Arben Ventures
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AboutTeamAdvisors PortfolioTestimonialsContact
A R B E N   V E N T U R E S

Investing in the future of health.

A venture fund run by scientists, backing the researchers and founders solving the hardest problems in human health — from the earliest possible stage.

70+
Portfolio companies
>$200M
Follow-on funding
4
FDA clearances
O U R   M I S S I O N

Until what should exist, does.

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 — every step of the way. We invest in areas where we see the most potential for disruption and where our partners have expertise.

In 2023, Arben Ventures was born from a shared conviction: too many transformative ideas fail to make it out of the lab. They're too far along for academic support but too early for top VCs. We bridge that gap.


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 mission is to accelerate the technologies that will make millions of people healthier.

F O C U S   A R E A S

Where we invest

We invest where converging breakthroughs in genomics, multi-omics, wearables, and AI are creating transformational opportunities in human health.

30%Precision Medicine
15%Early Cancer Detection
15%Women's Health
15%Chronic Disease
10%Mental Health
10%Brain & Neurotech
5%Robotics
#1
Stanford Genetics
World ranking in genomics
19,000+
Relationships
Founders, scientists, investors
90%
Warm introductions
Deal sourcing
$10M+
Capital referred
To portfolio companies
H O W   W E   H E L P

We help companies win.

Our engagement goes far beyond capital. We're in the trenches with founders every week.

$10M+
Capital Referred
Follow-on introductions
12
Speaking Placements
Including at Stanford
200+
Strategic Introductions
Board, partners, customers
Weekly
CEO Mastermind
Active founder community
T E A M

It's personal for us.

Our founders carry genetic risk factors, survived cancer, and built this fund because they couldn't not. Authenticity is our strongest signal.

Ariel Ganz, PhD

Ariel Ganz, PhD

Founder & Managing Partner

Cornell Nutrition PhD. Stanford Genetics Postdoc. Co-founded the Stanford Mental Healthcare Innovations Summit. 20+ peer-reviewed publications, 1,887 citations. Published in Nature Medicine. Raised >$15M in philanthropic and venture capital.

Survivor of breast and thyroid cancer — it's personal.

Benjamin Rolnik

Benjamin Rolnik

Founder & Partner

Co-founded the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab (>$500M in startup value). Raised >$20M in philanthropy. 5.9x angel track record. Founded 3 startups, Enovone to $3M revenue in 16 months. 19,000+ relationship network.

Has APOE4, a major risk factor for Alzheimer's — it's personal.

Julia Cigarroa Heymach

Julia Cigarroa Heymach

Venture Partner

Stanford Economics BA + Data Science MS. Interned with Governor Newsom's Senior Advisor on Social Innovation. VP of Synapse (brain injury support). Olympic Trials Finalist in the 1500m. Stanford and Pac-12 record holder.

Nico Tellez

Nico Tellez

Venture Partner

Stanford Computational Biology. Researched immune cell distribution and depression under Dr. Michael Snyder. Founded Steel Jupiter (EPA-approved air filter tech). Currently at Palantir.

Diana Francisco

Diana Francisco

Executive Assistant

Operational and creative anchor. Expertise in accounting, CRM, AI tools, and project management. First university council president at her university. Champions accessible education and marginalized communities.

Syon

Syon

Intern

Cornell University — Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with Business minor. Prior experience at a biopharmaceutical company and LifeNome, a precision health startup.

A D V I S O R S

World-class advisors

Our advisory network includes pioneers in genomics, venture capital, institutional investing, and culture.

Mike Snyder, PhD

Mike Snyder, PhD

Stanford Professor of Genetics, Chair Emeritus

Led Stanford Genetics to #1 worldwide ranking in genomics. Pioneer of multi-omic longitudinal health profiling. Founded 20+ companies. Former Director of Yale Center for Genomics.

Dave McClure

Dave McClure

Co-founder, Practical VC · Founder, 500 Global

30+ years investing. 40+ unicorns, 10+ IPOs. Forbes Midas List 2016–17. At Founders Fund with Peter Thiel, turned $3M into >$180M (~60x).

