Cancer Focus Fund
Cancer Focus Fund is an oncology-focused venture capital manager founded in 2019 in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center, investing $4.5M-$5.4M in early- to mid-stage oncology companies and providing clinical trial access through its MD Anderson and academic health system partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersShreveport, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cancer Focus Fund does
Cancer Focus Fund is an oncology-specialist venture capital manager founded in 2019 in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center. The firm invests in early- to mid-stage private oncology companies developing novel therapies, with a particular emphasis on assets that can be advanced through clinical trials via the MD Anderson network. Portfolio construction is anchored by a right of first offer on certain pre-IND and IND-stage oncology assets originating at MD Anderson, providing privileged deal flow into a tightly held institutional pipeline.
The fund invests across modalities including cell therapy, immunotherapy, targeted oncology, and computational biology-enabled drug discovery, with current portfolio companies including Nectin, Eisbach, ISA, KAHR, Mereo, March Biosciences, ImmunoGenesis, and Starget. Typical check sizes are $4.5M-$5.4M, consistent with a focused early- to mid-stage strategy. The clinical execution layer is supported by partnerships beyond MD Anderson, including Ochsner Health and LSU Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, with operational presence in Houston, TX (Texas Medical Center) and Shreveport, LA.
The business model is a conventional venture capital limited partnership structure. Fund I closed at $50M+ of committed capital, and Fund II was approved in May 2025. Revenue is generated through standard management fees on committed capital and, over time, carried interest on realizations. The firm's Scientific Advisory Committee was expanded in 2025 with the addition of David R. Epstein (former Seagen CEO) and Michael Margolis (Oppenheimer), strengthening pharma development and capital-markets advisory capability. The fund operates with a small core team (1-10 employees) under Managing Partner Ross Barrett.
Cancer Focus Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cancer Focus Fund
- Legal name
- Cancer Focus Fund, LP
- Website
- https://cancerfocusfund.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cancer Focus Fund is an oncology-focused venture capital manager founded in 2019 in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center, investing $4.5M-$5.4M in early- to mid-stage oncology companies and providing clinical trial access through its MD Anderson and academic health system partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cancer Focus Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oncology Venture Capital Investment
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)
Keywords
Where Cancer Focus Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shreveport
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cancer Focus Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Equity Investment Returns: Cancer Focus Fund invests in early-to-mid-stage oncology companies in exchange for equity. Returns are generated through equity appreciation, licensing deals, acquisitions, or IPOs of portfolio companies, contingent on the regulatory and clinical success of the invested assets.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Cancer Focus Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cancer Focus Fund is an oncology-focused venture capital limited partnership that invests equity capital (typically $4.5M–$5.4M per company) in early-to-mid-stage biotech companies developing first-in-class cancer therapies ready for or in early-stage clinical trials. Portfolio companies gain access to the MD Anderson Scientific Advisory Committee for drug candidate evaluation and to clinical trial infrastructure at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ochsner MD Anderson, and LSU Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. The fund generates returns through equity appreciation, licensing deals, acquisitions, or IPOs of its portfolio companies.
Product overview
Cancer Focus Fund LP is an oncology-focused venture capital investment fund established in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The fund provides investment capital and clinical trial expertise to advance promising cancer therapies that are close to being tested in humans or in early clinical development. Rather than offering a unified software product or platform, the fund manages a portfolio of investments in clinical-stage biotech companies developing novel cancer treatments across various modalities including immunotherapy, cell therapy, targeted therapy, and radiotherapeutics. Strategic partners include MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ochsner Health System, and LSU Feist-Weiller Cancer Center.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cancer Focus Fund, LP (Fund I) Oncology-focused venture capital limited partnership launched in November 2019 with over $50 million in committed capital, providing equity investments ($4.5M–$5.4M per company) and clinical trial access at MD Anderson for early-to-mid-stage biotech companies developing cancer therapies ready for or in early-stage clinical trials.
- Cancer Focus Fund II, LP Second oncology-focused venture capital fund vehicle approved by the UT Board of Regents in May 2025, continuing the Fund I investment strategy of providing equity capital and MD Anderson clinical trial access to early-stage oncology biotech companies.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50 million in initial committed capital across Fund I and Fund II
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cancer Focus Fund
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cancer Focus Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cancer Focus Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Therapy (CMIT)coreStarget Pharma entered a strategic collaboration with CMIT in Louisiana, combining Starget's AI-driven in silico discovery platform with CMIT's integrated capabilities in molecular imaging, radiochemistry, and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing to create an end-to-end development pathway.
- Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer CentercoreOchsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in southeastern Louisiana expanded the Phase 1a/b trial of ImmunoGenesis' IMGS-001, providing additional clinical trial capacity and patient access for Cancer Focus Fund portfolio companies.
- MD Anderson Cancer Center (The University of Texas)coreCancer Focus Fund was established with formal participation from MD Anderson Cancer Center, approved by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas in August 2019. MD Anderson provides the Scientific Advisory Committee, clinical trial infrastructure, and scientific expertise. The fund has the right of first offer to review certain pre-IND and IND-stage therapies being considered for clinical studies at MD Anderson.
- Ochsner Health SystemcoreStrategic partner providing clinical trial locations for portfolio companies. Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center, the largest healthcare operator in the Gulf South with 43+ hospitals and clinics, offers additional trial sites in Louisiana, complementing MD Anderson's Houston facility.
- LSU Feist-Weiller Cancer CentercoreStrategic partner in Shreveport, Louisiana, providing additional clinical trial capacity and regional access for portfolio companies.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cancer Focus Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MPM Capital: Oncology-focused venture capital firm that invests in early- and clinical-stage cancer therapeutics. Directly comparable to Cancer Focus Fund in mandate, stage focus, and therapeutic area concentration.
- 5AM Ventures: Early-stage life sciences venture capital firm focused on creating and investing in biotech companies advancing novel therapeutics. Closely comparable fund-stage focus and biopharma mandate.
- Frazier Life Sciences: Healthcare-only venture and public-equity firm investing in therapeutics and medical devices across stages. Comparable as a specialist healthcare VC with clinical-stage orientation.
- OrbiMed Advisors: Healthcare-dedicated investment firm across venture, growth, and public markets with strong biotech and oncology exposure. Comparable as a specialist healthcare VC with clinical-stage focus.
- Hatteras Venture Partners: Early-stage life sciences venture firm investing across biopharma, medtech, and health IT. Comparable in fund size and early clinical-stage biotech investments.
- Atlas Venture: Early-stage life sciences venture capital firm that builds biotech companies from inception through clinical development. Highly comparable in fund size, stage focus, and therapeutic orientation.
- Versant Ventures: Healthcare-dedicated venture capital firm investing across therapeutics, medical devices, and diagnostics with concentrated biotech exposure. Comparable as a specialist healthcare VC at similar fund sizes.
- Curie.Bio: Oncology-focused biotech investor and company-creation platform that partners with scientific founders. Comparable in oncology-only mandate and early-stage therapeutic focus.
Emerging players
- Apollo Therapeutics: University-tied translational venture fund backed by AstraZeneca, GSK, and others investing in early-stage therapeutics from UK research institutions. Comparable in institutional academic partnership model and early-stage biotech focus.
Broad incumbents
- ARCH Venture Partners: Large life sciences and deep tech venture firm investing from inception through commercialization. Comparable in clinical-stage biotech mandate though at materially larger fund scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cancer Focus Fund social profiles
Digital presenceCancer Focus Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cancer Focus Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cancer Focus Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cancer Focus Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments9 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cancer Focus Fund
What does Cancer Focus Fund do?
Cancer Focus Fund is an oncology-focused venture capital limited partnership that invests equity capital (typically $4.5M–$5.4M per company) in early-to-mid-stage biotech companies developing first-in-class cancer therapies ready for or in early-stage clinical trials. Portfolio companies gain access to the MD Anderson Scientific Advisory Committee for drug candidate evaluation and to clinical trial infrastructure at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Ochsner MD Anderson, and LSU Feist-Weiller Cancer Center. The fund generates returns through equity appreciation, licensing deals, acquisitions, or IPOs of its portfolio companies.
Is Cancer Focus Fund a public or private company?
Cancer Focus Fund is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cancer Focus Fund founded?
Cancer Focus Fund was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cancer Focus Fund based?
Cancer Focus Fund is headquartered in Shreveport, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cancer Focus Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: equity Investment Returns.
Who are Cancer Focus Fund's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MPM Capital, 5AM Ventures, Frazier Life Sciences, OrbiMed Advisors, Hatteras Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, Versant Ventures and Curie.Bio. Apollo Therapeutics is listed as an emerging player. ARCH Venture Partners is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Cancer Focus Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cancer Focus Fund.
What industry is Cancer Focus Fund in?
Cancer Focus Fund's product category is Oncology Venture Capital Investment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.