Investment Pillar: Healthcare
Venture Equity Financing for Advancing Healthcare Companies
Healthcare investment is part of our DNA here at OneVentures. Our first fund, our first investment, our first exit and our first investor returns came from OneVentures’ Partners wanting to improve the quality of life of people around the world, while generating strong returns for our investors. Now, we have even stronger ambitions to accelerate the healthcare companies of tomorrow.
We are interested in transformative technology that will deliver best-in-class patient outcomes with global reach and impact.
Healthcare Investment Cases
Testimonials
David Hoey
CEO, Vaxxas
OneVentures have been terrific to work with as a lead investor, but it’s what they add in addition to investment that has been critical to Vaxxas’ growth.
Working with the OneVentures team has translated into sharpening all aspects of our development and commercialisation strategy and actively helped us forge connections and partners with industry.
Daniel Timms
Founder & CTO, BiVACOR
OneVentures are a unique, one-of-a-kind investor in the venture capital world. Their unyielding support has allowed our organisation to pursue our dream of developing a practical replacement to the failing human heart. Without the OneVentures team, we would not be where we are today!
Wendye Robbins
CEO, Blade Therapeutics
OneVentures is a true value-add investor with deep connections to academic institutions and opinion leaders. They led Blade Therapeutics‘ Series C round, and it has been a pleasure to build the company with the support of Paul, Sarah, Michelle and their LPs.
Healthcare Investment Team
Dr Paul Kelly
Founding Partner & Director
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Paul is a Founding Partner of OneVentures, leading the Healthcare and Biotechnology practice. He serves as Fund Lead and Chair of the Investment Committee for Healthcare Fund III and is a voting member of the Investment Committees for Funds I, II, III and V.
With over 30 years of experience in biomedical innovation, Paul provides strategic guidance to portfolio companies. He is Chair of Vaxxas and a Non-Executive Director for BiVACOR and Prota Therapeutics. Previously, he served on the boards of Hatchtech (Chair, licensed to NYSE: DRL), CharmHealth (acquired by ASX: CGL), Clinical Genomics (Enterix acquired by 3TM), Blade and Find Me.
As co-founder of Gemini Genomics (Nasdaq: GMNI), he led one of the UK’s largest biotech IPOs (US$250M valuation) before its merger with Sequenom (Nasdaq: SQNM). Earlier in his career, he co-founded Agamatrix, a bio-sensing medical device company operating in the US and Southeast Asia as well as Atomera (Nasdaq: ATMR). As CEO of Orchid Cellmark (Nasdaq: ORCH), he drove a tenfold valuation increase and significant revenue growth.
Paul began his career as a researcher and endocrinologist at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney before transitioning into biotechnology. In the US, he held executive roles in leading biotech and medical companies driving the growth of several industry leaders.
He has authored over 100 publications in leading journals and is a Non-Executive Director at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, a member of the UNSW Medicine Dean’s Advisory Group and serves on the Advisory Board of the Australian Government’s Australia’s Economic Accelerator (AEA) program.
Paul holds medical degrees from UNSW and is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
| MBBS(Hons), MD, FRACP
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
29 November 2023
US FDA Grants the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart IDE Approval for First-in-Human Early Feasibility Study
Media Release
18 June 2023
Vaxxas opens world-class manufacturing facility to produce needle-free vaccine patch
News, Announcement
07 October 2021
Blade Therapeutics Announces Publication of Preclinical Evidence Supporting Neuroprotective Effects of Proprietary Calpain Inhibitor
Media Release
02 June 2021
Vaxxas Preclinical Studies Reveal Potential of Vaxxas’ HD-MAP to Effectively Deliver SARS-CoV-2 Spike Vaccine
News, Media Release
Anne-Marie Birkill
Co-Founder, Venture Partner & Director
| Location: Brisbane, AU
Anne-Marie is a Co-Founder of OneVentures and serves as a Director on the OneVentures Board, Responsible Manager and member of the Risk Committee. She is a voting member of the Investment Committees for Funds I, II and III.
