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Gore Range Capital
Founded by Andy Acker and Ethan Rigel, Gore Range Capital operates as a thesis-driven venture capital firm dedicated to skin health.
Gore Range Capital
Founded by Andy Acker and Ethan Rigel, Gore Range Capital operates as a thesis-driven venture capital firm dedicated to skin health. Acker, previously a portfolio manager at Janus Henderson, and Rigel, a dermatology-focused operator and investor, structured the firm to bridge the gap between clinical dermatology and venture-scale returns. The firm's name references Colorado's Gore Range, reflecting a long-term, grounded approach to company building. The firm targets opportunities across the full dermatology ecosystem — medical devices, biotechnology, digital health platforms, and consumer skincare. It invests from seed through growth stages, often leading or co-leading rounds. Confirmed portfolio companies include Strata Skin Sciences, a publicly traded dermatology device company, and Senté, a cosmeceutical brand acquired by Galderma. Gore Range also backed DermBiont, a clinical-stage biotech developing topical microbiome therapies. The firm deploys capital primarily in North America and has evaluated opportunities in Europe and Israel. Gore Range maintains a lean partnership structure. In January 2024, the firm promoted Dr. Emily Charles to Principal, signaling deepening clinical expertise within the investment team. The firm operates from New York and has not disclosed a dedicated philanthropic vehicle, though its partners are active in dermatology-focused academic and clinical networks. Adjacent vehicles or club memberships have not been publicly announced. The firm's structural differentiator is its clinical-insider model. Gore Range embeds practicing dermatologists and key opinion leaders into its deal-sourcing and due-diligence processes. This creates a feedback loop where portfolio companies get real-time clinical validation, and the firm sees therapeutic opportunities years before they reach conventional venture pipelines. The approach narrows the aperture dramatically — but within that sliver, Gore Range aims to be the first call for any serious dermatology founder.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Andy Acker
Managing Partner
Ethan Rigel
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Gore Range Capital?
Managing Partner Andy Acker and Partner Ethan Rigel lead the investment committee. Acker brought public-market healthcare investing experience from Janus Henderson, while Rigel contributes operational and clinical dermatology domain expertise. Day-to-day decisions are made by the partnership, with input from a network of affiliated dermatologist advisors.
How does Gore Range source proprietary deal flow?
The firm relies on a network of practicing dermatologists and academic key opinion leaders who see emerging technologies and science years before they gain broader venture attention. This clinical-insider model provides early visibility into preclinical research, device innovation, and shifting practice patterns. Partners also maintain relationships with dermatology residency programs and specialty conferences.
Is Gore Range structured as a single family office or a venture firm?
Gore Range Capital is structured as a venture capital firm, not a family office. It raises funds from external limited partners, including institutional allocators and family offices. The firm's thesis-narrow mandate — exclusively skin health — makes it one of the few dedicated dermatology-focused venture platforms globally.
Does Gore Range participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Gore Range primarily invests directly into private companies, leading or co-leading seed through growth-stage rounds. The firm has not publicly indicated a fund-of-funds or LP commitment strategy. Its model relies on concentrated, high-conviction direct investments where it can leverage clinical expertise post-investment.
What investment stages does Gore Range typically target?
Gore Range invests from seed through growth equity, with flexibility to support companies from preclinical proof-of-concept through commercial launch. The firm has backed seed-stage biotech platforms like DermBiont and later-stage commercial-stage companies like Strata Skin Sciences. Stage decisions depend on the clinical maturity of the asset and the composition of the syndicate.
Which sectors does Gore Range explicitly avoid?
Gore Range does not invest outside dermatology and skin health. This means the firm avoids general healthcare services, cardiovascular devices, oncology therapeutics, and digital health platforms without a specific dermatology application. The narrow mandate excludes even adjacent aesthetics opportunities if they lack clinical dermatology underpinnings.
How is Gore Range related to Strata Skin Sciences?
Strata Skin Sciences is a publicly traded dermatology device company in which Gore Range Capital has held a significant equity position. The firm's Managing Partner Andy Acker has served on Strata's board. The relationship exemplifies Gore Range's approach of combining public and private market perspectives within a single therapeutic area.
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