Key Takeaways
- • Proximal Ventures closed its debut fund, Fund I, at $27.5 million, exceeding its initial $25 million target, according to a Business Wire release from San Francisco.
- • Fund I targets pre-seed and seed companies building AI-native infrastructure across the pharmaceutical value chain, from computational drug discovery through clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization.
- • The firm, founded by Sahir Raoof, is backed by strategic partners including Domino Lane, SignalFire, Kleiner Perkins, Bertelsmann Healthcare Investments and PagsGroup, plus individual investors Nan Li and Zavain Dar.
- • Proximal offers hands-on support from inception and an advisory network that includes former FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Amy Abernethy and GSK Chief AI Officer Kim Branson.
Summary
Proximal Ventures, an early-stage venture firm based in San Francisco, has announced the close of its debut fund at $27.5 million, according to a Business Wire release. The raise exceeded the firm's initial target of $25 million. Fund I invests in pre-seed and seed companies developing AI-native software and infrastructure across the life sciences value chain, from discovery to market access. The firm was founded in 2026 by Sahir Raoof, who serves as Founder and Managing Partner.
The fund's backers include strategic partners Domino Lane, SignalFire, Kleiner Perkins, Bertelsmann Healthcare Investments, and PagsGroup, as well as individual investors Dimension co-founders Nan Li and Zavain Dar. Proximal's stated strategy is to focus narrowly on the pharmaceutical value chain, with the aim of building on advances in drug discovery while addressing the hundreds of billions of dollars spent annually on pharmaceutical services. The firm says its goal is to bring better medicines to patients faster, more affordably and more reliably.
Proximal positions its model around hands-on involvement from the earliest stages, often before a company is incorporated. The firm helps founders validate ideas, refine go-to-market strategy and connect with pharma executives, design partners and customers. Founders also gain access to an advisory network that includes Amy Abernethy, co-founder of Highlander Health and former Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Kim Branson, Chief AI Officer at GSK.
Raoof previously was the first commercial hire and Vice President of Business Development at Iterative Health, built biopharma research partnerships at Flatiron Health, which was acquired by Roche, and covered biotech and outsourced pharma services at J.P. Morgan. He most recently led techbio and pharmatech investing at SignalFire. Since beginning to deploy Fund I, the firm has secured allocations in competitive rounds alongside leading multi-stage investors. Rohit Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Chronicle Bio, said Proximal brings a rare combination of industry relationships and an understanding of data ecosystems. Jim Lim, Managing Partner of Domino Lane, said that many drug outcomes are determined by trials, manufacturing, commercial and regulatory work that few investors understand in totality.
The fund's backers include strategic partners Domino Lane, SignalFire, Kleiner Perkins, Bertelsmann Healthcare Investments, and PagsGroup, as well as individual investors Dimension co-founders Nan Li and Zavain Dar. Proximal's stated strategy is to focus narrowly on the pharmaceutical value chain, with the aim of building on advances in drug discovery while addressing the hundreds of billions of dollars spent annually on pharmaceutical services. The firm says its goal is to bring better medicines to patients faster, more affordably and more reliably.
Proximal positions its model around hands-on involvement from the earliest stages, often before a company is incorporated. The firm helps founders validate ideas, refine go-to-market strategy and connect with pharma executives, design partners and customers. Founders also gain access to an advisory network that includes Amy Abernethy, co-founder of Highlander Health and former Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Kim Branson, Chief AI Officer at GSK.
Raoof previously was the first commercial hire and Vice President of Business Development at Iterative Health, built biopharma research partnerships at Flatiron Health, which was acquired by Roche, and covered biotech and outsourced pharma services at J.P. Morgan. He most recently led techbio and pharmatech investing at SignalFire. Since beginning to deploy Fund I, the firm has secured allocations in competitive rounds alongside leading multi-stage investors. Rohit Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Chronicle Bio, said Proximal brings a rare combination of industry relationships and an understanding of data ecosystems. Jim Lim, Managing Partner of Domino Lane, said that many drug outcomes are determined by trials, manufacturing, commercial and regulatory work that few investors understand in totality.
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