Genesys Snapshot:
Genesys Capital invests in and builds companies in the high-growth sectors of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and medical technology. We have a proven track record of identifying emerging bioscience opportunities, and transforming them into commercially successful companies. That track record is fuelled by robust industry relationships, broad business expertise, and a deep understanding of the life sciences sector.
Genesys has generated more than 18 exits from 38 portfolio companies and has invested more than $250M. Our third institutional fund is closed and we’re actively considering new, high-potential life science companies for investment.
Our team has worked together for two decades of successful and continuous partnership.
Long standing relationships with leading North American research institutes and universities provide us with early insights into top-tier research discoveries and world-class innovation, as well as preferential access to high potential deal flow and deep diligence expertise.
We use our local world class research corridor as a lens to identify the most promising investment opportunities and apply our company creation strategy – a formula that has repeatedly proven its effectiveness with profitable returns.
We provide the critical expertise portfolio companies need to scale from great science on the bench to viable commercial enterprises competing in the global market. From thought leaders to executives to key advisors, our network and inhouse expertise give our companies the tools they need to perform.
Our team provides the deep domain expertise and experience needed to scale emerging opportunities in the lab into successful companies that will change the lives of countless patients around the world.
Jennifer Williams
Chief Financial Officer
Ms. Williams is Director of Finance and Operations and joined Genesys Capital in 2002. Ms. Williams brings to Genesys a well-balanced range of skills. She has a proven track record of success in implementing a variety of major projects, and in working with senior stakeholders and key contacts. During her career with Genesys she has worked closely with the team to develop the operations and is responsible for finance and administration.
Ms. Williams graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce and holds an MBA from Queen's University.
Damian Lamb
Co-founder, Managing Director
Mr. Lamb is co-Founder and Managing Director of Genesys Capital. With over 20 years experience in life sciences venture capital, he is one of Canada's most experienced investors and company builders. Since co-founding Genesys Capital in 2000, Mr. Lamb has been instrumental in raising over $300 million in venture capital funds, and has been involved in deploying over $250 million across 38 investments. He currently serves on the Boards of Flosonics Medical, CryoStasis Inc., and the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization at McMaster University. Mr. Lamb has served on the Board of Affinium Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Debiopharm), Ionalytics Corporation (acquired by Thermo Electron Corp.), Millenium Biologix (acquired by Medtronic) and was Chairman of the Board of Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (acquired by AstraZeneca NASDAQ:AZN), Profound Medical Corp. (NASDAQ:PROF) and DELEX Therapeutics Inc. when it was sold to YM BioSciences (now Gilead). Mr. Lamb works closely with Genesys investee companies to strategically position the companies to build value for shareholders.
Prior to co-founding Genesys Capital, Mr. Lamb was an Investment Manager with MDS Capital Corp. He is a frequently invited speaker at biotechnology industry conferences. Mr. Lamb graduated from McMaster University, Faculty of Health Sciences, with a Master of Science in Molecular Neurobiology and also holds an MBA from Queen's University.
Lisa Low
Senior Vice President, Finance
Ms. Low joined Genesys Capital in 2007 in the role of Chief Financial Officer. She has more than 20 years of experience in finance and administration in the investment fund industry. She was formerly the CFO of a retail venture capital fund manager from its inception, growth to close to $1 Billion in assets under management and on through to its wind down. Ms. Low consults to a small number investment firms and is also the head of finance for Sankoya Technologies, developer of a next-generation waste treatment solution.
Ms. Low is a Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Master of Accounting (MAcc) from the University of Waterloo.
Kelly Holman
Co-founder, Managing Director
Mr. Holman is co-Founder and Managing Director of Genesys Capital and has extensive commercial and technical experience in the biotechnology industry. Since co-founding Genesys Capital in 2000, Mr. Holman has been actively involved in raising over $300 million of venture capital and has been instrumental in deploying over $250 million across 38 investments. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Adapsyn Bioscience Inc., Functional Neuromodulation Ltd., and Questat Inc. From 2012-2015, he was a board observer with Invitae (NYSE: NVTA). From 2001 to 2013, he served on the board of Epocal, a Genesys portfolio company acquired by Alere, now Abbott Labs (NYSE: ABT).
Prior to co-founding Genesys Capital, Mr. Holman was a Senior Investment Manager with MDS Capital Corporation. Previously, Mr. Holman worked in the laboratory of Dr. Peter St George-Hyslop at the University of Toronto where he was a key member of the international research team that discovered several genes responsible for Alzheimer's disease. Mr. Holman holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biochemistry and an MBA, both from Queen's University.
Sarah Farr
Senior Associate
Dr. Farr joined Genesys Capital in 2020 as an Associate, bringing to the team eight years of experience at the bench in laboratory research and discovery. She is responsible for sourcing deal flow and carrying out diligence on biotech and medtech investment opportunities. She is also a board observer for Giiant Pharma Inc., and Questat Inc.
