About This Fund
DCVC Bio III is the third dedicated life sciences fund raised by DCVC Bio, the biotechnology and life sciences investment arm of DCVC (Data Collective), one of Silicon Valley's leading deep technology venture firms. The fund closed at $400 million in fall 2024, surpassing its original $350 million target, reflecting strong institutional demand for DCVC Bio's differentiated thesis: backing scientific teams that combine unique biological insight with computational and AI-enabled platforms capable of generating and analyzing vast quantities of actionable biological data. The fund is based in Palo Alto, California, and invests primarily across the United States in early- to growth-stage life sciences companies.
DCVC Bio III pursues investments in the intersection of computation and biology, targeting therapeutic development, agricultural biotechnology, and sustainable food systems. The fund backs platforms employing AI-enabled drug discovery, computational chemistry, monoclonal antibodies, gene therapy, cell therapy, and radiopharmaceuticals. Unlike traditional biotech funds that evaluate single drug candidates, DCVC Bio focuses on multi-medicine platforms: companies whose technological infrastructure can generate a pipeline of therapeutic candidates and thereby underwrite greater risk-adjusted returns. DCVC Bio targets initial investments at the pre-seed to Series B stages, leading or co-leading rounds in transformational scientific teams.
DCVC Bio was co-founded in 2018 by Managing Partners Dr. John Hamer, Dr. Kiersten Stead, Matt Ocko, and Zack Bogue, bringing deep expertise in genetics, molecular biology, chemistry, agriculture, industrial fermentation, and artificial intelligence. The firm's prior funds produced a strong track record of portfolio companies bridging life sciences and computation: AbCellera (Nasdaq: ABCL) developed the first approved COVID-19 antibody treatment within 90 days of receiving the virus sequence, demonstrating the portfolio's capacity for real-world impact. DCVC Bio III will continue to invest in companies like Avicenna Biosciences (targeting Parkinson's and ALS) and Umoja Biopharma (in vivo CAR-T cancer therapy), which are advancing into clinical-stage programs in oncology, neurology, and genetic diseases.