4BIO Capital

What 4BIO Capital does

4BIO Capital is a London-based venture capital firm, operating as 4BIO Partners LLP, focused exclusively on early-stage advanced therapy companies addressing high unmet medical need. Founded circa 2015 and authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (Reference 842764), the firm invests across cell therapy, gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome, with offices in London, Boston, and Tokyo. It runs a series of flagship venture funds (4BIO Ventures II, III, and the in-registration Ventures IV), targeting $200-300 million for Ventures III, and acts as advisor to EGLSF I and as specialized asset manager for Harbor Capital Advisors' Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO). The firm combines LP fundraising from institutional, sovereign (DBJ), strategic corporate (Kyowa Kirin), and university (NUS) investors with company creation from academic science (Trogenix from the University of Edinburgh; Hornet Therapeutics in partnership with Kyowa Kirin).

The firm's underlying technology stack centres on Insig AI's proprietary machine learning classifiers that continuously analyse up to 32 million medical publications to surface advanced-therapy investment opportunities, supplemented by an in-house systematic review of 149 AAV gene therapy clinical trials published in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. Its deal team includes scientific staff with collectively more than 250 publications in Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine, plus an advisory board of field-defining academics (UCL, UPenn, Keio, Sydney) and pharma operators (ex-Vifor, ex-GSK, ex-Takeda). Notable portfolio events include the Araris Biotech acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical for up to USD 1.14 billion (March 2025), Redpin Therapeutics acquired by Kriya Therapeutics (2022), and Carisma Therapeutics' merger with Sesen Bio (2022).

4BIO's business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) management fees on the Ventures fund family and the EGLSF I advisory mandate; (2) carried interest on exits, demonstrated by the Araris/Taiho transaction returning over two times the fund to Ventures II LPs; and (3) asset-management fees on the Harbor INNO ETF sleeve. Pricing of fund terms, management fees, and carried interest is not publicly disclosed, and the firm does not publish revenue figures. Geographic expansion has been deliberate, with Japan anchored through the Kyowa Kirin partnership, the AMED certification as the first UK VC so accredited (November 2024), and DBJ's first UK life-sciences fund investment into Ventures III (January 2024), and Asia broadened through selection into the National University of Singapore's S$150 million Venture Capital Programme (July 2025).

Name

4BIO Capital

Legal name

4BIO Partners LLP

Website

https://4biocapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

4BIO Capital is a London-based VC firm investing exclusively in early-stage advanced therapy companies developing cell, gene, RNA-based, targeted, and microbiome therapeutics, operating funds II, III, and IV globally from London, Boston, and Tokyo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Life Sciences Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Institutional Capital Introduction (LP/Family Office/Endowment Matching) (FSAEALAI)

Keywords

• Venture capital
• Life sciences investing
• Advanced therapy funds
• Biotech venture capital
• Cell gene therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Fund management and advisory fees: 4BIO Capital acts as advisor to specialized life sciences funds (e.g., EGLSF I) and operates its own venture capital fund series (Ventures II, III, IV) generating recurring management fees on assets under management. The firm is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA Reference Number 842764) as 4BIO Partners LLP.
2. Carried interest / fund performance returns: 4BIO Capital earns carried interest on exits from portfolio company investments. The Araris Biotech acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical for up to USD 1.14 billion had the potential to return over two times the fund to 4BIO Ventures II investors. The firm is targeting $200-300M for 4BIO Ventures III final close.
3. ETF asset management mandate: 4BIO Capital is appointed as a highly specialized asset manager for Harbor Capital Advisors' Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO), managing an allocation within the multi-strategy ETF that invests solely within the advanced therapies sector. The mutual fund counterpart Harbor Disruptive Innovation Fund had $321M AUM as of 31 November 2021.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

4BIO Capital is a London-based specialist venture capital firm that invests in, builds, and supports early-stage advanced therapy companies developing cell, gene, RNA-based, targeted, and microbiome therapeutics. The firm deploys capital through its flagship 4BIO Ventures fund series (II, III, IV), advises the EG Life Sciences Fund I (EGLSF I), and serves as specialized asset manager for Harbor Capital Advisors' Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO), providing institutional, strategic, and public-market investors with concentrated exposure to advanced therapies while offering portfolio companies capital, scientific guidance, board support, and pharma partnership facilitation.

