AN Ventures

AN Venture Partners is a global biotech venture capital firm established in 2022, with offices in Tokyo, Japan, and San Francisco, California. The firm specializes in identifying and nurturing innovative scientific breakthroughs originating from Japan, aiming to bridge them with the robust startup ecosystem and capital markets of the United States. They operate as a multi-stage investor, supporting companies from pre-proof-of-concept to advanced clinical stages across various modalities and disease spaces within the biotechnology and health tech sectors. The firm is committed to fostering the growth of Japan's biotech ecosystem and actively engages in company creation.

The firm was founded by a group of experienced venture capitalists from both Japan and the United States, including Managing Partner Ken Horne, along with investment partners Ari Nowacek, Takashi Futami, and Jun Hashimoto. AN Venture Partners was established in alliance with ARCH Venture Partners, a prominent life science venture investor group, which underscores their strategic approach to building global biotech companies. Their investment strategy focuses on leveraging Japanese scientific excellence and combining it with unparalleled access to talent, capital, and industry networks in the US to maximize value creation.

AN Venture Partners manages Fund I, which successfully closed in June 2025 with USD200 million. This fund is dedicated to investing in biotech startups that harness scientific innovations from Japan. Notable investments include Imbria Pharmaceuticals, Crystalys Therapeutics, PAhR Therapeutics, Tortugas Neuroscience (Seed and Series A financings), City Therapeutics, and Capacity Bio. These investments span areas such as drug discovery and biotechnology, reflecting the firm's broad interest in impactful clinical solutions.

The team at AN Venture Partners comprises experienced professionals with a deep understanding of both the Japanese and US biotech landscapes. They provide hands-on support to portfolio companies, guiding them through various stages of development, from market validation and team-building to fundraising and strategic partnerships. The firm's ultimate goal is to facilitate successful exits, such as IPOs on exchanges like NASDAQ or acquisitions by global pharmaceutical companies, thereby making a significant impact on global health and strengthening the biotech industry.