Negev Capital
Negev Capital is a $30M+ biotech venture fund founded in 2021 that invests in early-stage CNS and psychedelic-derived therapeutics across 16 portfolio companies, with three realized exits including AbbVie's $1.2B acquisition of Gilgamesh in 2025.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersGrand Cayman, Cayman Islands
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Negev Capital does
Negev Capital is a Cayman Islands-domiciled venture capital fund founded in 2021 that invests in early-stage biotechnology companies developing central nervous system (CNS) and brain health therapeutics, with a thematic emphasis on psychedelic-derived compounds. The fund has deployed more than $30 million across 16 portfolio companies and has delivered three realized exits to date, including the 2025 acquisition of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals by AbbVie in a deal valued at up to $1.2B, the 2023 acquisition of Mindset Pharma by Otsuka for approximately CAD 80M, and the 2024 public-market exit of Bright Minds Biosciences.
The fund differentiates itself through deep scientific leadership, including Prof. Bernard Lerer (with 380+ scientific publications) and Dr. Stuart Seidman of Columbia Psychiatry, and through its narrow specialization in a category where most generalist biotech investors lack operating expertise. In 2024 the firm extended its model beyond passive investing by launching Negev Labs, a CNS-focused venture studio that originates and incubates new companies such as Ariadne Bio, some of which employ computational drug-design approaches (e.g., MindState Design Labs for serotonergic psychedelic compounds). The team operates across Cyprus, Austria, the United States, and Israel, with 1-10 employees, and its revenue mechanics follow the standard venture-fund model of management fees on committed capital plus carried interest on realized exits.
Negev Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Negev Capital
- Legal name
- Negev Capital
- Website
- https://negevcap.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Negev Capital is a $30M+ biotech venture fund founded in 2021 that invests in early-stage CNS and psychedelic-derived therapeutics across 16 portfolio companies, with three realized exits including AbbVie's $1.2B acquisition of Gilgamesh in 2025.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Negev Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Biotech Venture Capital
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Negev Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grand Cayman
- HQ country
- Cayman Islands
Offices5 records
Markets served
Negev Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Management Fees: Traditional VC fund management fees charged on committed capital, typically 2% annual fee on fund size.
- Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest (typically 20%) on profits from portfolio company exits and successful realizations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Negev Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Negev Capital is a $30M+ biotech venture capital fund that invests in seed to Series A CNS and brain health therapeutics companies, with a focus on psychedelic-derived and novel neuropsychiatric compounds. The fund operates Negev Labs, a venture studio that sources overlooked CNS drug candidates backed by existing human data and builds capital-efficient companies targeting pharmaceutical licensing as the primary exit. Negev Capital generates returns through management fees on committed capital and carried interest on portfolio exits.
Product overview
Negev Capital is a $30M+ biotech venture fund focused on CNS and brain health therapeutics, operating through two main offerings: the Negev Capital Venture Fund (a fully invested seed-to-Series A fund with 16 portfolio companies) and Negev Labs (a CNS venture studio that sources overlooked drug candidates and builds capital-efficient companies for pharma licensing). The fund has achieved three realized exits including the AbbVie acquisition of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals (up to $1.2B) and Otsuka acquisition of Mindset Pharma. The active portfolio spans 16 companies across various psychedelic and neuropsychiatric therapeutic modalities including small molecules, DMT, serotonergic agonists, neuroplastogens, and psilocybin-inspired compounds targeting conditions such as depression, anxiety, epilepsy, addiction, and neurodegeneration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Negev Labs: CNS venture studio that sources overlooked CNS drug candidates backed by existing human data, builds them into capital-efficient companies, and targets pharma licensing on accelerated timelines.
Products and services
- Negev Capital Venture Fund
- Negev Labs
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to $1.2B total value from AbbVie acquisition of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals (bretisilocin for major depressive disorder)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Negev Capital
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Negev Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Negev Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Endpoints NewsminorEndpoints News featured Negev Labs debut with $30M in assets, highlighting the venture studio's goal to build a network of psychedelic biotechs.
