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RiverVest Venture Capital Firm

RiverVest is a national venture capital firm based in St. Louis that focuses on seed and early stage life sciences investments. The RiverVest team boasts over 80 years of business and professional experience coming from diverse and complementary backgrounds. A common-sense approach matched with strategic relationships and access to the Midwest Centers of Excellence allows RiverVest to be uniquely qualified to join forces with entrepreneurs who are creating the backbone of the future’s leading life science companies.

RiverVest’s goal is to recognize talented entrepreneurs and scientists by supporting development of their life sciences technologies with the capital and business expertise needed to address major market needs, creating successful enterprises that provide outstanding returns to investors.

RiverVest invests in seed and early-stage life sciences companies creating novel technologies that address major market needs. RiverVest prefers to take the lead role in financings and will initially invest from $500,000 to $3 million, reaching a total of $4 to $6 million over the course of a company’s development. They are able to syndicate investments with other leading venture capital firms and are also able to capitalize on Midwest Centers of Excellence as sources of regional investment opportunities and intellectual wealth.

Particular sectors of interest include:
Medical Devices
Biotechnology
Specialty pharmaceuticals
Bioinformatics and genomics

The RiverVest team brings a record of success and complementary professional backgrounds to the firm’s management. The principals' individual experiences range from performing hands-on medical research to running a Fortune 500 company.

Principals and Managing Directors
Thomas C. Melzer
Jay W. Schmelter
Mark J. Mendel, Ph.D.
Andrew B. Craig III