Product overview

4BIO Capital operates as a single, specialised venture capital firm rather than a multi-product technology platform, offering a family of related fund products plus third-party mandates unified around one investment thesis: advanced therapies. Its core offering consists of the flagship 4BIO Ventures series (4BIO Ventures II, 4BIO Ventures III, and 4BIO Ventures IV), which deploy LP capital into early- and growth-stage cell therapy, gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapy, and microbiome companies. Alongside these flagship venture funds, the firm acts as investment advisor to EG Life Sciences Fund I (EGLSF 1) and as specialized asset manager for the Harbor Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO) via its partnership with Harbor Capital Advisors, extending its advanced therapies thesis into external mandates and public-market exposure. The architecture is therefore a "core flagship fund family + advised/managed external mandates" model, with shared research infrastructure (including Insig AI machine learning services for medical literature analysis) supporting portfolio construction across all products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 4BIO Ventures II Second flagship venture capital fund of 4BIO Capital, deploying capital into early-stage advanced therapy companies developing cell, gene, RNA-based, targeted, and microbiome therapeutics. Targeted at institutional, sovereign, and strategic LPs globally and FCA-regulated.
• 4BIO Ventures III Third flagship venture capital fund of 4BIO Capital with cornerstone limited partner commitment from the Development Bank of Japan, focused on early- and growth-stage advanced therapy opportunities globally including cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome.
• 4BIO Ventures IV Fourth flagship venture fund of 4BIO Capital, extending the firm's advanced therapies investment strategy to a new vintage, with GP-side registration on Form 20-2 with the Kanto Local Finance Bureau in Japan.
• EG Life Sciences Fund I (EGLSF 1) Advisory Investment advisory mandate for the EG Life Sciences Fund I, an external life sciences fund for which 4BIO Capital acts as advisor, extending the firm's advanced therapies strategy via a third-party mandate.
• Harbor Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO) Asset Management Specialized asset management mandate for Harbor Capital Advisors' Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO) and its mutual fund counterpart, delivering public-market investors undiluted, concentrated exposure to advanced therapy and gene therapy equities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Araris Biotech acquisition by Taiho Pharmaceutical for up to USD 1.14 billion, with potential to return over two times the fund to 4BIO Ventures II investors
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National University of Singapore (NUS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2025NUS launched a S$150 million Venture Capital Programme in Asia (a first-of-its-kind university-led initiative), comprising S$50 million committed to selected VC firms including Granite Asia and 4BIO Capital over three years, plus S$100 million for an autonomous investment fund. 4BIO is among the inaugural VC firm partners for deep tech start-ups.
• Taiho Pharmaceutical Co., LtdflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Taiho Pharmaceutical agreed to acquire 4BIO portfolio company Araris Biotech AG for up to USD 1.14 billion in March 2025 (USD 400M upfront + up to USD 740M in milestones). The acquisition followed a research collaboration signed in November 2023 and was expected to be completed in the first half of 2025. 4BIO led Araris' Series A in 2022 after first investing seed in 2020. Deal had potential to return over two times the fund to 4BIO Ventures II investors.
• Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2025Portfolio company Araris Biotech AG entered a Research Collaboration and Option to License Agreement with Chugai in January 2025 to generate novel ADCs using Araris' AraLinQ™ linker-conjugation platform. Chugai pays an upfront fee, funds research, and Araris is eligible for potential milestone payments of approximately USD 780 million plus royalties on net sales.
• ICR HealthcareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025ICR Healthcare (+44 (0) 20 3709 5700, [email protected]) handles all press enquiries for 4BIO Capital, providing external PR and media relations support.
• AccessAlpha Worldwide LLCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025AccessAlpha Worldwide LLC (+1 (312) 585 6000, [email protected]) handles North American investor enquiries for 4BIO Capital, serving as a regional investor relations contact for LP outreach in the United States.
• UK Private Capital (BVCA)minorOthers · 1 January 20254BIO Capital is a member of UK Private Capital (the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, BVCA), with the member logo displayed on the website.
• Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 November 20244BIO Capital became the first and only UK-based venture fund certified by AMED under the Drug Discovery Venture Ecosystem Strengthening Project in November 2024. Certification allows the firm to support Japanese life science ventures through AMED's non-dilutive funding model, with backed ventures able to apply for AMED grants of up to twice the investment amount.
• Eli Lilly and CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2024Portfolio company ViaNautis Bio signed a strategic collaboration agreement with Eli Lilly in October 2024 leveraging ViaNautis' polyNaut® platform for precise delivery of genetic cargos. ViaNautis will receive an initial upfront payment, short-term research-based milestones, and future milestone and royalty payments tied to clinical and commercial progression.
• Kriya Therapeutics, Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 November 2022Kriya Therapeutics acquired 4BIO portfolio company Redpin Therapeutics in November 2022, serving as the foundation for Kriya's neurology therapeutic area portfolio with two lead gene therapy programs in epilepsy and trigeminal neuralgia. Redpin's chemogenetics platform uses engineered ion channels responsive to the FDA-approved varenicline. 4BIO had led Redpin's $15.5M Series A in March 2020.
• ModernacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2022Portfolio company Carisma Therapeutics entered a strategic collaboration with Moderna in January 2022 to discover, develop, and commercialize in vivo engineered CAR-M therapeutics for cancer. Carisma received $45M upfront cash plus a $35M Moderna convertible note, plus research funding, milestones, and royalties. Moderna can nominate up to 12 targets.
• Insig AI plccoreTechnology or Integration · 13 December 2021Signed a software service agreement in December 2021 for 4BIO to use Insig AI's proprietary machine learning classifiers to continuously analyze up to 32 million medical publications globally, accelerating discovery of innovative investments in advanced therapy research. Marks Insig AI's first contract outside the financial services industry.
• Harbor Capital AdvisorsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 December 2021Appointed as a highly specialized asset manager for the Harbor Disruptive Innovation ETF (INNO) launched in December 2021. 4BIO manages a dedicated advanced therapies sleeve within the actively managed multi-strategy ETF and mutual fund. This is Harbor's first ever appointment of an advanced therapies focused manager. Mutual fund AUM was $321M as of 31 November 2021.
• Intellia TherapeuticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2021Portfolio company SparingVision entered a strategic collaboration with Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NTLA) in October 2021 to develop novel genomic medicines using CRISPR/Cas9 technology for ocular diseases. Intellia granted SparingVision exclusive rights to its in vivo CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing technology for up to three ocular targets. Intellia received 10% equity stake in SparingVision plus up to $200M per product in milestones and royalties.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Syncona Limited: UK-listed life sciences investment company founded by the Wellcome Trust, focused on building and backing advanced therapy companies across cell, gene and RNA modalities. Most direct UK analogue to 4BIO's specialist advanced-therapy thesis and venture-creation model.
• Abingworth: UK-based life sciences VC investing from seed through growth in therapeutics and medtech. Co-investor in Cytospire's Series A alongside 4BIO; similar cross-Atlantic LP base and stage focus on clinical translation.
• Atlas Venture: Boston/Cambridge-based early-stage life sciences VC with comparable company-creation model (e.g., founding biotechs from academic science) and deep focus on modality-driven therapeutics including cell and gene therapy.
• RA Capital Management: Boston-based life sciences-focused investment manager operating both private crossover/early-stage funds and public-market healthcare funds. Comparable expertise depth in advanced therapies with a similar ability to back companies across private and public stages.
• ARCH Venture Partners: US deep-tech and biotech VC with strong focus on founding and backing platform companies in cell, gene, RNA and emerging therapeutic modalities. Comparable willingness to incubate companies from academic science and to underwrite high-conviction early-stage bets.
• Versant Ventures: Healthcare-dedicated VC with a company-creation engine (e.g., Inception Sciences) and multiple funds covering early-stage biotech and medtech. Comparable stage and sector overlap with 4BIO in cell and gene therapy.
• Hadean Ventures: Oslo-based European life sciences VC investing across Nordic and pan-European biotech and medtech. Co-investor in Actithera alongside 4BIO; comparable stage and therapeutic focus on next-generation modalities.

Broad incumbents

• Sofinnova Partners: Paris-headquartered European life sciences VC with multi-decade track record across biotech, medtech and industrial biotech. Co-investor in Actithera alongside 4BIO; comparable LP base and sector focus but with broader stage and indication coverage.
• Forbion: Dutch-based European life sciences VC with multiple funds covering seed through growth and a strong track record in cell and gene therapy. Comparable stage and sector overlap but broader therapeutic and stage coverage than 4BIO.

Emerging players

• Apollo Therapeutics: UK-based translational science venture formed by AstraZeneca, GSK and the Institute of Cancer Research, backing early-stage therapeutics across multiple modalities including advanced therapies. Comparable UK base and academic-spinout origination model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/4biocapital
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/4bio-capital-partners

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments30 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 4BIO Capital