Rob Hopfner
Managing Partner at Pivotal bioVenture Partners
Rob Hopfner
Managing Partner at Pivotal bioVenture Partners
San Francisco, California
Overview
Work Experience
Managing Partner
2017 - Current
- Life sciences venture capital firm with $685 million under management - Primary focus on seed through mezzanine stage private biopharma investments - Co-managed Pivotal bioVenture Partners Fund I, a $300 million fund and new entrant into life science venture capital in 2017 sponsored by Nan Fung Life Sciences. Set up the operation, recruited a team of six to invest and manage it, and built the firm into a well-known, leading brand in the industry - Investments include Vaxcyte (NASDAQ: PCVX), Karuna (acquired by BMS), Gracell (acquired by AZ), Arcutis (NASDAQ: ARQT), Inozyme (NASDAQ: INZY), Oculis (NASDAQ: OCS), Rallybio (NASDAQ: RLYB), Exscientia (NASDAQ: EXAI), Plexium, and Evommune. - Raised Pivotal bioVenture Partners Fund II, a $389 million fund including both Nan Fung Life Sciences and outside Limited Partners on the back of strong performance of Fund I
Managing Director and Partner
2009 - 2017
- Led or co-led 13 investments as a Partner at the firm with top-tier aggregate returns and low loss-rate - Investments include Hyperion Therapeutics (sold to Horizon Pharma), NextWave Pharmaceuticals (sold to Pfizer), Civitas Therapeutics (sold to Acorda), Dermira (sold to Lilly), Zymogenetics (sold to BMS), Vtesse (sold to Sucampo), Aciex Therapeutics (sold to Nicox), Protez (sold to Novartis), Merus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRUS), Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: MDGL), and Kezar Life Sciences (NASDAQ: KZR)
Principal
2006 - 2009
- Responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence, execution, and oversight of biotech venture investments - Primary author of a white paper entitled “Why Invest in Life Sciences?” for a major Bay City Capital Limited Partner - Conducted a landscape analysis and wrote a white paper defining investment strategies in the therapeutic antibody space, which led to two successful fund investments - Created Bay City Capital’s formal deal review and execution process
Analyst/Associate
2003 - 2006
Supported Chief Investment Officer in managing out a Bay City Capital affiliate fund, NANAF (Nutrition & Agribusiness Fund)