About This Fund
The Brain Tumor Investment Fund (BTIF) is the venture philanthropy arm of the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS), the oldest and largest non-profit organization dedicated to improving outcomes for brain tumor patients in the United States. Established in 2020 and headquartered at 55 Chapel Street, Suite 006, Newton, Massachusetts, BTIF raises philanthropic capital and deploys it alongside private investors to incentivize biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and medical device companies to develop new treatments and diagnostics for brain tumors. The fund represents an innovative application of venture capital mechanics to disease-focused philanthropy, fusing the rigor of institutional impact investing with the mission-driven capital deployment of the National Brain Tumor Society.
BTIF focuses exclusively on companies seeking pre-seed through Series A funding for brain tumor-specific assets and programs, including small molecules, biologics, and medical devices targeting brain tumor indications. The fund's investment thesis addresses the persistent gap between academic discovery at leading research institutions and commercially viable drug development—the Valley of Death—where philanthropic venture capital can de-risk programs that traditional investors would not fund at early stages. By deploying capital globally into companies developing treatments and diagnostics for brain tumors, BTIF functions as both a convener and catalyst for private sector investment into a systematically underserved therapeutic area, attracting co-investment from pharmaceutical and biotech strategic investors.
Since its founding in 2020, the Brain Tumor Investment Fund has built a portfolio of approximately eight companies, demonstrating consistent and targeted deployment across its early-stage focus. The fund achieved a landmark exit in October 2024 when portfolio company Modifi Bio was acquired by Merck, validating the fund's ability to identify and support brain tumor assets through to commercial acquisition by a major pharmaceutical company. BTIF's investment activity is tracked by Crunchbase and Tracxn, which identify the fund as an active investor with two new investments in the twelve months preceding October 2025, demonstrating continued deployment momentum.