BiomedVC Adds Three Renowned Entrepreneurs as Advisors for Fund IV to Champion Early-Stage European Biotech
- Claudia Ulbrich, (ex-Cardior), David Urech (ex-Numab), and Ulf Grawunder (ex-NB-Therapeutics) join BiomedVC’s team of entrepreneurial leaders bringing an outstanding combined track record of founding, scaling, and exiting billion dollar biotechs
- Biomed continues to build on the success of its BiomedInvest III fund with BiomedInvest IV, which is currently advancing towards a second close in 2026
- Both funds have driven value through a strategy to invest as a lead in early-stage biotechs developing therapeutics with transformative potential, with Tubulis as the most recent successful exit
Basel, Switzerland, April 16, 2026 – BiomedVC, the successor firm of BioMedPartners and a leading early-stage venture capital firm playing a significant role in establishing Europe’s biotech success stories, announced today the expansion of its advisory team with three accomplished biopharmaceutical founders and executives. Claudia Ulbrich, MD, and David Urech, PhD, join as Venture Partners, and Ulf Grawunder, PhD, joins as Entrepreneur-in-Residence, bringing a combined track record of building and scaling early-stage biotechs towards multi-billion dollar exits and transformative patient impact. All three are industry leaders who will work with the BiomedInvest IV fund team to support its commitment to successful company building.
“Our vision is to be Europe’s premier early-stage lead healthcare investor, transforming the next wave of breakthrough science into world-class companies, with a focus on promising innovation in the German-Swiss corridor,” said Aristotelis Nastos, PhD, Managing Partner at BiomedVC. “Achieving this requires more than just capital, it demands a talented team of scientific entrepreneurs who have built companies from discovery to the clinic, as Claudia, David, and Ulf have. These additions further strengthen our ability to build and scale life science startups, leveraging the expertise of seasoned executives to drive meaningful value creation.”
Industry data consistently demonstrate that early-stage life science venture capital outperforms the broader venture capital market.1 This outperformance is fueled by a shift in biotech M&A toward early-stage innovation, as major pharma players increasingly target early-stage assets to de-risk pipelines and offset patent expirations.2 BiomedVC is positioned to capture this potential within European biotech. While Europe is an innovation hub with leading scientific institutions and research, there is a critical shortage of experienced lead investors at the Seed and Series A stages who can actively guide start-ups through their most vulnerable phases. BiomedVC bridges this gap by engaging early and leveraging decades of operational expertise to help founders navigate the critical period of value inflection and transform academic breakthroughs into high-value clinical assets. This repeatable blueprint has driven high-multiple M&A and public listings for the firm’s portfolio, which features the combined billion-dollar exits of Tubulis, Cardior and Amal Therapeutics.
“Our investment approach has been validated by recent landmarks deals in our portfolio, including last week’s acquisition of Tubulis for USD 5 billion and Cardior’s acquisition for over EUR 1 billion,” added Michael Wacker, PhD, Managing Partner at Biomed. “This track record highlights the meaningful impact we deliver for patients, founders, and investors. With Fund IV, we look forward to continuing the 25-year legacy of BioMed and building Europe's next class of life science innovators.”
To execute this strategy focused on building leading biotechs from the ground up, BiomedVC welcomes three leaders whose exceptional track records align with the firm’s vision:
Claudia Ulbrich, MD, Venture Partner
A serial entrepreneur and corporate development strategist, Dr. Ulbrich brings over 25 years of leadership across a range of innovative biotechnology companies. Her success includes multi-billion EUR exits, pharma partnerships, and IPOs. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a Biomed Invest Fund III portfolio company, she built the business into an international Phase 2 clinical-stage company and led its acquisition by Novo Nordisk for over EUR 1 billion in 2024. Prior to that, she served as a Senior Executive Advisor to PricewaterhouseCoopers and uniQure and raised more than EUR 100 million across several ventures in her consulting business.
David Urech, PhD, Venture Partner
A distinguished biotechnology entrepreneur and antibody engineer, Dr. Urech has extensive experience in building high-growth companies and advancing novel therapeutic platforms in immunology and oncology. His track record of success is headlined by his tenure as Co-Founder and former CEO of Numab Therapeutics AG, which he established in 2011 and scaled into a leading developer of multi-specific antibodies. Most recently, he co-founded the spin-out Yellow Jersey Therapeutics, leading to the acquisition of its asset NM26 by Johnson & Johnson in 2024 for approximately USD 1.25 billion.
Ulf Grawunder, PhD, Entrepreneur-in-Residence
With over two decades of experience navigating capital markets and business development, Dr. Grawunder is a veteran serial entrepreneur who has successfully founded and scaled multiple innovative biotechnology companies through to high-value exits. His track record includes leading major acquisitions, notably as the Co-Founder and CEO of NBE-Therapeutics, acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim in 2021, and prior to that as Co-Founder of 4-Antibody AG, acquired by Agenus in 2012. He currently serves as the Co-Founder and CEO of T-CURX, Biomed Invest Fund IV portfolio company. A seasoned strategist in capital markets and business development, Dr. Grawunder has raised more than CHF 100 million in venture funding and has successfully negotiated commercial agreements exceeding EUR 1 billion in aggregate deal value.
About BiomedVC
BiomedVC is a leading Swiss early-stage VC at the center of European biotech. BiomedVC builds companies around the most intriguing innovations. We strive to enable founders and their ideas. We work together on a basis of equality - as a team and with entrepreneurs. We focus on scientific excellence, building strong companies to create medical and commercial value and bring new medicines to market that improve patient’s lives.
Contact
BiomedVC
Aristotelis Nastos
Managing Partner
nastos@biomedvc.com
Media requests
Trophic Communications
Gretchen Schweitzer / Adolfo Luna
+49 172 861 8540 / +49 151 626 743 95
Biomed@trophic.eu
- Pitchbook, VC return by Series: Part IV, August 2024.
- McKinsey & Company, 2026 M&A trends: Navigating a rapidly rebounding market, February 2026.
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