Key Takeaways
- • Sofinnova Partners appoints David Evans, former Roche Venture Fund senior investment director, as a partner based in London to lead its Crossover Strategy focused on late-stage private and publicly listed life sciences investments.
- • Evans brings 20+ years of experience spanning clinical medicine, pharmaceutical R&D at major pharma companies (Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly), health policy work at the World Bank, and venture capital, positioning him to bridge strategic and financial capital perspectives in life sciences investing.
- • The appointment reflects Sofinnova's expansion of crossover investing capabilities as the firm scales following its 2025 close of Sofinnova Capital XI, its largest-ever flagship healthcare venture fund at €650 million.
- • Evans' transition from Roche Venture Fund to independent VC exemplifies the increasing mobility of experienced investors between pharmaceutical corporate venture arms and standalone venture capital firms amid intensifying demand for specialized scientific expertise.
Summary
Sofinnova Partners has strengthened its late-stage investment team by appointing David Evans as a partner to lead its Crossover Strategy, marking a strategic hire that underscores the firm's continued expansion in European life sciences venture capital. Evans, who will be based in London, joins Sofinnova from Roche Venture Fund, where he held the position of senior investment director and led investment activities across Europe and the UK.
Evans brings substantial credibility across the healthcare ecosystem, with a career spanning clinical practice, pharmaceutical development, and venture investing. Prior to his tenure at Roche Venture Fund, he held senior drug development and health economics positions at three major pharmaceutical companies—Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Eli Lilly and Company. Earlier in his career, he worked on healthcare financing and policy at the World Bank and practiced medicine in Australia and with Médecins Sans Frontières, providing him with deep operational and policy-level exposure to healthcare systems and innovation.
The hire comes as Sofinnova accelerates its platform buildout following several significant fundraises. Most notably, in 2025, the firm closed Sofinnova Capital XI, described as its largest-ever flagship healthcare venture fund, which raised €650 million. Beyond the flagship fund, Sofinnova has expanded specialist strategies encompassing biotech acceleration, industrial biotechnology, and digital medicine, demonstrating a diversified approach to capturing value across the life sciences innovation spectrum.
Evans' appointment illustrates a broader market trend wherein experienced investors move fluidly between pharmaceutical companies' corporate venture activities and independent venture capital firms. Sofinnova Chairman and Managing Partner Antoine Papiernik characterized the addition as strategic for the firm's investment philosophy, noting that Evans embodies "exceptional scientific grounding, real-world clinical experience, and a strong investment instinct built over years at the frontier of healthcare." The convergence of Evans' clinical expertise with his crossover investment mandate positions him to identify opportunities that bridge private and public life sciences markets—a critical capability as late-stage biotech companies face lengthening paths to profitability and increasingly complex capital structures.
Evans brings substantial credibility across the healthcare ecosystem, with a career spanning clinical practice, pharmaceutical development, and venture investing. Prior to his tenure at Roche Venture Fund, he held senior drug development and health economics positions at three major pharmaceutical companies—Roche, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Eli Lilly and Company. Earlier in his career, he worked on healthcare financing and policy at the World Bank and practiced medicine in Australia and with Médecins Sans Frontières, providing him with deep operational and policy-level exposure to healthcare systems and innovation.
The hire comes as Sofinnova accelerates its platform buildout following several significant fundraises. Most notably, in 2025, the firm closed Sofinnova Capital XI, described as its largest-ever flagship healthcare venture fund, which raised €650 million. Beyond the flagship fund, Sofinnova has expanded specialist strategies encompassing biotech acceleration, industrial biotechnology, and digital medicine, demonstrating a diversified approach to capturing value across the life sciences innovation spectrum.
Evans' appointment illustrates a broader market trend wherein experienced investors move fluidly between pharmaceutical companies' corporate venture activities and independent venture capital firms. Sofinnova Chairman and Managing Partner Antoine Papiernik characterized the addition as strategic for the firm's investment philosophy, noting that Evans embodies "exceptional scientific grounding, real-world clinical experience, and a strong investment instinct built over years at the frontier of healthcare." The convergence of Evans' clinical expertise with his crossover investment mandate positions him to identify opportunities that bridge private and public life sciences markets—a critical capability as late-stage biotech companies face lengthening paths to profitability and increasingly complex capital structures.
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