United States · Investor

Eli Lilly

Last cheque observed Sep 2026; 135 cheques on record.

Deploying nowCorporate VC

Series AVentureSeries BBiotechnologyClinical TrialsBiotechnology

Deploying now
95%of best year40cheques in 12 months, 135 on record
Since the last cheque32days00hrs00min00sec
Median round$51MRounds led0 of 135Sole investor11 roundsExits1 from the portfolioMostly inUnited States, 68%
Pitch Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly highlights

  1. 01

    40 cheques in the last 12 months

  2. 02

    Mostly Series A and Venture: 60% of its rounds

  3. 03

    Sole investor in 11 rounds, median $11M

  4. 04

    1 exits from the portfolio

What they do

Type
Corporate VC (from a list, unverified)
Cheque size
Not stated
Sectors
BiotechnologyClinical TrialsBiotechnology
Based in
Indianapolis, United States
Cold pitches
Not stated

The record

Every round we can evidence, newest first135 appearances

  1. 2026

    34 rounds

  2. Sept
    BigHat BiosciencesSeries C · US · Kevin Moore$75MWith 4 others
  3. Sept
    ThatchSeries C · US · TechCrunch$108MWith 5 others
  4. Sept
    Caspian TherapeuticsSeries A · QRM Capital$50MWith 7 others
  5. Sept
    Superluminal MedicinesSeries B · US$66MWith 4 others
  6. Sept
    QurCan Therapeutics Inc.Venture · CA$3.0MWith 2 others
  7. Sept
    ViaNautisVenture · GB$27MSole investor
  8. Sept
    Orbis MedicinesVenture · DK$94MWith 4 others
  9. Sept
    Circle PharmaSeries E · US$93MWith 1 other
  10. Sept
    Beta BionicsUS$173MWith 3 others
  11. Sept
    Moonwalk BiosciencesSeries B · US$70MWith 4 others
  12. Sept
    updocGrant · AU$9.2MWith 4 others
  13. Jul
    AdvanCellSeries D · AU · QRM Capital$315MWith 16 others
  14. Jul
    Alto NeuroscienceUS$100MWith 3 others
  15. Jul
    OuraVenture · FI$900MWith 4 others
  16. Jul
    Alchemab TherapeuticsSeries A · GB$34MWith 4 others
  17. Jul
    Ratio TherapeuticsSeries C · US$70MWith 1 other
  18. Jun
    SonoTheraSeries B · US · Ventureburn$125MWith 10 others
  19. Jun
    Laverock TherapeuticsGrant · GB$3.0MWith 3 others
  20. Jun
    TRIMTECH TherapeuticsSeed · US$14MWith 1 other
  21. Jun
    AbsciUS$100MWith 3 others
  22. Jun
    Lycia TherapeuticsSeries D · US$75MWith 3 others
  23. Jun
    ProQR TherapeuticsNL$59MWith 1 other
  24. May
    LTZ TherapeuticsCN · Ventureburn$38MWith 4 others
  25. May
    Cabaletta BioUS$150MWith 4 others
  26. May
    Remedium BioVenture · US$1.5MWith 1 other
  27. Apr
    Incyclix BioSeries B · US$5.0MWith 2 others
  28. Apr
    Iterative HealthSeries C · US$77MWith 3 others
  29. Mar
    Crossbow TherapeuticsSeries B · US$77MWith 1 other
  30. Feb
    BreezeBioSeries B · US$60MWith 3 others
  31. Jan
    Recludix PharmaVenture · USUndisclosedWith 2 others
  32. Jan
    ProQR TherapeuticsGrant · NL$9.2MWith 1 other
  33. Jan
    TRex BioVenture · US$50MWith 3 others
  34. Jan
    InduProVenture · USUndisclosedWith 1 other
  35. Jan
    XellSmartVentureUndisclosedWith 3 others
  36. 2025

    35 rounds

  37. Dec
    Excelsior SciencesSeries A · US · AlleyWatch$70MWith 3 others
  38. Dec
    Sanegene BioSeries B · US$110MWith 4 others
  39. Dec
    Terns PharmaceuticalsUS$650MWith 3 others
  40. Nov
    ABL BioKR$15MWith 1 other
  41. Nov
    Gate BioscienceSeries B · US$65MWith 5 others
  42. Nov
    NextCureUS$22MWith 4 others

An announcement gives the size of the round, not the size of this investor's cheque: the only rounds that imply a cheque are those where they were the sole named investor.

The team

We hold 16 people at this firm from the lists this database was built from: a weaker source than the filings, since a list does not say when a title ended. Login to see them.

Exits from the portfolio

Companies it backed that were later bought or listed1 in all

Eyetel ImagingBought by NeuroMetrix$10MDec 2007

An exit counts when it came after the firm's first round in the company. From historical deal records.

Companies it bought

Acquisitions by the firm itself

Novartis Animal Health$5.4BApr 2014
Avid Radiopharmaceuticals$800MNov 2010
Alnara PharmaceuticalsUndisclosedJul 2010
Imclone Systems$6.5BOct 2008
SGX Pharmaceuticals$66MJul 2008

Who they invest alongside

The investors most often in the same rounds as Eli Lilly. A count of rooms they were both in, not a relationship either has claimed.

RA Capital ManagementPrivate equity15rounds togetherAlexandria Venture InvestmentsVC firm12rounds togetherARCH Venture PartnersVC firm9rounds togetherPolaris PartnersVC firm9rounds togetherQiming Venture PartnersVC firm9rounds togetherJanus Henderson InvestorsPrivate equity8rounds togetherSofinnova PartnersVC firm8rounds togetherAbbVieCorporate VC7rounds togetherCatalio Capital ManagementVC firm7rounds togetherCormorant Asset ManagementPrivate equity7rounds togetherOrbiMedPrivate equity7rounds togetherPerceptive AdvisorsAsset manager7rounds together

Recently backed

The latest companies Eli Lilly put money into.

BigHat Biosciences$75M · Sept 2026Thatch$108M · Sept 2026QurCan Therapeutics Inc.$3.0M · Sept 2026ViaNautis$27M · Sept 2026Orbis Medicines$94M · Sept 2026Circle Pharma$93M · Sept 2026

On podcasts

6 episodes naming Eli Lilly in the title, and 4 more that mention it.

Mentioned in

Quick answers about Eli Lilly

What does Eli Lilly invest in?

Eli Lilly invests most often at Series A and Venture (60% of the rounds on record), in sectors such as Biotechnology, Clinical Trials and Biotechnology.

How active is Eli Lilly?

135 investments on record, 40 of them in the last 12 months. The most recent was in Sept 2026.

What has Eli Lilly invested in recently?

Its most recent investments on record: BigHat Biosciences (Series C, Sept 2026), Thatch (Series C, Sept 2026) and Caspian Therapeutics (Series A, Sept 2026).

How big are Eli Lilly's cheques?

The median round it joins is $51M.

Does Eli Lilly lead rounds?

Rarely, if at all: none of its 135 investments on record names it as the lead.

Where does Eli Lilly invest?

Most of the companies it backs are in the United States (68%), the United Kingdom (8%) and Australia (5%).

Is Eli Lilly investing now?

Yes: it is actively investing, with 40 investments in the last 12 months.

Who does Eli Lilly invest alongside?

Most often RA Capital Management (15 rounds together), Alexandria Venture Investments (12 rounds together) and ARCH Venture Partners (9 rounds together).

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Built from the rounds we watched, its filings and its own website, refreshed every night. How we count · Report a correction · Is this your firm? Claim it