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Thomas, McNerney & Partners
Thomas, McNerney & Partners is a health care private equity firm that invests in life science and medical technology companies. The firm's partners have...
Thomas, McNerney & Partners
Thomas, McNerney & Partners is a health care private equity firm that invests in life science and medical technology companies. The firm's partners have collectively invested over $500 million in more than 40 entities. The firm employs a multi-stage investment approach, providing seed and early stage funding, growth capital, and participating in recapitalizations, spin-outs, and roll-ups in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotech sectors.
General information
Firm type
Private Equity
Year founded
2001
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Minneapolis
Corporate office
Minneapolis, MN, United States
Additional offices
San Diego, CA · Stamford, CT
Principals
Peter McNerney
Partner
Jim Thomas
Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Thomas, McNerney & Partners?
Jim Thomas and Peter McNerney, the firm's founding partners, lead all investment decisions. Both have been at the firm since its 2001 inception and previously invested together at Coral Ventures. The partnership structure is compact, with no public indication that core investment authority has been delegated beyond the named co-founders.
What is the firm's typical investment stage and check size?
The firm has historically targeted early-stage through expansion-stage life sciences companies, often participating in Series A and B rounds. Because the firm does not publicly disclose fund size or check parameters, specific dollar ranges are not verifiable. Its board-heavy engagement model suggests it typically seeks meaningful minority or lead-investor positions rather than passive small allocations.
Does Thomas, McNerney & Partners invest outside of life sciences?
No. All known investment activity since the firm's founding in 2001 has been concentrated in biotechnology, medical devices, diagnostics, and healthcare services. There is no public record of the firm participating in generalist technology, consumer, or financials deals.
How does the firm source its deals?
The firm operates from Minneapolis, San Diego, and Stamford, giving it direct proximity to three distinct research and clinical ecosystems. This multi-node structure provides independent sightlines into Midwest medical-device innovation, Southern California biotechnology, and East Coast diagnostics, rather than relying exclusively on the traditional Boston-Cambridge or Bay Area networks that many life science venture firms concentrate in.
Is Thomas, McNerney & Partners a single family office or an institutional fund manager?
It is structured as an institutional venture capital firm that raises committed capital from external limited partners through named fund vintages, most recently Thomas, McNerney & Partners IV, which closed in September 2022. There is no public indication that it operates as a family office or that it manages assets for a single wealthy family.
Has the firm had any notable portfolio company exits?
Yes. Two publicly documented exits include Ocular Therapeutix, a drug-device combination company that completed its IPO in 2014 and remains a publicly traded entity, and Inogen, a portable oxygen concentrator manufacturer that also went public in 2014 and became a durable holding in the home respiratory market. The firm's broader portfolio has included more than 50 companies, but the full exit record is not publicly itemized.
What is the firm's current fund and when was it raised?
The most recent confirmed fund is Thomas, McNerney & Partners IV, which closed in September 2022. The firm has not disclosed the fund size or its limited partner composition. The fund family dates back to the early 2000s, and each successive vintage has maintained the firm's life-sciences-only mandate.
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