Updated:
PhiFund Ventures
Early-Stage Life Sciences | Accelerating Innovations | Connecting Science with Medical Need | PhiFund focuses on creating and supporting companies that can...
PhiFund Ventures
Early-Stage Life Sciences | Accelerating Innovations | Connecting Science with Medical Need | PhiFund focuses on creating and supporting companies that can transform healthcare. We identify academic intellectual property and early stage companies that have the potential to greatly accelerate advances in diagnosis and treatment.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2021
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Patricia Tolete
Director of Operations
Michael Jasulavic
Advisor
Orrin Devinsky, MD
Principal Investigator
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes the investment decisions at PhiFund Ventures?
The investing group is led by Michael Jasulavic and Orrin Devinsky, MD. Jasulavic spent over 15 years as a healthcare analyst at firms including Jefferies Asset Management, Traxis Partners, and Sivik Global Healthcare, and advises HBM Partners on investment opportunities. Devinsky directs the NYU Langone Epilepsy Center and has served as principal investigator on pivotal FDA trials, giving PhiFund a direct line into academic neurology research not typically available to venture firms.
How does PhiFund Ventures source its deals?
Deal flow originates heavily from clinical and translational research networks. Orrin Devinsky's position at NYU Langone — whose neurology and neurosurgery programs were ranked #1 by US News & World Report — provides visibility into early-stage projects well before they reach institutional rounds. Patricia Tolete's clinical operations background at Mount Sinai and TrialSpark adds a second sourcing channel through the clinical trial ecosystem.
Does PhiFund invest in therapeutics, devices, or both?
Both. The portfolio includes small-molecule and biologic therapeutics (Leal Therapeutics, Diatiro), medical devices (Blackrock Neurotech's brain-computer interface), botanical drug candidates (Ajna BioSciences), and platform technologies like Epitor Therapeutics' epigenetic editing tools. This modality-agnostic approach matches deal selection to the science rather than fitting science into a narrow fund mandate.
What is PhiFund's relationship to HBM Partners?
Michael Jasulavic serves as an advisor to HBM Partners, a healthcare-focused investment fund, while simultaneously sourcing and advising on investments for PhiFund Ventures. The relationship provides PhiFund with connectivity to a broader pool of institutional healthcare investors, though the firms remain legally separate entities with independent investment committees.
Which stages does PhiFund Ventures target?
PhiFund concentrates on early-stage life sciences: pre-clinical through Series A. Portfolio company descriptions reference proof-of-concept data, pending IND filings, and early-phase clinical trials rather than commercial-stage assets. The firm occasionally participates in later rounds for existing portfolio companies when the science warrants continued support.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on venture capital firms?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: