OneVentures expands team to internationalise its healthcare portfolio

John Westwater and Kelly Constable join OneVentures to drive commercial success and bring international networks and expertise to its healthcare team

OneVentures, an Australian venture capital firm which invests in innovative healthcare and technology companies solving global problems, has appointed John Westwater and Kelly Constable to its Healthcare team. Dr Westwater and Ms Constable will help drive growth across the OneVentures healthcare sector portfolio and provide insight and access to their extensive networks in the healthcare ecosystem in Australia, the US and Europe.

OneVentures launched its $170M Healthcare Fund III (the Fund) in December 2016. A licensee of the Australian Government Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF), the Fund is investing $10-20 million in companies commercialising medical devices, drugs in clinical development or diagnostics. The Fund has currently invested in five healthcare sector companies including Kira Biotech, developing novel antibody treatment to induce immune tolerance for autoimmune and other disorders, Blade Therapeutics, a company developing small molecule drugs for the treatment of fibrosis, and BiVACOR, creators of the first Total Artificial Heart for replacement of a patient’s failing heart.

Dr Paul Kelly, Managing Partner at OneVentures said “We are excited to have John and Kelly bring their experience and expertise to OneVentures.  Biomedical and Healthcare innovation is moving at a rapid pace and both bring their respective and specific backgrounds to OneVentures as we continue to focus on commercialising Australia’s exceptional medical innovations globally, especially as technology and healthcare innovation are integrating at a dramatic rate”

Dr John Westwater joined OneVentures as Principal in April 2020.

Dr Westwater brings almost 20 years’ global life science experience across operational, venture capital and investment banking roles, having most recently held the role of CFO of Elastagen, an innovative Australian medical device company, until it was sold to Allergan, a global medical aesthetics and pharmaceutical company. The deal was recognised by the AIC as the Best Venture Capital Investment of 2018. Post-closing, John transitioned to Director, R&D within Allergan to oversee the integration of Elastagen’s clinical programs. During his tenure at Elastagen and Allergan, John had responsibilities across finance, corporate development and clinical functions, and was intimately involved in internationalizing the business through to its successful exit. Prior to Elastagen, Dr Westwater was a Principal at Nomura Phase4 Ventures in London, investing in early stage life sciences companies primarily in the US and Europe. He started his career in investment banking with Morgan Stanley where he spent over four years advising a range of healthcare companies on various capital raisings, divestitures and acquisitions. Dr Westwater holds a PhD in Biochemistry (Heriot Watt University) in the UK.

Ms Kelly Constable joined OneVentures as Venture Partner in May 2020, also serving as the firm’s Director on the Board of Prota Therapeutics, and member of the Advisory Committee for the Fund, focusing on internationalising existing portfolio companies and identifying new opportunities.

Ms Constable brings over 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector, with a track record of driving value in biotech organizations and providing strategic direction on startup Boards and teams, including eight years of expertise leading breakthrough digital applications in precision medicine in the US and EU. Ms Constable currently holds the position of Co-Founder and CEO of AULUS Partners and is the Chief Strategy Officer for Omico, a precision oncology clinical trials platform. Ms Constable also serves on the Board of Directors for Oculo and ANDHealth and is an expert advisor and commercial lead to NSW Health Gene Therapy and Manufacturing Initiative and the Investment Committee of the NSW Medical Device Fund. Prior to this, she was responsible for sales and marketing across general medicine and specialty therapeutics at Abbott Labs. In 2006, Ms Constable joined Amgen, a world leader in biotechnology, where she led the launch of the Sureclick autoinjector, repositioned Aranesp after an FDA label change and led the US launch strategy for Prolia in osteoporosis, each of which are >$1B annual sales products. During her tenure at Amgen, Ms Constable also created the first dedicated US innovation unit, where she led and negotiated Amgen’s first technical alliance with GE Healthcare and through this strategic partnership, developed and launched the first point of care software algorithm in osteoporosis, deployed initially in the US and now globally. Ms Constable also co-founded Amgen’s first precision oncology initiative as a start-up and served as the expert advisor in digital health to Amgen Ventures, the company’s Corporate Venture Fund, reviewing opportunities and participating in funding transactions.

Dr Westwater said, “I am delighted to join the OneVentures healthcare team and in particular the opportunity to support emerging life science companies on their journeys to becoming Australia’s next wave of success stories”.

Ms Constable said, “I have great respect for the OneVentures approach to healthcare investing in Australia and the vital role this plays in accelerating life sciences technologies for patients. There is no doubt healthcare investing will be an increasingly important national endeavour for Australia in the post-Covid19 world. I look forward to contributing to OneVentures’ portfolio architecture and execution and supporting Australia’s entrepreneurs.”

OneVentures is delighted to welcome Dr Westwater and Ms Constable and looks forward to the significant value they will add to its healthcare portfolio.

About OneVentures

OneVentures is one of Australia’s leading venture capital firms, with over $400M in funds under management. But we do more than invest. We take companies to that all important next stage, by actively shaping their future. We apply our years of international experience, operational and executional expertise to accelerate the growth of our portfolio companies.

A global growth focus drives our investment selection with our current portfolio including companies with truly innovative products tackling multi-billion-dollar problems, from needle-free vaccinations to virtual communications to adaptive e-learning.

Game changers, that deliver lasting gains.

Learn more at www.one-ventures.com.

About OneVentures Healthcare Fund III

In December 2016 OneVentures launched its $170M Healthcare Fund III, a licensee of the Australian Government Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF*). This Fund invests in therapeutics, devices and diagnostics at or near clinical development with a clear commercial, regulatory and reimbursement pathway; and well-defined value inflection and exit points on deal entry.

The Fund will invest $10 to $20 million per company in Australian domiciled companies. The OneVentures team will provide support to drive these opportunities through the clinical, regulatory and reimbursement processes to achieve prominence in global markets.

Learn more at www.one-ventures.com.au/funds