She is a Director for OneVentures portfolio company Madorra and previously chaired the CharmHealth board, leading its acquisition by the Citadel Group in 2017 (ASX: CGL).
With 25 years in product development and commercialisation and 15 years in funds management, Anne-Marie has held significant leadership roles, including CEO of i.lab Incubator and General Manager Operations at UniQuest. She is deeply engaged with industry, universities and government, fostering scientific innovation and commercial success.
A champion for diversity, she co-founded Women in Biotechnology (which later merged into Women in Technology), served on the board of Springboard Enterprises and mentors entrepreneurs, scientists and emerging leaders in venture capital.
Anne-Marie is a Director for InterFinancial, ASX-listed PPK Group (ASX: PPK) and UniQuest. She chairs the Project Investment Committee and is a member of the Industry Steering Committee for the University of Queensland-led Trailblazer Food and Beverage Accelerator.
Holding a Bachelor of Science (Hons), an MBA and PS146 accreditation, she is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD), a Registered Technology Transfer Professional (RTTP) and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE).
| BSc(Hons), MBA, GAICD
Portfolio Board Roles
In the news
06 November 2019
iStaySafe Acquires Find-Me Technologies, Strengthens position in the IoT Industry
Media Release
16 September 2018
VC-backed women’s health company Madorra to begin clinical trials in Australia
Media Release
13 August 2018
OneVentures invests in regional Queensland company developing treatments for autoimmune diseases
Media Release
Sarah Meibusch
Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Brisbane, AU
Sarah is a Partner at OneVentures, focused on sourcing and supporting life sciences companies developing transformative technologies with global potential.
She currently serves as Chair of Axial Therapeutics, a Board Member for Kira Biotech and an Alternate Board Member and Observer for Vaxxas, Clinical Genomics and Prota Therapeutics.
Sarah brings over 20 years of enterprise-level leadership experience across the life sciences ecosystem, from agriculture to healthcare. Her career spans start-ups, private and public companies (ASX- and NASDAQ-listed), multinational pharma, and university research organisations. She has a strong track record in deal-making, from early-stage investments and university collaborations to major pharma transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Prior to joining OneVentures, Sarah held roles in business development and commercial strategy in Australia and the United States, combining deep scientific expertise with commercial acumen to drive innovation to market.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with First Class Honours from the University of Queensland and a Master’s in Genomics from Cornell University. She has post-graduate training in negotiation from Harvard and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). She is also a member of the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Commercial Advisory Board and the AusBiotech Investment Advisory Group.
| BAgrSc(Hons), M.P.S, GAICD
Portfolio Board Roles
Dr Jeannie Joughin
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Melbourne, AU
Jeannie is a Venture Partner at OneVentures, supporting healthcare portfolio company operations and strategic initiatives.
She serves on the board of ImmVirX (deal lead), BiVACOR Pty Ltd, BiVACOR Australia and Hatchtech, and has previously held board roles with BiVACOR Inc (as Chair and Director).
A biopharmaceutical and medical device leader with 20+ years of global experience, Jeannie has held senior executive and advisory roles in Australia and the US. Her expertise includes business development, strategic partnerships, and operational leadership across research, clinical trials, and commercial management.
In the US, she led global business development, licensing medical device technologies to major pharmaceutical companies and securing milestone and royalty payments. Her career includes roles with organisations such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Mayne Pharma, CSL, and Enable Injections.
Jeannie holds a PhD and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Immunology from Monash University and a Diploma of Marketing from the Melbourne Business School. She currently serves as a Non-Executive Director for ASX-NASDAQ listed Immuron and ASX-listed Argenica.
| BSc(Hons), PhD
John Westwater
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
John is a Venture Partner at OneVentures supporting the Healthcare team and portfolio companies with strategic guidance and operational expertise.
He has over 20 years of global experience in life sciences spanning operational leadership, venture capital and investment banking.
Previously, John was CFO of Elastagen, an Australian medical device company, where he led fundraising. He also played a key role in the international expansion of the company’s clinical studies in the UK and in the company’s acquisition by Allergan. Elastagen was recognised as the Australian Investment Council’s Best Venture Capital Investment of 2018. Post-acquisition he oversaw the integration of Elastagen’s clinical programs as Director of R&D and later as a consultant.
Prior to his tenure at Elastagen, John spent eight years at Nomura Phase4 Ventures in London investing in early to mid-stage life science companies across the US and Europe. He began his career at Morgan Stanley advising healthcare multinationals on capital raising, divestitures and acquisitions.
John holds a PhD and a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry from Heriot-Watt University, completing the first year of his PhD at Dundee University. He is a recipient of the Watt Club Medal.
| BSc(Hons), PhD
Kip Dudegon
Investment Director
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Kip is an Investment Director within our healthcare team, bringing over 20 years of global experience at the intersection of biotech, pharmaceuticals and healthcare innovation.
He supports portfolio companies with commercial strategy, product development and investment planning, drawing on leadership roles across Australia, Germany and Switzerland in both operational and investment settings.
Before joining OneVentures, Kip was based in Switzerland as Senior Director of Global Commercial Brand Strategy and Marketing at Sandoz (a division of Novartis), where he led global biosimilar strategy across the US, EU and international markets. He previously held the role of Director of Global New Products in Germany, where he developed launch strategies for early stage biosimilars, including the world’s first for multiple sclerosis (natalizumab).
Earlier in his career, Kip was Head of Healthcare and Senior Investment Analyst at Magellan Financial Group in Australia, leading the firm’s healthcare sector coverage across global pharmaceutical and biotech companies. He also held commercial operations and corporate development roles at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research and worked in therapeutic antibody development at early-stage biotech companies.
Kip holds a PhD from UNSW Australia, focused on therapeutic antibody technologies, and his work has been recognised through numerous publications and patents.
| BSc(Hons), PhD (Biotech/Med)
Dr Lu Li
Investment Analyst
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Lu focuses on healthcare investments, supporting the team with deal sourcing and screening, due diligence and investment monitoring.
She draws on her expertise in equity research and biomedical sciences to inform investment decisions and drive deal-term negotiations.
Before joining OneVentures, Lu interned as Biotech Equity Research analyst at CITIC Securities and worked as a scientific writer and technical consultant at DeepTech, covering biotech startups and advancements in biomedical research. She brings over seven years of academic research experience in biomedical sciences with a strong technical background in R&D.
Lu holds a Ph.D. in Pathobiology from the University of Connecticut where her research focused on infectious disease pathogenesis. She has completed Level 2 of the CFA program.
| PhD, Pathobiology
Criteria for Entrepreneurs
To fit our mandate, your company must be:
- Developing products or technologies that are first or best in class
- Innovative solutions that meet a large unmet medical need
- Clinical stage or less than a year from first in-human studies
- Privately owned and unlisted
Funds allocated
Healthcare Fund III
We invest in entrepeneurs and technologies that have the potential transform healthcare and health outcomes globally with a focus on therapeutics, devices and diagnostics at or near clinical development. Our healthcare team look to partner with founders and CEOs who have a clear commercial, regulatory and reimbursement pathway, who have strong ESG principles as a foundation of their business.
Licenced under the Commonwealth Government’s Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF) programme, the fund targets investments of $10 to $20 million per company in Australian domiciled companies. The OneVentures team provides support to drive these opportunities through the clinical, regulatory and reimbursement processes to achieve prominence in global markets.
Key Features
Funds Allocated
Innovation & Growth Fund II
The capital for this Fund has been fully deployed.
The Fund invested in early and later stage technology and healthcare companies seeking growth and development capital including for offshore expansion – particularly those with a strong product market fit and a clear path to revenue.
Funds Allocated
Innovation Fund I
The capital for this fund has been fully deployed.
Backed by the Commonwealth Government’s Innovation Investment Fund programme, the fund invested in early-stage Seed and Series A technology and healthcare companies.
Investment process
A pathway to partnership.
01. Apply
Do you believe your company is a good fit to our investment mandate?
We’re excited to learn more about your business and what you are building. Apply now, and one of our team will be in contact.
Apply for
Clinical Healthcare Investment
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