Before Genesys, Dr. Farr worked as a Business Development Officer in the Industry Partnerships & Commercialization office at the Hospital for Sick Children, where she managed IP, industry partnerships, and start-up opportunities.
Dr. Farr received her PhD from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto where she studied the effects of an anti-diabetic hormone on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. She also has a Bachelor of Health Science (Honours) with a minor in Biochemistry from McMaster University.
Jamie Stiff
Managing Director
Mr. Stiff joined Genesys Capital in 2002 and became Partner at the firm in 2007 and Managing Director in 2016. During his tenure with Genesys, he has been responsible for investments in several early-stage portfolio companies that cross a multitude of clinical disciplines and technology areas. Current board affiliations include Feldan Therapeutics, Giiant Pharma Inc. and Veralox Therapeutics, Inc. Past board affiliations include Allostera Pharma, Fairhaven Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Liminal BioSciences Inc. NASDAQ:LMNL), gIcare Pharma, Interface Biologics, Inversago Pharma Inc. (acquired by Novo Nordisk NYSE:NVO), Matregen, Naurex (acquired by Allergan NYSE:AGN), NeurAxon, StemPath, Therapeutic Monitoring Systems and Zelos Therapeutics. Mr. Stiff also volunteers as a board member for BioteCanada, and as an advisor to the Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI), the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) and Medicine by Design and as an associate with the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL).
Prior to joining Genesys, Mr. Stiff worked at the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in the genetic diagnostics field. This experience, combined with an academic background in biology, has provided significant technical knowledge of many areas of life sciences. Mr. Stiff completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Queen's University and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management.
Paras Sharma
Senior Associate
Mr. Sharma joined Genesys Capital in 2020 as an Associate, focusing on exploring cutting edge life sciences technologies and supporting current portfolio companies. He currently serves as a Board Observer at Veralox Therapeutics, Inc, Feldan Therapeutics, and CryoStasis.
Before Genesys, Mr. Sharma worked at adMare Bioinnovations, where he was responsible for proactive identification of new opportunities, deal sourcing and financial valuations. Prior to his time at adMare, he served as a Management Consultant providing primary strategic insights to big pharma.
He has also held various scientific roles in an early drug discovery group at Eisai Inc. and in a clinical biomarker group at Alexion Pharma. He spent his early career in academic research at Abramson Cancer Center at University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Sharma holds a Bachelor of Technology from Amity University Gurgaon, a Master of Biotechnology from the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the UBC Sauder School of Business at University of British Columbia.
Christine Thoburn
Office Manager
Bagsværd, Denmark, 20 September 2024 - Novo Nordisk today announced headline results from a phase 2a clinical trial with monlunabant, a small molecule oral cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) inverse agonist. Monlunabant, formerly INV-202, was part of the acquisition of Inversago Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced in August 2023.
Quebec City and Toronto, Canada, September 4th, 2024 - Feldan Therapeutics (Feldan), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of treatments based on intracellular delivery of therapeutics, has announced the closure of a US$ 21 million Series B round co-led by Genesys Capital (Genesys) and Fonds de solidarité FTQ (Fonds).
June 24, 2024 - The past couple of years have seen Big Pharmas whip out their wallets to place high-stake bets in the red-hot races for antibody-drug conjugates, radiopharmaceuticals and obesity drugs, to name a few. We wanted to take another look at some of the deals that have kept our attention.
June 6, 2024 - Damian Lamb '92, '95 grew up in Scotland, immigrated to Canada in time for high school and then followed his brother to McMaster to earn a BSc. “Undergrad is a blur,” Damian admitted, looking back on his first McMaster degree. “I loved the science program. It further cemented my desire that that was where I wanted to make my mark.”
HAMILTON, ON and BOSTON, June 4, 2024 PRNewswire -- Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: FUSN), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radioconjugates (RCs), announced the successful completion of the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of Fusion by a wholly-owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca AB by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under section 192 of the Canada Business Corporations Act, referred to as the Arrangement.
June 2024 - Congratulations to Genesys Partner and CFO Jennifer Williams on being appointed to the Board of the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA)! Proud to have Genesys Capital represented!
MAY 29, 2024 - Toronto-based Genesys Capital won the 2024 VC Deal of the Year award for its investment in Montréal-based Inversago Pharma. Gensys led Inversago's $7-million Series A round in 2018 which led to a $1.4 billion CAD acquisition by Novo Nordisk in August 2023.
SUDBURY, ON, Mar 19, 2024 — Flosonics Medical, a leader in wearable medical ultrasound has announced Series C financing of $20 million USD. The round was led by New Leaf Venture Partners, with participation from previous investors Arboretum Ventures, Genesys Capital, and iGan Partners. This new funding will support Flosonics as the company continues to innovate and drive market adoption of FloPatch, a first-in-class wearable Doppler ultrasound for hemodynamic assessments.