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
David Hoey
Strategic Advisor, Founding 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
Sarah Meibusch
Partner, Head of Healthcare
| Healthcare
| Location: Brisbane, AU
Sarah heads the healthcare pillar at OneVentures, focused on sourcing and supporting life sciences companies developing transformative technologies with global potential.
She currently serves as Chair of Vaxxas and Axial Therapeutics, a Board Member for Kira Biotech and an Alternate Board Member and Observer for 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), MPS, GAICD
Portfolio Board Roles
Dr Paul Kelly
Co-Founder & Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Paul is a Co-Founder & Venture Partner at OneVentures, focusing on the Healthcare and Biotechnology practice. He serves on the Investment Committees for Fund I, Fund II and Fund III.
With over 30 years of experience in biomedical innovation, Paul provides strategic guidance to portfolio companies. He is a Non-Executive Director for BiVACOR. Previously, he served on the boards of Vaxxas (Chair), Hatchtech (Chair, licensed to NYSE:DRL), CharmHealth (acquired by ASX:CGL), Clinical Genomics (Enterix acquired by 3TM), Blade, Prota Therapeutics and Find Me.
As Co-Founder of Gemini Genomics (NASDAQ:GMNI), he led their IPO (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
01 April 2025
OneVentures-backed artificial heart start-up rattles the tin for $100m
Healthcare, News
29 November 2023
US FDA Grants the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart IDE Approval for First-in-Human Early Feasibility Study
Healthcare, News
18 June 2023
Vaxxas opens world-class manufacturing facility to produce needle-free vaccine patch
Healthcare, News
10 November 2021
Vaxxas recognised in the Top 10 healthcare startups in Australia, 2021
OneVentures, News
07 October 2021
Blade Therapeutics Announces Publication of Preclinical Evidence Supporting Neuroprotective Effects of Proprietary Calpain Inhibitor
OneVentures
Dr Kip Dudgeon
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 Associate
| 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
Dr Evie Deaker
Investment Analyst
| Healthcare
| Location: Sydney, AU
Evie is a biomedical engineer with a background in design processes, experimental testing and framework development for medical devices and robotic systems.
She is motivated to help shape the future of healthcare to improve global wellbeing and access to high quality technologies and services.
Evie secured her Ph.D. in 2025 at the University of Sydney focusing on her research in the safety of robotics for healthcare, specifically its potential application for dental procedures. Prior to this, Evie worked with startups and technical laboratories in early-stage design and testing.
| PhD, Biomedical Engineering
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
Dr Dan Baker
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: United States
Dan Baker received his B.A. in Biology from Gettysburg College and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his medical residency at Hershey Medical Center and fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by a research fellowship in Rheumatology at Mass General Hospital. He continued on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania for 18 years before joining Janssen/Centocor in 2000.
As Vice President Immunology R&D at Janssen, his responsibilities included the clinical development of Remicade, SIMPONI and STELARA as well as other programs in rheumatology, and dermatology. As Disease Area Stronghold Leader he was responsible for Phase II & III clinical development plans for rheumatology products was responsible for the overall strategy on portfolio in rheumatology/immunology.
He has authored multiple publications in the field of immunology and has served a co-Lead of RTCure which is an academic/industry collaboration that is sponsored by IMI2 and is searching for tolerogenic therapies for rheumatoid arthritis.
After his retirement from Janssen in 2019 he has been active in continuing to be involved in bringing therapies to patients by providing scientific advice to drug development organisations. He has taken on the role of CEO of Kira Biotech which is an emerging Australian biotech company targeting treatment of immune system disorders with novel immunomodulatory drugs.
| BSc (Biology), MD (Rheumatology)
Portfolio Board Roles
Jim Scopa
Venture Partner
| Healthcare
| Location: United States
Jim is a Venture Partner at OneVentures, serving on the investment committee of Healthcare Fund III, a board member of BiVACOR, and an advisor to the healthcare team.
An experienced venture capitalist and former healthcare investment banker, Jim brings expertise in the biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics sectors of life sciences.
He served as a Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee from 2005-2017 at MPM Capital, a US$2.6 billion global venture fund focused on early-stage life sciences. He has 18 years of experience in healthcare investment banking, advising emerging growth companies on financings and strategic transactions as a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and Thomas Weisel Partners.
Jim has served on the boards of DICE Pharmaceuticals (sold to Eli Lilly for $2.4 billion in 2023), Semma Pharmaceuticals (sold to Vertex for $950 million in 2019), and True North Therapeutics (sold to Bioverativ for $825 million in 2017).
He was appointed a Fellow at the Distinguished Career Institute at Stanford for 2017–2018. He holds an MBA, JD (Harvard).
| MBA, JD (Harvard)
Portfolio Board Roles
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

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
Key Features
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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