RiverVest

RiverVest is a venture capital firm founded in 2000 and headquartered in St. Louis, with additional offices in Cleveland and San Diego. The firm specializes in early-stage investments in life science companies, particularly in the medical device and biopharmaceutical sectors. RiverVest's experienced team actively identifies and incubates promising startups while providing practical advice and strategic leadership to help entrepreneurs advance their businesses. In addition to its focus on early-stage ventures, the firm also invests in select later-stage life science companies to diversify risk and enhance portfolio returns. RiverVest's investment strategy places a particular emphasis on opportunities within the Midwest.

Kelly K. Cathey

Office Manager

Andrew B. Craig III

Retired Special Limited Partner

Nancy A. Hong

Managing Director

Poppy J. Keller

Consultant

Pascal Krotee

Senior Associate

John Mckearn

Managing Director

Thomas C. Melzer

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Karen Gheesling Mullis

Venture Partner

Niall O’Donnell

Managing Director

Derek K. Rapp

Managing Director

Curtis Rother

Director of Finance

Jay Schmelter

Co-Founder & Managing Director

Karen Spilizewski

Managing Director

Sivan Weitzman

CFO

Isaac Zike Ph.D

Principal

Past deals in Missouri

Wugen

Series B in 2021
Wugen is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative CAR-T therapies for T-cell malignancies. Utilizing advanced gene editing technologies, Wugen aims to address the challenges associated with the clinical development of allogeneic CAR-T cells. The company is working on next-generation off-the-shelf memory natural killer (NK) and CAR-T cell therapies, leveraging its proprietary Moneta platform and deep expertise in genomic engineering. These efforts are directed toward creating a new class of memory NK cell therapies to effectively treat both hematological and solid tumor malignancies, ultimately enhancing the medical community's ability to combat life-threatening cancers.

Arch Oncology

Series C in 2021
Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. operates as an immuno-oncology company that develops anti-CD47 antibodies for the treatment of solid and hematologic cancers. Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Vasculox, Inc. and changed its name to Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. in August 2016. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri with a corporate office in Brisbane, California.

Arch Oncology

Series B in 2019
Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. operates as an immuno-oncology company that develops anti-CD47 antibodies for the treatment of solid and hematologic cancers. Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Vasculox, Inc. and changed its name to Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. in August 2016. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri with a corporate office in Brisbane, California.

Adarza BioSystems

Series C in 2017
Adarza BioSystems is an early-stage medical diagnostics company developing a rapid and label-free biological assay platform for measuring clinical and point-of-care (POC) samples. In addition to performing sophisticated clinical tests within minutes, this technology potentially allowing hundreds of tests to be run simultaneously on a single chip. It was founded in 2008 and headquartered in St Louis, Missouri.

Arch Oncology

Series A in 2016
Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. operates as an immuno-oncology company that develops anti-CD47 antibodies for the treatment of solid and hematologic cancers. Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Vasculox, Inc. and changed its name to Tioma Therapeutics, Inc. in August 2016. The company was founded in 2006 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri with a corporate office in Brisbane, California.

Kereos

Series B in 2005
Kereos, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Saint Louis, Missouri, specializing in the development of targeted molecular imaging agents and therapeutics aimed at detecting and treating cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Established in 1999, Kereos utilizes a nanoscale drug delivery technology that enhances the targeting and efficacy of various therapeutic compounds, including existing drugs, new candidates, and those that may be too toxic or fragile for conventional delivery methods. The company's product portfolio includes KER-1001, a cancer therapeutic that combines paclitaxel with a targeted nanodroplet, KER-1002, which integrates a natural anti-tumor agent, and KER-1003, known for its anti-angiogenic properties. Additionally, Kereos offers diagnostic solutions such as KER 0001, designed to detect angiogenesis. The company also collaborates with pharmaceutical and imaging firms to further develop its MRI agents and targeted chemotherapeutics for solid tumors and cardiovascular applications.

Auxeris Therapeutics

Series A in 2004
Auxeris Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of medicines to treat a broad range of bone diseases. The company develops drugs to treat fracture repair, spinal fusion, and bone diseases, including osteoporosis. Auxeris Therapeutics was founded in 2002 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri.