Early-stage deep-tech health VC firm led by scientists.
We back startups shaping the future of health care and personalized medicine. We fund ideas until they become reality. Our favorite phrase? ‘We don’t have investors yet.’
About us
Founded by researchers out of Stanford’s Department of Genetics and Directors of the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab, Arben Ventures has unique access to the research ecosystem ranked #1 in the world for genomics and leading in precision medicine, longevity, multi-omics, and wearables. PhDs manage due diligence and support our portfolio teams as they launch, scale, and grow their companies, every step of the way.
We write $25-50K initial checks under $12M valuation, and up to $500K follow-on for our portfolio of pre-seed and seed stage health startups. Our portfolio companies have the potential to improve care by collecting and using health data in smarter ways, building novel medical devices, and democratizing access to high-quality treatment.
Our mission is to accelerate tech that will make millions of people happier and healthier. We invest in areas where we see the most potential for disruption and where our partners have expertise– precision medicine, multi-omics, early cancer detection, women’s health, mental health, and longevity– with an emphasis on deep tech.
In the News
OnStartups feature
~ fund strategy ~ precision medicine~ the digital health revolution~ Ariel’s personal health journey and cancer diagnoses
Our story
In 2023, Arben Ventures was born out of the shared vision of researchers Ariel Ganz and Ben Rolnik, who have both long recognized a gap in healthcare innovation: too many transformative ideas fail to make it out of the lab due to a lack of funding, when they are too far along to rely on academic support but too early for attention from many top VCs. At our core, that’s the focus: finding and supporting pre-seed and seed founders at the intersection of medicine and tech whose ideas are at a critical early point in development.
Ariel Ganz, Cornell Nutrition PhD and Stanford Genetics postdoc, has published in fields ranging from nutrition to computational chemistry and theoretical physics. Her main work is in using multi-omic data to drive innovation in personalized mental health and nutrition.
During her research career–which includes her work under Dr. Snyder, in a lab that has seen two unicorns and 20 companies spin out– Ariel observed how even a small amount of funding can make the difference in turning a promising idea into a successful company or not. Ariel finds purpose in supporting early stage startups. She is passionate about investing in women’s health and precision medicine to optimize health for all.
Ben Rolnik’s journey to reimagining healthcare started in an unlikely place: the world of rock-and-roll. Touring with legends like Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, and the Rolling Stones, Ben witnessed firsthand the deep struggles with depression, addiction, and unhappiness among even the most successful individuals. It led him to ask why health and well-being are so elusive– even for those with every material advantage.
He turned his focus to research, conducting biological profiling studies at Stanford, and showing the potential of personalized health protocols to improve mental health care. In 2019, he became the Director of the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab, which has spun out >$500M in startup value over the last seven years alone.
Co-investors and follow-on investors
