Genzyme Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund dedicated to helping Genzyme Corporation achieve its strategic goals. Founded in 2001, the $100 million fund has a current portfolio of direct corporate investments and has taken LP positions in funds managed by life-science focused VC firms. Through its direct investments in private early-stage companies, the fund aims to forge relationships which may lead to larger collaborations in the future. Genzyme Ventures is able to leverage the entire Genzyme organization, including its global experience and expertise in R&D, reimbursement, and commercialization, to provide portfolio companies with invaluable advice and assistance. Its Limited Partnership investments provide insight into the broader healthcare innovation landscape.

Geographies: Global with a focus on North America and Europe

Therapeutic Areas: Rare Genetic Disease, Renal, Transplant, Endocrine, Oncology, Cardiovascular, Immune-Mediated Diseases, Biosurgery among others

Drug Development Stage: Research through Phase III

Corporate Development Stage: Seed through Pre-IPO

Management: Led by experienced individuals

In addition, the Company must be committed to regular information sharing with Genzyme (which could include board observer rights or SAB membership).

Investment of ≤ $5 million in any single round of financing

Total Investment of ≤ $10 million in any given Company

Less than 20% equity ownership

Investment decisions are voted upon by an Investment Committee including Genzyme’s CEO, and other senior executives.

Alan Walts, Ph.D., Managing Director
Alan heads up Genzyme's venture investing activities as Managing Director of Genzyme Ventures. Alan joined Genzyme in 1986 and has held a number of positions including Vice President of R&D, Program Director of Surgical Products, President and General Manager of Genzyme Pharmaceuticals, and most recently Senior Vice President, Corporate Development. During his work in Corporate Development Alan led strategic analyses and transactional activities related to Genzyme’s Therapeutics business and was directly responsible for negotiating transactions with Cambridge Antibody Technology, Pharming, Synpac, Novazyme, and Dyax, and for the spin-out of Peptimmune. Alan participated in the Harvard Business School executive management PMD program in 1993, received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from MIT in 1985 and joined Genzyme after completing post-doctoral studies in biochemistry with Professor Christopher Walsh.

Eric Olson, Senior Associate
Eric Olson is a Senior Associate on the Genzyme Ventures team. Prior to joining Genzyme Ventures, Eric was a Business Development Manager in Genzyme’s Corporate Development group, where he evaluated and led numerous business development opportunities spanning several therapeutics areas and stages of development. Prior to joining Genzyme, Eric was an investment banker at Benedetto, Gartland & Co., a boutique that specializes in raising private equity for select private equity sponsors and corporations, and was also summer associate in health care investment banking group at Piper Jaffray & Co. Eric began his career as a Research Assistant at the Yale University School of Medicine, where he published several papers in peer-reviewed journals. Eric holds an M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, an M.S. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from New York University, and a B.A. in Zoology from Connecticut College.