Arkin raises $100 million biotech fund focused on early clinical science
Arkin Bio Ventures III emphasizes scientific rigor amid shifting biotech markets.
Arkin Capital has closed a new $100 million biotech fund, doubling down on a strategy that runs counter to much of the current enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery.
The fund, Arkin Bio Ventures III, will invest in advanced pre-clinical and early clinical-stage biotech companies developing therapies for areas of high unmet medical need, including oncology, immunology, inflammation and rare diseases. It is backed by institutional investors including Phoenix Insurance, Clal Insurance and Amitim Pension Funds, alongside a significant commitment from Arkin Capital itself.
While computational tools and AI continue to reshape parts of drug discovery, Arkin’s third early-stage biotech fund is explicitly grounded in a more traditional thesis: that successful therapeutics are built first on strong biology, careful experimental design and credible clinical results. The fund’s approach reflects continuity with Arkin Bio Ventures I, launched in 2016, and its successor in 2020, but with a sharper focus on assets closer to clinical validation.
The fund plans to invest in 10 to 12 companies globally. It will be led by Dr. Pini Orbach and is dedicated to the memory of Alon Lazarus, who played a central role in its formation.
With the launch of Arkin Bio Ventures III, Arkin Bio now manages more than $600 million in biotech-focused assets across early- and late-stage strategies. Arkin Capital as a whole oversees more than $2 billion across 12 funds spanning healthcare, equity, technology and real estate, with life sciences remaining a central pillar of its investment activity.
“Our commitment is to frontline science and the teams bringing it to life,” said Dr. Orbach, managing partner at Arkin Bio. The new fund, he said, is designed to push promising private companies toward clinical proof-of-concept by combining scientific rigor with investment discipline and a global network.
