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§ Venture Capital · Kirkland, WA, USA
Venture capital firm investing in early-stage life science and healthcare companies, focused on biotech and medical devices.
Altitude Life Science Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Kirkland, Washington, that invests in early-stage life science, biotechnology, medical device, and healthcare companies. The firm focuses on advancing scientific and technological frontiers by supporting innovations across protein and small molecule therapeutics, oncology, artificial intelligence, diagnostics, medical devices, agriculture, and DNA sequencing. Operating primarily as a boutique early-stage investment fund within the United States, the organization executes venture capital investments with individual deal sizes typically ranging from $3.5 million to $75 million. The firm generates returns through management fees and carried interest on successful portfolio company exits, providing capital and strategic guidance to a historical portfolio that includes recognizable biotechnology entities such as Theraclone Sciences, VLST, and Amira Pharmaceuticals. Altitude Life Science Ventures was founded in 2004 by David Maki and managing partner Dave Schubert.
Key people at Altitude Life Science Ventures.
Altitude Life Science Ventures was founded in 2006 by Steve Johnson (Co-Founder and Partner).
Altitude Life Science Ventures has more than 26 tracked investments across 17 companies. The latest tracked deal is $54.4M Series B in Ansa Biotechnologies in October 2025.
Key people at Altitude Life Science Ventures.
Altitude Life Science Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Kirkland, Washington, specializing in early-stage life science investments within high-demand markets like therapeutics, diagnostics, gene editing, AI/machine learning therapeutics, medical devices, and DNA sequencing.[2][3][6] Its mission centers on backing top-tier teams to build defensible businesses from advances in biology or chemistry, leveraging deep expertise in intellectual property (IP) strategic planning to complement syndicate partners and maximize value through extended due diligence.[1][2] The firm has made 31 investments as of March 2020, with notable exits including Vir Biotechnology, UNITY Biotechnology, and Receptos, and manages multiple funds including Altitude Life Science Ventures Fund III and Side Fund III.[1][5]
Founded in 2006 in Durango, Colorado, by Steve Johnson and Dave Maki (with David Maki listed as founder), Altitude Life Science Ventures initially operated from Colorado before relocating its base to Kirkland, WA.[1][2][3][5] The partners brought historical experience in IP strategic planning for life sciences, which evolved into a core focus on early- and late-stage ventures in biotechnology and related fields.[1][2] Key early traction included building a portfolio with companies like Omniome, Beam Therapeutics, and Vividion Therapeutics, culminating in eight exits and a most recent investment in Omniome's $60M round on January 9, 2020.[1]
Altitude rides the wave of accelerating life sciences innovation, particularly in gene editing, AI-driven drug discovery, and precision diagnostics, amid rising demand for novel therapeutics post-pandemic.[2][3] Timing aligns with surging biotech funding in high-growth areas like biotechnology and health tech, where IP strength is crucial for dominating therapeutic spaces amid regulatory and market pressures.[2] The firm influences the ecosystem by enabling early-stage companies to scale through robust IP portfolios, fostering exits that recycle capital into new ventures and supporting syndicate dynamics in a capital-intensive sector.[1][2][5]
With a disciplined focus on IP-protected innovations, Altitude is positioned to capitalize on AI integration in drug discovery and next-gen modalities like gene editing, potentially expanding its 50+ backed startups amid biotech resurgence.[3][5] Trends like autonomous science and advanced sequencing will shape its trajectory, driving more exits in a maturing market. Its influence may grow through larger funds and deeper networks, solidifying its role in transforming life science markets with strong demand—just as its early bets on Beam Therapeutics and UNITY Biotechnology demonstrated enduring potential.[1][2]
