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Clare Ozawa is a distinguished Managing Director at Versant Ventures, a prominent venture capital firm focused on healthcare. She is renowned for her expertise in identifying and fostering early-stage biotechnology companies, bringing a wealth of scientific and operational experience to her investment decisions.
Clare Ozawa primarily invests in early-stage biotechnology and life sciences companies. Her investment focus includes novel therapeutic platforms, drug discovery initiatives, and innovative solutions aimed at addressing significant unmet medical needs across various disease areas.
Clare Ozawa works as a Managing Director at Versant Ventures. Versant Ventures is a leading global healthcare venture capital firm dedicated to investing in and building groundbreaking companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors.
Clare Ozawa is a Managing Director at Versant Ventures based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Before assuming her current leadership position in 2017, she served as the Chief Operating Officer at Inception Sciences and worked as an investment professional at the Novartis Venture Fund. She holds a bachelor's degree in biological sciences and a doctorate in neurobiology from Stanford University. During her tenure at Versant Ventures, she has directed capital into early-stage therapeutics and served on the board of directors for RayzeBio, which Bristol Myers Squibb acquired for $4.1 billion in February 2024. She has also guided multiple portfolio companies to the public markets, including biotech startups like Tenaya Therapeutics and Graphite Bio. Her current focus remains on leveraging her scientific background to identify, launch, and scale novel life sciences enterprises.
Clare Ozawa stands as a pivotal Managing Director at Versant Ventures, a globally recognized venture capital firm dedicated to pioneering investments in the healthcare sector. At Versant, Ms. Ozawa plays a critical role in identifying, evaluating, and nurturing early-stage biotechnology and life sciences companies that hold the promise of transforming patient care. Her work is deeply rooted in a rigorous scientific approach, focusing on ventures that develop novel therapeutics, innovative drug discovery platforms, and groundbreaking medical technologies.
Ms. Ozawa's investment philosophy is characterized by a keen eye for scientific excellence and a strategic understanding of drug development pathways. She is instrumental in Versant's company creation model, often working closely with scientific founders to build new ventures from the ground up. This hands-on approach ensures that portfolio companies are not only scientifically sound but also strategically positioned for long-term success in a competitive landscape. Her expertise spans various therapeutic areas, always with an emphasis on addressing significant unmet medical needs.
Prior to her impactful tenure at Versant Ventures, Clare Ozawa built an impressive career foundation that uniquely qualifies her for her current role. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology, providing her with a profound understanding of biological mechanisms critical to drug discovery. Her professional journey includes significant leadership and scientific roles at esteemed pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, such as Amgen and Genentech. At these industry giants, she gained invaluable experience in research and development, drug candidate selection, and the complex process of bringing innovative medicines from concept to clinic. This background equipped her with a comprehensive perspective on the scientific, operational, and commercial challenges inherent in biotech.
Ms. Ozawa's extensive operational and scientific background allows her to conduct thorough due diligence, assess the true potential of nascent technologies, and provide strategic guidance to Versant's portfolio companies. She is a trusted advisor, helping management teams navigate scientific hurdles, clinical development pathways, and strategic partnerships. Her contributions are vital to Versant's track record of success in backing companies that go on to make significant impacts in medicine. Through her leadership, Clare Ozawa continues to shape the future of biotechnology, driving innovation and fostering the next generation of life-saving therapies.
