LifeArc Ventures - a unique heritage
Part of LifeArc, a self-financing medical research charity, with the ambition to transform the way diseases are identified and treated.
- Collaborative
- Imaginative
- Science-driven
LifeArc Ventures is part of LifeArc, the self-funding medical research charity which grew out of MRC Technology in 2017. LifeArc specialises in early-stage translation-advancing lab-based scientific discoveries, with a commitment to invest £1.3 billion by 2030 to help deliver new diagnostics, drugs, devices, and digital solutions that transform the ways diseases are treated. Building on its royalty interests in the cancer medicine Keytruda™, LifeArc Ventures is a key part of the charity’s financial sustainability strategy to found and fund innovative life sciences companies in the UK, supporting the UK’s globally leading and competitive science base.
- Skilled
- Experienced
- Approachable
Clare Terlouw is Head of LifeArc Ventures, responsible for LifeArc’s portfolio of direct and LP investments across the life sciences sector. The venture investment fund focuses on early stage life sciences companies at seed to Series A, with significant follow-on investment reserved for successful portfolio companies.
Clare has significant expertise in funding innovative life sciences companies in the private and public markets. She was previously Head of Corporate Development at Syncona Investment Management Ltd, a FTSE250 healthcare investment trust which builds and invests in life science companies, and has more than 15 years of biotech and healthcare financing experience as a UK investment banker at Nomura, Numis Securities and Peel Hunt. Clare was a physiotherapist in Canada prior to moving into finance.
Clare is a board member of the UK Biotechnology Industry Association and director of a number of venture-backed companies.
Imran Hamid joined LifeArc as Senior Investment Principal at LifeArc Ventures in 2021. He is responsible for leading new investments and managing existing portfolio companies.
A former surgeon, Imran has over 15 years of biopharma, digital HealthTech and MedTech experience. His career spans clinical practice, corporate strategy, entrepreneurship, R&D and he has been integral to more than $1.5 billion of venture, licensing, and M&A deals.
Prior to joining LifeArc, Imran was Senior Director of New Ventures and Transactions at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Director of Business Development and Licensing at Mallinckrodt and Director of Commercial Discovery at Merck & Co.
Imran received his medical degree from Imperial College London, where he graduated with joint honours from the Imperial College Business School. He is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Portfolio
Sohaib Mir joined LifeArc as Senior Investment Principal at LifeArc Ventures in 2021. He is responsible for leading new investments and managing existing portfolio companies.
Sohaib brings more than 10 years of experience across investment banking and venture capital following a career in medicine. He was an Investment Director with ALSA Ventures, focused on therapeutics investing, a Principal at Cambridge Innovation Capital and worked in healthcare M&A with Perella Weinberg Partners.
Sohaib qualified in Medicine at the University of Birmingham where he also completed a PhD in CNS regeneration. He practised medicine at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and gained an MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise from the University of Cambridge.
Portfolio
Chris joined LifeArc as Investment Principal at LifeArc Ventures in 2021. He is responsible for new investments and managing existing portfolio companies.
Chris has held key business development roles in the investment and charity research industries, sourcing, assessing and converting life science opportunities. Previously, he was an Associate at the trans-Atlantic venture investor Advent Life Sciences, leading the diligence on a range of therapeutic and medical device opportunities, and supporting the growth of several portfolio companies. Chris worked for ten years in the University technology transfer sector with UCL Business and Cancer Research Technology. He successfully supported and commercialised a number of oncology and gene and cell therapy opportunities, and in addition, he was involved in executing a number of strategic initiatives such as the CRUK Stratified Medicine Programme and Grand Challenge awards.
Chris received his M.Biochem from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Genetics from the University of Cambridge in the lab of Prof. Fiona Watt.
Ken Ho joined LifeArc as Investment Associate at LifeArc Ventures in 2021. He is responsible for new investment opportunities with a particular focus on health-tech.
Ken has more than 10 years’ experience in ventures and venture capital in strategic and financial analytics roles. Prior to joining LifeArc, Ken was Senior Financial Analyst at Arts Alliance Ventures, looking across an industry agnostic, tech-enabled ventures portfolio and started his career in financial advisory roles at Lebara and Ernst & Young
With a master’s degree in physics from Oxford University, Ken takes a keen interest in world-positive innovations, engineering, and fitness.