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Avalon Ventures

North America, California, United States, La Jolla

Description

Avalon Ventures is a long-established venture capital firm based in La Jolla, California, with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1983. The firm specializes in early-stage investments, primarily targeting the burgeoning sectors of life sciences and information technology. Known for its hands-on approach, Avalon Ventures often engages with entrepreneurs from the very inception of a company, playing a pivotal role in company formation and strategic development. This deep involvement underscores their commitment to nurturing nascent ventures into successful enterprises.

Over its more than three-decade tenure, Avalon Ventures has demonstrated a consistent ability to identify and back promising innovations. The firm has successfully raised 12 venture funds, collectively totaling over $1 billion, which has enabled them to support a diverse portfolio of groundbreaking companies. Their investment strategy typically focuses on seed and Series A rounds, providing crucial early capital to help startups scale. They have invested in over 160 companies, showcasing a broad reach across their target industries.

Avalon Ventures typically deploys initial checks ranging from $1 million to $5 million, with a willingness to provide follow-on funding as their portfolio companies mature and require additional capital for growth. This strategic deployment of capital, combined with their operational expertise, has led to a significant number of successful exits, with over 60 companies achieving liquidity events. Their enduring presence in the venture capital landscape, coupled with a track record of fostering innovation, solidifies Avalon Ventures' reputation as a key player in early-stage technology and life science investments.

Investor Profile

Avalon Ventures has backed more than 185 startups, with 0 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 57 rounds, about 31% of its total and boasts 53 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Series A, Series B, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, United Kingdom, Denmark.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Health Care, Biotechnology.
  • Typical check size: $1M – $5M.

Stage Focus

  • Series A (37%)
  • Series B (24%)
  • Series Unknown (13%)
  • Seed (10%)
  • Series C (9%)
  • Series D (4%)
  • Series E (1%)
  • Undisclosed (1%)
  • Convertible Note (1%)
  • Angel (1%)

Country Focus

  • United States (97%)
  • United Kingdom (2%)
  • Denmark (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Health Care
  • Biotechnology
  • Enterprise Software
  • Advertising
  • Mobile
  • Therapeutics
  • Saas
  • Medical
  • Internet
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Avalon Ventures frequently co-invest with?

OrbiMed
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 6
Versant Ventures
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 7
RA Capital Management
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 6
Correlation Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Diego
Co-Investments: 12
Sigma Partners
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 8
Austin Ventures
North America, Texas, United States, Austin
Co-Investments: 8
OUP (Osage University Partners)
North America, Pennsylvania, United States, Bala Cynwyd
Co-Investments: 6
Foundry Group
North America, Colorado, United States, Boulder
Co-Investments: 8
Union Square Ventures
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 12
B
Europe, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, Tórtola
Co-Investments: 6

Which angels does Avalon Ventures often collaborate with?

AP
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Shared Deals: 2
CL
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Shared Deals: 1
MM
North America, Texas, United States, Houston
Shared Deals: 2
AJ
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
KM
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BB
North America, Nevada, United States, Reno
Shared Deals: 1
AA
North America, California, United States, Los Angeles
Shared Deals: 1
JR
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
MC
North America, Texas, United States, Dallas
Shared Deals: 3
Dave Morgan
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 4

What are some of recent deals done by Avalon Ventures?

Enlaza Therapeutics

La Jolla, California, United States

Enlaza Therapeutics is a biotechnology research company.

BiopharmaBiotechnologyHealth CareTherapeutics
Series AApr 30, 2024
Amount Raised: $100,000,000
Vocera Communications

San Jose, California, United States

Vocera Communications is a medtech company that offers communication systems and solutions for healthcare professionals and patients.

Health CareInformation TechnologymHealthTelecommunications
Post Ipo EquityMay 8, 2023
Amount Raised: $8,000,000
Jnana Therapeutics

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Jnana Therapeutics develops innovative therapies using a chemoproteomics drug discovery platform.

BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalTherapeutics
Series CNov 15, 2022
Amount Raised: $107,000,000
Enlaza Therapeutics

La Jolla, California, United States

Enlaza Therapeutics is a biotechnology research company.

BiopharmaBiotechnologyHealth CareTherapeutics
SeedOct 12, 2022
Amount Raised: $61,000,000
Joy

San Francisco, California, United States

Joy is a wedding planning platform that helps users with their wedding, from engagement to honeymoon and everything in-between.

AppsEvent ManagementWeb DesignWedding
Series ASep 1, 2021
Amount Raised: $20,000,000
Jnana Therapeutics

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Jnana Therapeutics develops innovative therapies using a chemoproteomics drug discovery platform.

BiotechnologyHealth CareMedicalTherapeutics
Series BAug 18, 2021
Amount Raised: $50,000,000
Primer

San Francisco, California, United States

Primer develops a text analytics solution designed to automate the analysis of textual data.

AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Big DataData VisualizationMachine LearningNatural Language Processing
Series CJun 22, 2021
Amount Raised: $110,000,000
Janux Therapeutics

La Jolla, California, United States

Janux Therapeutics develops immunotherapies that generates immune responses to prevent tumors and not affecting a patient’s healthy tissue.

BiotechnologyHealth DiagnosticsPharmaceuticalTherapeutics
Series BApr 20, 2021
Amount Raised: $125,000,000
Fortis Therapeutics

La Jolla, California, United States

Fortis Therapeutics is an immuno-oncology biotech focused on developing new antibody drug conjugate therapies against CD46.

BiotechnologyOncologyTherapeutics
Series AMar 29, 2021
Amount Raised: $40,000,000
Janux Therapeutics

La Jolla, California, United States

Janux Therapeutics develops immunotherapies that generates immune responses to prevent tumors and not affecting a patient’s healthy tissue.

BiotechnologyHealth DiagnosticsPharmaceuticalTherapeutics
Series AMar 3, 2021
Amount Raised: $56,000,000