Peter Gray

Peter Gray

Emeritus Managing Partner, Wellcome Trust

Managed ~$50B at Wellcome Trust Investments. Assets grew from £13.5B to £35B. Annualized returns >10% over 20 years, 16.4% over five years.

Walter Greenleaf, PhD

Walter Greenleaf, PhD

Stanford Neuroscientist & Technologist

Leading authority in digital medicine and medical VR. Co-founder of the International VR Health Association. Stanford Visiting Scholar.

Aman Verjee

Aman Verjee

Former CFO of eBay, PayPal & Sonos

C-suite at PayPal, eBay, and Sonos. Created billions in shareholder value. COO of 500 Startups. Co-founder of Practical Ventures.

Sophia Platt

Sophia Platt

Founding Partner, Bridge Funding Global

Top investment platform for emerging managers. Selection Committee includes Hilton Foundation, Pivotal Ventures, YMCA, Babson Endowment.

Aloe Blacc

Aloe Blacc

Grammy-Nominated Artist & Biotech Founder

Multi-platinum artist. "Wake Me Up" — 4B+ streams. Founder of Major Inc, a biotech drug development platform focused on cancer.

Sylvia Benito

Sylvia Benito

CEO of Justice Partners, Family Office Investor

20+ years portfolio management. Focus on retirement assets for individuals with >$1B. CFA. Advocate for conscious capitalism.

P O R T F O L I O

Fund 1 is working.

70+ investments across 11 categories. >$200M in follow-on funding. 4 FDA clearances. A+ co-investors including Lux Capital, Muse Capital, Draper Associates, Boost VC, and more.

Brain & Neurotech

Elemind

Neuromodulation headband that shapes brain waves for drug-free sleep. Outperforms 5 of 6 Rx treatments. MIT/Ed Boyden.
Brain & Neurotech

Acta

Alzheimer's drug development — GSM-776890 and ACT-I repurposing platform. Dr. Rudy Tanzi, Harvard/MGH.
Brain & Neurotech

Expansion Technologies

Expansion microscopy, optogenetics, and high-speed brain imaging for brain disease. Ed Boyden, MIT.
Brain & Neurotech

EightySix

AI/neurotech replacing old brain tissue with synthetic lab-grown tissue from iPSCs. Blue Brain Project founder.
Brain & Neurotech

Cognigenics

Long-acting shRNA therapeutics for chronic stress and neural dysregulation.
Brain & Neurotech

NeuroAge Therapeutics

AI-driven prevention of neurodegenerative disease by tackling root causes of brain aging.
Early Cancer Detection

QBio

Clinical digital twins and health forecasts. Automates physical exams, catches undiagnosed cancer.
Early Cancer Detection

CureMetrix

First FDA-cleared AI for breast calcification and heart-risk in mammograms. Live at SimonMed, Solis.
Early Cancer Detection

BeSound

AI-driven photoacoustic imaging for cancer detection via ultrasound. Harvard/MGH partnership. 9x SAFE markup.
Early Cancer Detection

Dognosis

Breath-based multi-cancer detection combining canine olfaction with AI brain-computer interface. 98% accuracy.
Early Cancer Detection

Malcova

Radiation-free, pain-free mammogram replacement. $6M government funding. Clinical study with Yale.
Early Cancer Detection

Mercy

Blood-based ovarian cancer assay. FDA Breakthrough Device. Nobel laureate Randy Schekman on board.
Early Cancer Detection

Feminai

Wearable patch + AI for self-breast exams. 96% sensitivity, 98% NPV over 100 patients.
Early Cancer Detection

Imago Systems

Cloud-based MSaaS for dense breast tissue cancer detection. Mayo Clinic partnership, 475 CV facilities.
Early Cancer Detection

Intercellular AI

Blood-based cancer diagnostics with microRNA sensor technology.
Mental & Behavioral Health

NorthStar Care

Virtual alcohol treatment. 91% retention, 94% success rate vs. 13% inpatient. $200M+ revenue demand.
Mental & Behavioral Health

