Kazunori Maruyama, executive investment director at Astellas Venture Management (AVM), took over the Japan-based drugs company’s corporate venturing unit at the end of last year.
This followed the departure of Sakae Asanuma, former president and CEO, in December after nearly four years running the unit.
Maruyama was previously an investment director at AVM for five years until 2008, before moving to business development.
He said AVM had completed two follow-on investments in 2015 for about $3m in total, with over $200m in total investment in more than 20 companies in its investment portfolio.
AVM has some limited partner commitments to VC funds but declined to disclose details.
Of its successes, Maruyama said: “Currently, 15 compounds are under clinical development among our portfolio companies and one new investigational new drug application was completed last year. AVM is actively under negotiation for new investments in 2016.”