Frequently Asked Questions
What does Alix Ventures Mean?
Alix is a combination of words Alexander, meaning to defend, & Andros, translating to Humankind. Alix hopes to use the power of Life Sciences to serve as “The Protectors of Humankind”.
What is your Thesis?
Alix aims to partner amongst passionate accomplished founders with unique insights to solve some of the world’s most daring problems facing us in Life Sciences. Through an unrivaled community comprised of the utmost technical rigor & industry insights, Alix supports breakthrough startups pushing the bounds of the possible to drive patient impact.
What Type of companies do you look for?
We're very interested in platform companies more broadly speaking across human health regardless if they enable applications or infrastructure, but besides a select few anti-theses we don't limit our investments to any specific verticals within life sciences. As long as there's a patient focus & a chance to build a massive business while solving a big problem in the world, it's exciting to us!
What Do You look for in Founders?
We look for entrepreneurs that want to build massive businesses and move the world forward in a real way. We don't fund founders just looking to get rich, and we don't fund founders just looking to make a difference. We want founders that aim to make a positive impact by building a massive business.
Successful companies take many years to build, so we look for founders we could see ourselves working with for 10+ years. We like founders that embody…
Wizardry — Unrivaled domain knowledge and understanding of market opportunities
Scar Tissue — Wounds from prior mistakes that have healed into earned secrets - advantages for the next try
Wave Generator — Courage to lead the first charge and set in motion the groundswell needed to start a movement
Micro Macro — Balanced mindset with fluency in both long term vision and short term goals
Liaison — Gifted builder, communicator, navigator, and motivator of “the Village” - investors, employees, customers, press, etc.
Eye of the Storm — Ability to find stability and direction in an unstable/unpredictable environment
Always be Chasing — Rocket fuel that keeps on burning and the fire to weather on despite circumstance
These terms benchmark our viewpoint that the best founders are determined, passionate, grounded, smart, creative, and - maybe most importantly - can get right back up after getting knocked down.
What Stage companies do you invest in?
We back companies at the earliest stages (Pre-Seed, Seed, & select Series As) usually raising their first institutional round of funding. We like to back companies at this stage because we find that the DNA of the company is still forming and the flywheel is just taking off. This archetype is where we feel our help & expertise can be most impactful!
What is your average check size?
Our check size is tailored to the size & nature of the round, but generally tends to be $100K - $500K for Seed. With this check size in mind we know we have to work with other VCs, thankfully our entire team is composed of VC backed Founders, & we come with deep connections to help you fundraise. We are more than happy to be first check in & help syndicate your round, we come with a large network of friends!
How long does your Investment process take?
We are for founders by founders, meaning we know how the fundraising process can be long/hard & are mindful of the distraction that it can be to a company in the interim. With that being said, we want to do the diligence it takes to proudly stand by a company throughout its whole lifecycle & work in the trenches when times get tough. We typically engage in 3 meetings/calls ranging from business to technical diligence with our partners & SAB/MAB over the course of 3-4 weeks. To see a PDF of our full process, please click the download button below…
Do you invest in follow on rounds of your portfolio Companies?
Yes, we are thrilled to invest in the follow on rounds of our portfolio companies, we specifically reserve capital (50% of our fund) to do so, as well as aim for $1 - 2M in SPVs for Series As & $5 - 10M for Series Bs. We also love to actively recruit other later stage firms to participate as well!
How do you help portfolio companies?
Supporting our founders is top priority, to tackle the many challenges ahead we’ve curated partnerships & built dedicated resources for: customer intros, fundraising, hiring, KPIs, amongst others. Alongside our investment team, dedicated to supporting our portfolio is operating partner, Mark Pulido (5 x CEO - Formerly of Novartis, McKesson, & Ability) & our network of C-suite executives representing Top 25 Pharma, major health systems, large Payors.
Alix looks awesome, how can I get involved?
Thanks for your interest in Alix, we love collaborating! Some easy ways to get involved are becoming a mentor, sharing new investment opportunities as a scout, and spreading the word about our mission!