formation. Q: Have your career aspirations changed as a result of this experience? A: This fellowship has reinforced my career aspiration to become a biotech investor. Seeing the promising clinical outcomes of next-generation drugs in development during my fellowship has deepened my conviction in the importance of supporting companies that are creating novel therapeutics for diseases with high unmet needs.

Carlson Mummert is a Masters of Science in Technology Management candidate at Columbia University, originally from Munich, Germany. He found out about F-Prime after Abdul Abdirahman spoke at a Columbia panel on entrepreneurship and the state of startups and venture, and joined our 2024 Summer Fellowship Program as a venture fellow. He's pictured below with the tech team on Boston Harbor. During his time in the Boston area, Carlson enjoyed hiking and swimming at Morse Pond, and spotted five humpback whales on a whale watching trip! Q: What kind of work did you do at F-Prime? A: I rotated between the fintech and crypto/web3 teams. For the fintech team, I assisted in a research project on the impact of AI on various banking functions and updated the F-Prime Fintech Index based on FY24 business performance to date. On the crypto/web3 team, I supported the diligence of ongoing deals and led the formation of an investment thesis into the relatively nascent DePIN sector. I enjoyed the variety of job content and the ability to introduce and follow-up on new ideas. Q: How has the summer internship/fellowship program helped to crystallize your vision for your post-college career? A: The bird’s eye view that VC provides allowed me to establish a comprehensive landscape of the different types of problems founders are trying to solve and how I can provide the most value. The sheer number of companies you screen and conduct diligence on before deciding whether to invest was the most surprising part of working in venture capital. Q: Have your career aspirations changed as a result of this experience? A: This internship solidified my aspiration to work within venture capital, because of the dynamic nature of the industry, the intellectual challenge of assessing companies and management teams and the innovative approaches founders are taking to solve complex challenges. I’m looking forward to applying my Masters education to invest in and support entrepreneurs in the tech sector.

Congratulations, Nate Holiday and Scott Dykstra on Space and Time's $20M raise! We're excited to partner with you on this mission to bring the immutability of blockchain to AI applications. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gx_ga_3A