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Ridgeback Capital

North America, New York, United States, New York

Description

Ridgeback Capital is a New York-based private investment company established in 2005, primarily operating as a hedge fund with an exclusive focus on the life sciences sector. The firm employs a long-term, fundamental, and value-oriented investment approach, seeking to identify and support innovative companies within biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Ridgeback Capital is known for its deep industry expertise and its commitment to fostering the growth of its portfolio companies through significant capital deployment.

The firm's investment strategy spans various stages, from late-stage private companies nearing commercialization or public listing, to investments in publicly traded equities. Unlike traditional venture capital firms, Ridgeback Capital often participates in substantial funding rounds, reflecting its capacity to deploy considerable capital. For instance, the firm was a key investor in Recursion Pharmaceuticals' $230 million Series D round, and also participated in Denali Therapeutics' $130 million Series D. These examples highlight Ridgeback Capital's comfort with large-scale investments in established or rapidly scaling life science ventures.

Managing assets that reportedly run into several billion dollars, Ridgeback Capital is a significant player in the life sciences investment landscape. Its substantial capital base allows it to take meaningful positions in companies, often influencing their strategic direction and accelerating their development. The firm's consistent participation in high-value rounds underscores its role as a major financial partner for leading innovators in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

Investor Profile

Ridgeback Capital has backed more than 30 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 6 rounds, about 20% of its total and boasts 20 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Post Ipo Equity, Series B, Series C rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Canada, United Kingdom.
  • Strong thematic focus on Biotechnology, Health Care, Therapeutics.

Stage Focus

  • Post Ipo Equity (27%)
  • Series B (27%)
  • Series C (17%)
  • Series A (17%)
  • Series D (7%)
  • Series E (3%)
  • Series F (3%)

Country Focus

  • United States (87%)
  • Canada (7%)
  • United Kingdom (7%)

Industry Focus

  • Biotechnology
  • Health Care
  • Therapeutics
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Medical
  • Biopharma
  • Oncology
  • Genetics
  • Life Science
  • Health Diagnostics
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Ridgeback Capital frequently co-invest with?

OrbiMed
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 7
CA
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 5
Adage Capital Management
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 4
Biotechnology Value Fund
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 7
RA Capital Management
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 5
ArrowMark Partners
North America, Colorado, United States, Denver
Co-Investments: 5
LV
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 4
Perceptive Advisors
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 5
Logos Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5
Janus Henderson Investors
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 10

Which angels does Ridgeback Capital often collaborate with?

Dermot Halpin
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
CT
Europe, Zurich, Switzerland
Shared Deals: 1
NG
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 1
Mark Newhall
North America, Colorado, United States, Denver
Shared Deals: 1
JR
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
MB
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Wellesley Hills
Shared Deals: 1
BW
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1
KP
North America, Florida, United States, Miami
Shared Deals: 1
JB
North America, California, United States, San Diego
Shared Deals: 1
JG
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by Ridgeback Capital?

LENZ Therapeutics

Del Mar, California, United States

LENZ Therapeutics operates as an organization engaged in the late-stage clinical development of pharmaceuticals for the eyes.

Health CareMedicalPharmaceuticalTherapeutics
Post Ipo EquityJul 15, 2024
Amount Raised: $30,000,000
Nkarta Therapeutics

South San Francisco, California, United States

Nkarta Therapeutics is a developer of cell engineering platform created to build the next generation of cell therapies.

BiotechnologyHealth Care
Post Ipo EquityMar 25, 2024
Amount Raised: $240,000,000
Pyxis Oncology

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Pyxis Oncology is a developer of antibody therapeutics intended to promote the body's immune response to cancer.

BiotechnologyHealth CareOncologyPharmaceutical
Post Ipo EquityFeb 27, 2024
Amount Raised: $50,000,000
Crisp

New York, New York, United States

Crisp ingests and delivers daily, actionable retail data from 40+ sources, providing brands with visibility into inventory and sales.

Business IntelligenceData IntegrationFood and BeverageRetail TechnologySaaS
Series BFeb 2, 2022
Amount Raised: $35,000,000
Freenome

South San Francisco, California, United States

Freenome is a biotechnology company with a comprehensive multiomics platform for cancer detection using a routine blood draw.

BiotechnologyHealth CareHealth DiagnosticsPersonal Health
Series DDec 7, 2021
Amount Raised: $300,000,000
Quell Therapeutics

London, England, United Kingdom

Quell Therapeutics is a cell therapy company

AssociationBiotechnologyEducationHealth Care
Series BNov 29, 2021
Amount Raised: $156,000,000
Arbor Biotechnologies

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Arbor Biotechnologies is an operator of a bio-discovery company intended to provide human diagnostic development services.

BiopharmaBiotechnologyLife Science
Series BNov 9, 2021
Amount Raised: $215,000,000
Garuda Therapeutics

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Garuda Therapeutics develops off-the-shelf hematopoietic stem cell therapies to treat life-threatening diseases.

BiotechnologyHealth CareLife ScienceTherapeutics
Series ASep 23, 2021
Amount Raised: $72,000,000
Turnstone Biologics

La Jolla, California, United States

Turnstone Biologics is a privately-held clinical stage biotech company.

BiotechnologyInnovation ManagementTherapeutics
Series DJul 14, 2021
Amount Raised: $79,999,979
TwinStrand Biosciences

Seattle, Washington, United States

TwinStrand Biosciences develops and commercializes the duplex sequencing technology for DNA sequencing.

BiotechnologyGeneticsHealth Care
Series BMay 6, 2021
Amount Raised: $50,000,000