- Solvonis TherapeuticsminorAwakn Life Sciences, a Negev Capital portfolio company developing therapeutics for substance and behavioral addictions, merged with Solvonis Therapeutics.
- atai Life SciencesminorBeckley Psytech, a Negev Capital portfolio company developing clinical-stage psychedelic medicines for neurological and psychiatric disorders, merged with atai Life Sciences.
- Red Light Holland (CSE: TRIP)minorFilament Health, a Negev Capital portfolio company that was a GMP manufacturer of natural, standardized psychedelic drug candidates, merged with Red Light Holland.
- Cybin (Helus Pharma)minorSmall Pharma, a Negev Capital portfolio company developing short-duration DMT-based psychedelic therapies for depression and anxiety, was acquired by Cybin (now Helus Pharma).
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Negev Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- atai Life Sciences: Public psychedelic-biotech platform that both develops and invests in CNS/psychedelic assets. Comparable to Negev given overlapping portfolio companies (Beckley Psytech merged into atai) and identical psychedelic-CNS investment thesis.
- Compass Pathways: Public clinical-stage psychedelic therapeutics company developing psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression. Closely comparable to Negev's lead portfolio indications and psychedelic-CNS focus, though operator rather than fund.
- MindMed: Public clinical-stage psychedelic medicine company developing LSD and MDMA-based therapies for CNS disorders. Operates in the same psychedelic-CNS therapeutic category that Negev's fund targets.
- Sectoral Asset Management: Healthcare-specialist investment manager focused exclusively on global healthcare equities including biotech. Comparable to Negev as a sector-focused fund manager in healthcare/biotech though operating in public markets.
Broad incumbents
- RA Capital Management: Healthcare-focused crossover fund with deep biotech portfolio across CNS and psychedelic therapeutics. Comparable as a biotech-specialist fund manager operating at much larger AUM scale than Negev.
- OrbiMed Advisors: Large healthcare-dedicated investment firm with dedicated venture, growth, and credit strategies. Comparable as a sector-specialist healthcare investor though operating at far broader scale than Negev's CNS-psychedelic niche.
- ARCH Venture Partners: Long-tenured biotech-focused venture firm investing across therapeutic categories including CNS. Comparable as a science-driven biotech VC though with significantly larger fund size and broader scope than Negev.
- Khosla Ventures: Major venture firm with significant biotech and life sciences investment activity. Comparable as a biotech-active VC though with much broader sector mandate and larger fund size than Negev's CNS focus.
Emerging players
- Lux Capital: Science-and-deep-tech-focused venture firm with active biotech and neurotechnology investments. Comparable to Negev given overlapping interest in frontier science and neuroscience investments.
- DCVC: Deep-tech venture firm with bio and computational biology investment focus. Comparable to Negev given science-driven investment approach and active biotech portfolio though broader in scope.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Negev Capital social profiles
Digital presenceNegev Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Negev Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Negev Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Negev Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments16 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Negev Capital
What does Negev Capital do?
Negev Capital is a $30M+ biotech venture capital fund that invests in seed to Series A CNS and brain health therapeutics companies, with a focus on psychedelic-derived and novel neuropsychiatric compounds. The fund operates Negev Labs, a venture studio that sources overlooked CNS drug candidates backed by existing human data and builds capital-efficient companies targeting pharmaceutical licensing as the primary exit. Negev Capital generates returns through management fees on committed capital and carried interest on portfolio exits.
Is Negev Capital a public or private company?
Negev Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Negev Capital founded?
Negev Capital was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Negev Capital based?
Negev Capital is headquartered in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
How does Negev Capital make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest.
Who are Negev Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are atai Life Sciences, Compass Pathways, MindMed and Sectoral Asset Management. Broad incumbents are RA Capital Management, OrbiMed Advisors, ARCH Venture Partners and Khosla Ventures. Emerging players are Lux Capital and DCVC.
Does Negev Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for Negev Capital.
What industry is Negev Capital in?
Negev Capital's product category is Biotech Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists).