Ascenta Capital is a Florida-based venture capital firm founded in 2023 by Evan Rachlin, M.D. and Lorence Kim, M.D., both former senior leaders at Moderna. The firm focuses on building and supporting companies developing multiple medicines from a single core technology. This approach allows Ascenta to back biotechs that balance risk through diversified pipelines, particularly at the early clinical stage.
Ascenta is targeting platform companies in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials across multiple therapeutic areas.
The firm prioritizes startups with the potential to generate broad pipelines rather than single assets, providing both financial support and deep operational guidance in clinical, regulatory, manufacturing, and capital strategy.
In October 2025, Ascenta announced the close of its inaugural $325 million Fund I. The firm had already led or co-led six syndicates since launch, deploying over $100 million collectively into early clinical-stage companies.
Fund I solidifies Ascenta as a specialized biotech investor at scale.
Leadership
Ascenta Capital is led by Evan Rachlin, M.D. and Lorence Kim, M.D., both co-founders and managing partners who bring deep experience from the intersection of biotech, finance, and operations. Rachlin previously served at Blackstone Life Sciences and led strategy at Moderna, while Kim was CFO of Moderna, a partner at Third Rock Ventures, and co-founder of ElevAAte Biotech, a nonprofit advancing East Asian American leadership in biopharma. Together, they combine scientific insight with strategic and investment expertise to back the next generation of platform biotechs.
Investment Strategy
Ascenta follows a highly selective strategy, working with a small number of exceptional biotechs to provide concentrated thought-partnership.
It invests collaboratively alongside top-tier co-investors, focusing on companies at pivotal moments in early human studies.
Notable Investments
Ascenta’s portfolio includes:
Other
Ascenta is platform-first and phase 1/2 focused, making it a unique partner for biotechs with diversified pipelines. Its leadership combines operational and financial expertise from Moderna, Blackstone, and Third Rock, giving it a strong network across both biotech and capital markets.
