Latest fund size
$27.5M
Announced
November 11, 2026
Global HQ
United States
Members only
Check size
$500K-$1.5M
Members only
Stage focus
Pre-Seed, Seed
Members only
Regions of investment
North America
Members only
Proximal Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded by Sahir Raoof to back AI-native companies building across the life science value chain. The firm operates as a first-check fund, partnering with founders before incorporation to support ideation and initial go-to-market strategy. Raoof previously led biotech and pharmatech investments at SignalFire and spent roughly a decade as an operator at life sciences startups, including Flatiron Health and Iterative Health.
Members only
Names, roles, emails and LinkedIn profiles for the team, plus the fund's website.
Proximal Ventures backs AI-driven transformation of the tools, infrastructure, and services that support drug development, with a thesis centered on using AI to automate and lower the cost of outsourced pharma services.
The firm invests at the pre-seed and seed stages across the life science value chain, from molecule to market.
Members only
What the fund looks for in founders and which sectors it backs.
Proximal Ventures closed its debut fund, Proximal Ventures Fund I, at $27.5 million, announced November 2026.
Limited partners include SignalFire, Kleiner Perkins, and Bertelsmann Healthcare Investments, along with individual investors Nan Li and Zavain Dar (co-founders of Dimension Capital) and Amy Abernethy (co-founder of Highlander Health and former FDA principal deputy commissioner).
Members only
Fund size, LPs and track record.
Leadership
Investment Strategy
Proximal Ventures writes first checks of $500,000 to $1.5 million and often partners with founders before incorporation to support ideation and initial go-to-market strategy.
The firm has backed six startups to date.
Notable Investments
Members only
Leadership, investment strategy, notable investments and exits.
