NEW YORK– Jefferson River Capital has announced the launch of Jefferson Life Sciences, a new early-stage life sciences investment firm dedicated to advancing breakthrough therapeutic platforms at the frontier of human health. The firm has also named veteran biotech entrepreneur and executive Dr. Laura Lande-Diner as Managing Partner and unveiled its initial investments in Character Biosciences and Juvena Therapeutics.
“Now more than ever, the biotech industry needs investors with a long-term view that can help turn bold scientific ideas into meaningful therapeutic solutions for patients in need,” said Dr. Lande-Diner. “At Jefferson Life Sciences, we believe that rigorous science, combined with technological innovation, holds tremendous potential for improving lives while generating significant value. Our goal is to support visionary scientists and entrepreneurs and help bring their ideas to the clinic.”
Jefferson Life Sciences is focused on therapeutic platforms that apply strong scientific fundamentals and cutting-edge technologies with clear development pathways and experienced leadership teams. The firm’s flexible investment approach is designed to foster innovation while addressing critical unmet medical needs.
Dr. Lande-Diner brings extensive experience across science, entrepreneurship, and investment. Before joining Jefferson Life Sciences, she served as President and Chief Business Officer of Satellite Bio and was a founding team member at Valo Health, where she led the company’s early data strategy and secured multiple key business development partnerships. Earlier in her career, she contributed to the founding of four life sciences companies at Flagship Pioneering, helped build The Engine’s Founder Advisor network, and currently mentors at the Faculty Founders MIT initiative.
“Having served as a scientist, entrepreneur, executive, and now investor, Laura brings the vision and breadth of expertise needed to turn scientific promise into patient impact and financial value,” said Ham James, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Carica Sustainable Investments.
Jefferson Life Sciences’ first portfolio companies reflect its mission-driven investment strategy. Character Biosciences is a precision medicine company transforming drug development for progressive, polygenic diseases, beginning with ophthalmology. Juvena Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering tissue restorative biologics for chronic muscle and metabolic diseases, leveraging its AI-enabled discovery and development platform, JuvNET.
Through Jefferson Life Sciences, Jefferson River Capital aims to advance a new generation of therapeutic innovations by investing in exceptional teams translating scientific discovery into transformative healthcare solutions.
