Michael Martin has been the global head of Takeda Ventures, the corporate venture capital (CVC) offshoot of Japanese biopharmaceutical company Takeda, since 2017.
He joined the unit two years earlier following a stint in the parent company’s global licensing business. Martin was originally hired by Takeda as a result of its purchase of California-based cancer treatment company Intellikine for $310m, where he had been a vice-president, at the end of 2011.
Takeda Ventures focuses on high-calibre therapeutic and platform-based opportunities around the world, investing in early-stage opportunities that complement Takeda’s pipeline and products. Its current portfolio is made up of 70 companies.
Its stated mission is to “create strategic growth opportunities for Takeda by investing and nurturing innovative life science companies in areas aligned with Takeda’s R&D focuses”. These include oncology, gastroenterology, neuroscience and rare diseases.
The unit’s most recent deals include a lead role in the $42m series A round for HC Bioscience, a developer of protein-editing technology based in Massachusetts, and participation in the $45m series C raise for healthcare data analytics company Koneksa Health. Takeda Ventures also took part in the $44m series A round for Egle Therapeutics, a French developer of immunotherapies for oncology and autoimmune diseases.
Martin’s previous roles include executive positions at TargeGen, which was acquired by Sanofi-Aventis, Arena Pharmaceuticals and Monsanto Corporation. He earned his doctorate in medicinal chemistry from the University of Illinois and holds a master’s degree in analytical chemistry as well as bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and mathematics.