Allia Health

Gen-AI assistant for mental health clinicians. 3,000 clinicians onboarded. Tim Draper/Boost VC backed.
Mental & Behavioral Health

Outro

First digital platform for safely tapering psychiatric meds. Dr. Mark Horowitz, deprescribing pioneer.
Mental & Behavioral Health

Firefly VR

VR meditation/mindfulness platform. VA running 8 clinical trials. Created by Guitar Hero veterans.
Mental & Behavioral Health

ReMinded

Rapid saliva-based cortisol biosensor for PTSD, addiction, stress. Won Google Pitching Competition.
Mental & Behavioral Health

Metabolic Psychiatry Labs

Metabolic approach to depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD. Dr. Shebani Sethi, Stanford Psychiatry.
Women's Health & Fertility

Vertility Health

Sperm sorting tech to prevent mutations without IVF/PGT screening. Accessible and affordable.
Women's Health & Fertility

Genie

Menstrual blood test for fertility and uterine health markers. Currently in stealth.
Women's Health & Fertility

Amira Health

Smart cooling wearable + AI coach for menopause. Detects and relieves hot flashes instantly.
Women's Health & Fertility

Stealth Reproductive Co.

Artificial womb science. YC founders and Harvard pioneer in genetics and molecular engineering.
Women's Health & Fertility

Progenic Genomics

Whole-genome health assessments of embryos for IVF embryo selection.
Chronic Disease & Pain

Bexson Biomedical

Subcutaneous drug delivery for at-home pain management. Omnibus patent on 100+ drugs.
Chronic Disease & Pain

Empo Health

Smart mat for diabetic foot ulcer detection. LOIs for 2,900 patients. Draper, Boost.vc backed.
Chronic Disease & Pain

Agate Health

Digital health platform for chronic conditions. NSF grant. Gates Scholar founder.
Chronic Disease & Pain

Swing Care

Virtual care for chronic pain/fibromyalgia. First FDA-cleared digital behavioral therapy.
Chronic Disease & Pain

RTHM

YC-backed. Remote molecular/digital measurement + AI for Long Covid and ME/CFS.
Chronic Disease & Pain

ModoScript

Remote treatment monitoring AI for clinical trials and specialty therapeutics.
Precision Health

Starling Medical

YC-backed. At-home urine biomarker tests with AI diagnoses for UTIs, kidney, heart, diabetes.
Precision Health

Parallel Health

AI-driven skincare personalized to skin microbiome. Custom phage therapy serums.
Precision Health

Above Health

AI precision health clinic for food allergies. Team includes $600M+ fundraising experience.
Precision Health

Enov.one

AI concierge medicine — lab, genetics, wearables. JoyfulRx for menopause. Draper/Boost backed.
Precision Health

SeeMedX

Non-invasive fluid management tech. Predicts acute heart failure 48-72 hrs ahead. 2 FDA 510(k)s.
Precision Health

Jona

LLM-powered microbiome analysis. Digital twin creates virtual microbiome for intervention testing.
Precision Health

Alden Scientific

ML on world's most comprehensive bio data. 200+ condition predictions, up to 40x better than current biomarkers.
Precision Health

I2Pure

Patented non-toxic molecular iodine solutions for healthcare, biosafety, and food processing.
Precision Health

ImYoo

Partners with patients to collect molecular data, powering precision medicine.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Glyphic Biotechnologies

Only scalable protein sequencing platform. NIH ($1.1M), NY Biodefense ($2.8M) customers.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Motley Bio

Simultaneous DNA, RNA, and protein profiling in a single sequencing readout.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Cellular Vehicles

'CGT Nespresso Machine' — robotics/microfluidics to bring cell & gene therapy to any hospital.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

NAVAN

Non-viral nanotech delivery for DNA, mRNA, and proteins. MD Anderson partnership.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Sentinal4D

AI cancer drug discovery using 3D cell shape biology. Dr. Chris Bakal, pioneer.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Mitrix Bio

Longevity breakthrough — bioreactor-grown mitochondria transplants. Approaching Phase I.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Vivan Therapeutics

Personalized cancer drug combos via AI/ML and patient genetic/tumor models.
Multi-Omics & Gene Therapy

