Profile of Speaker/Author
Dr. Vemuri joined Quaker BioVentures as a Senior Associate
in 2003. Prior to this she was an Associate at Toucan
Capital Corp. where she was responsible for seed-stage and
start-up biotech opportunities. Earlier in her career, Dr.
Vemuri was an associate equity analyst at SalomonSmithBarney
and First Union Securities where she covered the
pharmaceutical and specialty healthcare sectors. She has
also worked as a researcher at the Wistar Institute and
Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Vemuri holds a PhD from the
Indian Institute of Sciences and an MBA from the Wharton
School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Abstract of Presentation/Publication
Venture capital is one of the key investment sources for
early stage biotechnology companies. With a ready pool of
capital and the capacity to follow on though multiple rounds
of investment, venture capital provides financial stability
to rapidly growing biotech firms. However, not all biotech
companies are appropriate vehicles for venture investment.
The financial returns needed by venture investors and a
cyclic financial industry mandate that only a limited number
of companies will be funded through venture capital. This
presentation will discuss the unique role of the venture
capitalist in the financing and growth of biotechnology
companies.