Superbio

First AI marketplace for biotech. Google collaboration. Democratizing drug discovery AI.
Wellness

MoveJoy

AI wellness platform by Equinox co-founder Lavinia Errico. Holistic fitness for women.
Wellness

Othership

Sauna, ice bath, breathwork studios. 5.0 rating, Forbes, Vogue coverage. Non-alcoholic social space.
Wellness

Novobeing

Clinically validated VR/MR platform reducing stress, anxiety, and pain in healthcare settings.
Wellness

Endo Health

AI voice companion for weight loss coaching. Backed by a16z, General Catalyst, Anne Wojcicki.
Wellness

Superhumn

Alt-protein food tech. Industry-high margins, 90% lower R&D costs. Walmart Marketplace launch.
Wellness

OnFirm HealthyHospitals

Restaurant-quality hospital food at scale. Patient satisfaction 9%→90% at Northwell Health.
Assistive Tech

CaptifyGlass

Real-time subtitles and translations through AR glasses.
Assistive Tech

HarmonEyes

Eye-tracking for cognitive load and fatigue. Customers: NASA, MIT, NBA, MLB, Qualcomm.
Assistive Tech

Concha Labs

FDA-cleared AI hearing aid. Best Buy, Costco, Mayo Clinic preferred OTC. Amy Li, founder.
Assistive Tech

QuantifiedMD

AI surgical performance evaluation — sensors, EEG, video, motion. Dr. Carla Pugh, Stanford Surgery.
Assistive Tech

MetaFlex

Patented compression + resistance glove for hand health. Amazon, Walmart, VA Medical Centers.
Assistive Tech

Feno

AI oral care mouthpiece + scanner. Nvidia partnership. UCSD and U. Minnesota RCT.
Assistive Tech

Lynx Tech

Most private AI assistant — local model, personal data never leaves device. Health applications.
Assistive Tech

NextThought AI

AI for postdoc grant writing. Revenue-generating 1 month post-launch, 150+ active users.
Assistive Tech

The Natural Nipple

AI-designed biomimicry baby bottle personalized to mother's shape. Reduces colic and latching issues.
Robotics & Autonomous Science

MDC

Robotic system for MRI/CT-guided biopsies and ablations with real-time needle control.
Robotics & Autonomous Science

Potato

AI research assistant for experiment planning. Uses GenAI + RAG for research protocols.
Robotics & Autonomous Science

Diatom Biolabs

Lab-on-a-chip — digital microfluidics automating bio experiments. 10-100x faster antibody screening.
Biomanufacturing

ChemT

AI-designed cellular drugs for biologics manufacturing. Boosts yield and consistency.
Biomanufacturing

CellCo

Modular programmable cells as biologic factories. Synthetic biology + AI for precision therapeutics.
Biomanufacturing

Klona

3D bioprinting of functional tissue and organs with embedded reinforcing fibers.
T E S T I M O N I A L S

Founders love working with us.

"I have been working with Ben and Ariel for the past two years, and I can confidently say that they are the hardest working and most valuable investors we have. What sets them apart is their unique blend of deep understanding of both hard science and marketing — a combination rarely found in other investors."
Meredith Perry · Elemind
"They are thinking about your startup from the get-go, whether it's talking about it with someone they meet at a coffee shop or at a conference. To that end, I have never met people with such good networks! Ariel is always there for you as a founder — whether it's for a confidence boost, problem-solving, or recruiting. She really is 'in the trenches with you.'"
Amie Leighton
"Ariel and Ben were among the first investors who believed in us when we had limited resources. The connections and insights facilitated by Arben Ventures have significantly increased our visibility and credibility within the U.S. investor community. Their investment goes beyond capital; they are genuinely invested in the success of the businesses they support."
Annika Lundström
A R B E N   V E N T U R E S

What is the future of health
you want for your family?

Ariel Ganz, PhD
Founder & Managing Partner
ariel@arben.ventures
Benjamin Rolnik
Founder & Partner
ben@arben.ventures
Arben Ventures
© 2026 Arben Ventures. All rights reserved.
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